i inn THREE CHICKADEE FRIEh 



flashlight failed to reveal it. Phiffy had not seemed quit 

 for several days, and our hearts were son- for her, oat in the cold 

 alone and weak. Should we find a lifeless little body in the snow, 

 when we looked for her in the early morning? We went t 

 with heavy hearts that night. 



Fluffy came as usual for breakfast, but she was unmistakably 

 ill. She sat on the window shelf in the sunshine, with soft feathers 

 puffed out and her bill open. She did not even notice that her 

 tail feathers lay in the icy water of her drinking pan. 



An anxious friend opened the window, and with caressing 

 fingers changed her position while Fluffy offered no remonstrance. 

 We afterwards learned from more experienced friends, that birds 

 do suffer much from the cold in severe weather. Perhaps that 

 was the cause of Fluffy's indisposition, but we were never sure. 

 Sorrowfully, we watched the little invalid, and many a consulta- 

 tion was held as to the best way of caring for her. We gave her 

 diet careful consideration, and tried to tempt her failing appetite 

 with crushed hemp seeds in addition to her favorite nuts and sun- 

 flower seeds. We kept a supply of canary gravel on her table, 

 and changed her drinking water frequently. 



It occurred to us during Fluffy's illness, that if we could make 

 the balcony sufficiently attractive, she might be persuaded tc 

 take up her abode inside, where she would have more protection 

 from wind and snow. A young nephew fastened a branch in the 

 roof, and two pieces of wire netting were removed from opposite 

 sides of the screen. Fluffy soon found the place which had been 

 prepared for her, and every night she slept in her chosen niche. 

 Like the trusting little lady that she was, she selected her sleeping 

 place close to a door which was seldom closed at night. The first 

 sound that we heard in the morning was her contented, sleepy 

 little twitter before she came down to eat her breakfast with Jimmy 

 and Sammy, on the porch table. 



For many weeks there were few late afternoons that one or 

 more of her devoted family did not watch her make her bed 

 time preparations. "Come between four and five," we often 

 said to interested friends who wished to see Fluffy eat her supper, 

 take several sips of water, and go upstairs to bed fluttering softly 

 and turning her little head from side to side, to look down at us 

 confidingly as she settled herself comfortably for the night, 

 like a sleepy baby in its crib. 



