56 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



stealing on tlie air, tlie prisoners there grew so restless and 

 looked so out of place in their bare wooden cages, that day 

 by day compunctious visitings grew upon me, until one after 

 one, with many a yearning sigh as I looked after them, all 

 were turned loose upon the sunny earth again. I would be 

 saddened for days to think of their ingratitude, for no one 

 of them would ever come back to me again. 



Sorrows could not last long in those days. The sap run 

 vigorously, and new pleasures soon grew over the old scars. 

 My pets were all gone, but with the same spring that wooed 

 their freedom came nesting time. 



Ah, what an eye I had for localities most apt to be selected 

 by my wild favorites to build their homes in then ! I was 

 seldom taken by surprise in finding any nest. I could almost 

 tell beforehand the very fork, thick clustered round with veil- 

 ing leaves, in which Master Dandy Jay would wisely hide his 

 clumsy house. 



I knew the very limb out near the end of which the Robin 

 meant to build. I could tell the very stump or hollow which 

 yonder twittering pair of Blue Birds would select — that ig, 

 if they didn't choose a hole in the great gate-posts of the 

 meadow. 



The blackberry thicket in the corner of the "worm fence" 

 where the Brown Thrasher would build amidst sharp brial's, 

 I knew well of old ; and the very pear tree top, or swinging 

 locust in the yard, from which the Oriole, with black and 

 golden coat, would hang its woven cradle, was prophetically 

 foreshadowed. 



I knew the apple-tree in the orchard, too, that sober-coated 

 reverend of jollity, the Parson Oriole, would be sure to select 

 to preach his garrulous sermons of glee on, while his tender 

 mate rocked pendent, listening from the same breezy bough. 



I could tell before I reached yonder dead young mulberry, 

 whether it was a Tom-Tit's populous nursery that had filled 

 that sap-sucker's deserted chamber, or whether I might expect, 



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