196 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 



but, unfortunately, whatever of Greek taste there may be 

 among us is so emulously expended in erecting Doric Pig- 

 stys and Corinthian Coal sheds, not to speak of building tem- 

 ples for Banking Houses and domes to light our stables ! 

 that we have no time or wit to spare for more graceful fan- 

 cies, so the apotheosis of this syren of the solitude must Jbe 

 even left to the hearts of rough way-farers, whom it has 

 cheered when stumbling by the way ! 



But I commenced to tell you of my Pet "Wood Thrushes ! 

 I have one now before me on my table. The wild and gentle 

 little fellow ! he watches my pen with such a knowing air. 

 I wonder if he doesn't understand all about it ? His curios- 

 ity becomes, now and then, rather troublesome, for, he occa- 

 sionally gets upon a regular " lark," when we let him out 

 of the cage, and then such a hubbub as we have upon my 

 sanctum table ! He seems to be of a decidedly literary turn, 

 and attacks my papers the first thing. Here they go scatter- 

 ed over the room, sheet after sheet sent flying from the table I 

 He seizes one at a time from the chaotic heap, and, running 

 backward with vigorous jerks to the edge of the table, tosses 

 it off, and then, with body stooping over the edge and head 

 turned sagely awry, he watches it sail down to the floor, and 

 returns gleefully to the attack again. Tired of this some- 

 what laborious sport, the running of my pen on the paper 

 attracts his attention, and standing erect with most sagacious 

 port, he eyes the proceeding for a moment and then com- 

 mences racing to and fro after the pen, pecking at the words 

 as they are left, to the great and frequent detriment of my 

 orthography, which is often sadly blurred and bedraggled by 

 his reckless toes. 



How much the saucy pest has learned by his audacious in- 

 quisition, I can only judge by the fact that he soon tires of 

 his pursuit of knowledge, and now has attacked my inkstand 

 the temptation of those long white-feathered quills is not 

 to be withstood they too would look well sailing down to 

 the floor after those sheets of paper hey-day ! spatter, spat- 



