THE PET FINCHES. 311 



stomach the half-digested food for my benefit, precisely in 

 the manner of feeding young birds. 



But I did not like this sort of relationship very much, and 

 determined to break it down, and forthwith commenced by 

 coldly refusing to be fed, and as fast as I could bring my 

 hard heart to do it, breaking down all the gentle bonds be- 

 tween us. 



The result was sad enough. The poor fellow could not 

 bear it he sat in wondering grief he would not eat ; at 

 night I took him in my hand and held him to my cheek 

 he nestled closely and seemed more happy, although his lit- 

 tle heart was too full to let him speak. In the morning I 

 scarcely answered his tender love-call, " Come-e-here" but 

 I sat down to my drawing, thinking if I could be so cold 

 much longer to so gentle and uncomplaining a creature. 



I presently arose and went to the cage. Oh ! my poor, 

 poor bird ! he lay struggling on the floor ! I took him out 

 I tried to call him back to life in every way that I knew, but 

 it was useless, I saw he was dying, his little frame was even 

 then growing cold within my warm palm. I uttered the 

 call he knew so well, he threw back his head, with its yet 

 undimmed eye, and tried to answer the effort was made 

 with his last breath. His eye glazed as I gazed, and his atti- 

 tude was never changed ! His little heart was broken. I 

 can never forgive myself for my cruelty ! Oh ; to kill so 

 gentle and pure a love as that ! 



And now I have left me only the little Painted Finch. He 

 has given up his propensity for quarrelling, and has thrown 

 off the greater part of his proud shy ways he is still most es- 

 sentially a Southerner. He is as exclusive and fastidious as 

 the knowledge of good blood and delicate breeding can make 

 him. He has everfelt himself an exile, and has come to con- 

 sider his cage as his House of Kefuge. He seems not at all 

 to desire to leave it, although I frequently invite him out. 



He without doubt remembers the orange groves of his na- 

 tive land with all the intense devotion of a true Southerner. 



