The Phoebe at Home 



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sins, the wood-pewees, who play the fine lady in 

 the forest. Her idea was the substantial, the 

 inconspicuous, and the safe. 



With this in view, Mme. Phoebe and her hus- 

 band together, after much interesting investiga- 

 tion and colloquy, decided upon a good spot, 

 and there the work of the husband seemed to 

 end. Whether he is too indolent, or thinks it 

 infra dig., or pleases himself with the notion 

 that he will play soldier and defend the laborer, 

 or whether he is simply not permitted by his 

 spouse to meddle with this important matter, 

 you may decide for yourself. At any rate, 

 Mme. Phoebe seems to do all the work alone, but 

 her mate entertains her now and then by a little 

 song, which is scarcely more than a repetition 

 of his name, as fast as he can chatter, for a min- 

 ute or so at a time. The builder finds some spot 

 where moss is growing, plucks it up by the 

 roots, brings the sprays, with the mud clinging 

 to their roots, and lays them in a circle upon the 

 rock, where the material is patted down by her 

 feet until its sticks. If the shelf is wide enough 

 a complete circle is laid, and as more is laid and 

 <$ 241 $& 



