46 NATURE IN A CITY YARD 



gone higher in summer and lower in winter 

 than the thermometers of his neighbors. 

 It makes his place adventurous, and he 

 doubtless feels that he is an object of inter- 

 est or sympathy. 



One blessed state of winter is the quiet 

 and late morning hours it imposes on our 

 neighbors' fowls. They seldom harry us 

 with visits after worms and seeds, but the 

 cocks proclaim their waking at seasons 

 when you do not wish to be apprised of it. 

 It is one of the plagues of city life that 

 you are thrown so close against disagreea- 

 ble events. The authorities recognize but 

 one nuisance, that which offends the smell, 

 inasmuch as it argues offense to physical 

 health. When a man boils bones or makes 

 fertilizers, his neighbors stop the work, 

 even going across the borders of his prop- 

 erty to do it ; but he is safe to offend the 

 sight in any way he likes, and he can take 

 strange liberties with our ears. The bark- 

 ing dog, the singing ass, the screeching 

 parrot, the shrilling cat, the crowing cock, 

 and the boy learning to play on the violin 

 it is hard to surpass. 



