THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 113 



some of his spoil : mine, that the fond parent had mis- 

 calculated the distance home. The birds upon the 

 lawn afford us endless amusement : the starling nimbly 

 working after worms ; the thrush and blackbird, with 

 head depressed and ear on one side, as if in detection of 

 a grub's subterranean excursion ; the fly-catcher hover- 

 ing and alighting in turn ; the selfish, detestable robin 

 — and, behold, now too a rarity — why, no less than an 

 individual of the large woodpecker species, with gor- 

 geous scarlet head and yellow breast. How he stoops 

 so awkwardly (being quite out of place off a tree), and 

 bends and digs in with his hard long tongue ! How 

 comes it that he has resort then to the feeding-ground 

 of the throstle ? Is it that his stomach is out of order, 

 and that he has a sore tip to his tongue, which makes 

 his usual task of tree-boring painful ; or is it that he 

 requires change, as we human beings take salad and 

 the dog chews couch-grass ? Look out, my brilliant, 

 for there are hawks about, and you may have one down 

 upon your broad back in a moment, making havoc of 

 your plumage in savage eagerness, despite your shrill 

 cry. 



But here comes one of the little girls. 



"Well, and what brings you here ?" 



"Oh! I want to go out with you, papa, if you will 

 let me, and lead Juno." 



" Well, but Where's your sister ? " 



" Oh, she's gone out with Miss Eglantine : she likes 

 going with her" (this was in an earnest, thoughtful, half- 

 sad tone and way,) " because she thinks she gets better 

 luck." 



" What do you mean, darling V 



" Oh ! I don't know : she's always more fortunate 



