Our First Birds. 113 



help, and did little more than look on. So vigorously, 

 however, did she set to work, that by the next day the 

 nest was nearly completed, and on the morning of the 

 27th, only three days after the nest-boxes had been put 

 into the aviary, to the great joy of herself and our own 

 children, she had deposited her first egg ! Here was 

 an event ; the discovery of a new world by the Spanish 

 seamen could scarcely have excited greater interest or 

 curiosity than did the first glimpse of the little speckled 

 globe now in our aviary. The thrilling rapture with 

 which the first Crusaders gazed upon the battlements 

 of the Holy City, or the wild delight with which the 

 first settlers in the New World looked upon the Pacific 

 Ocean, could scarcely exceed the delirious joy excited 

 by this happy event in our youngsters' breasts. All 

 were eager to have a peep at the long-expected treasure, 

 though they knew they must not touch or tease the 

 old bird with their inquisitiveness. To gratify this 

 very pardonable curiosity, and as I knew they would 

 not abuse it afterwards, I gave permission for them all 

 to have a look. So, piling a number of boxes on the 

 window-seat, they soon mounted up one after the othei 

 to satisfy their curiosity, and even Polly, the youngest, 

 by standing on tiptoes, managed to get a glimpse of 

 the precious gem, which having done they all set off 

 to school with hearts as light and smiles as bright as 

 the morning breeze. The next day poor little Blanche 

 laid another, and the next another, then missing a day, 

 the following morning, a fifth. So far all went merry 

 as a marriage-bell, and our fondest hopes seemed in a 

 fair way to be shortly realised. Others began to build 



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