SHOULD HE GO BACK? 139 



leaned over with mouth open, and across the 

 yard I heard his coaxing voice. But alas! 

 though he was on the very threshold, the food- 

 bearer omitted that step, and passed him by. 

 Then the little one looked up wistfully, appar- 

 ently conscious of being at a disadvantage. Did 

 he regret the nest privileges he had abandoned ? 

 Should he retrace his steps and be a nestling ? 

 That the thought passed through his head was 

 indicated by his movements. He raised himself 

 on his legs, turned his face to his old home, and 

 started up, even stepped one small twig nearer. 

 But perish the thought ! he would not go back ! 

 He settled himself again on his seat. 



All things come in time to him who can wait, 

 and the next provision stopped at the little wan- 

 derer. His father alighted beside him and fed 

 him two mouthfuls. Thus fortified, his ambi- 

 tion was roused, and his desire to see more, to 

 do more. He began to jump about on his 

 perch, facing first this way, then that ; he crept 

 to the outer end of the branch he was on, and 

 was lost to view behind a thick clump of pine 

 needles. In a few minutes he returned, consid- 

 ered other branches near, and, after some study, 

 did really go to the nearest one. Then, step by 

 step, very deliberately, he mounted the winding 

 stair of his father, using, however, every little 

 twig that the elder had vaulted over at a bound. 



