132 SCRAPING ACQUAINTANCE. 



moreover, who has probably been at school in 

 his time, for most of his words are spelled 

 correctly, and yet he knows my name only 

 as he has seen it signed once in a while to a few 

 lines in a newspaper." Thoughts like these, 

 however, did not prevent his replying to the 

 note (my " valued favor ") with all politeness, 

 although he confessed himself unable to answer 

 my question ; and by the time I had occasion to 

 trouble him again I had learned that he was to 

 be addressed as Doctor, and, furthermore, was 

 an ornithologist of world-wide reputation, being, 

 in fact, one of the three joint-authors of the 

 most important work so far issued on the birds 

 of North America. 



Certainly I was and am grateful to him (he 

 is now dead) for his generous treatment of my 

 ignorance ; but even warmer is my feeling to- 

 ward that city thrush, who, all unconscious of 

 what he was doing, started me that day on a 

 line of study which has been ever since a con- 

 tinual delight. Most gladly would I do him 

 any kindness in my power ; but I have little 

 doubt that, long ere this, he, too, has gone the 

 way of all the earth. As to what he was think- 

 ing about on that memorable May morning, I am 

 as much in the dark as ever. But tfcere is no 

 law against a bird's behaving mysteriously, I 

 suppose. Most of us, I am sure, often do things 



