BIRDS NESTS. 7 



that poor bird felt, all the while you were 

 hacking away at her nest. Birds, who have 

 had their young ones taken away, have been 

 known to follow the robber for a long distance, 

 and even to go into a house to feed them ; and 

 do you think they would do that unless they 

 loved them almost as dearly as your mother 

 loves you ? The Bible speaks of the love of a 

 bird for its young as one of the strongest feel- 

 ings in nature. If you read the thirty-second 

 chapter of Deuteronomy, you will see that God 

 compares His own watchfulness over the chil- 

 dren of Israel to the love bestowed by an eagle 

 on its young ; and the eagle we look on as the 

 most savage of all birds. We may learn from 

 this passage alone, that we cannot rob a bird's 

 nest without causing suffering to one of God's 

 creatures, that is, without being cruel. Now 

 cruelty is a sin which is not only bad in itself, 

 but tends more than any other sin, perhaps, 

 to harden the heart ; and your mother, Joe, 

 has taught you too well that you should need 



