"THESE ARE YOUR BROTHERS." 207 



time. A pining captive is an unwelcome guest 

 in this small bird colony, and the cardinal could 

 have his liberty at any moment. But that is 

 not his desire. He evidently appreciates the 

 comfort of a cage, is satisfied with his bill of 

 fare, and has no inclination to forage for him- 

 self. The only thing he wishes is" to be let 

 alone. His dream of happiness, if put into 

 words, would, I think, resemble the ideal of 

 some of the human family, a well-appointed 

 house, having everything to please the eye and 

 gratify the taste within and about it, and sur- 

 rounded by a wall unsurmountable and impene- 

 trable, even to the glances of the world at large. 

 In striking contrast with this uncivil person- 

 age is a serene and philosophic character, pos- 

 sessing neither the rollicking spirits of the gold- 

 finch nor the moodiness of the cardinal. The 

 return of the house-mistress, after a week's ab- 

 sence, elicits no manifestations of joy from this 

 bird, as it does from all the others, including 

 the cardinal. Yet, though undemonstrative, 

 he is not without emotions. He will follow 

 her all day, stand for an hour within an inch 

 of the rocker of her chair, and spend half his 

 time on her knee, watching every movement, 

 taking occasional lunches from her fingers, and 

 not hesitating to indulge in a nap when he feels 

 so disposed. 



