AN ABANDONED HOME. 



ELANORA KINSLEY MARBLE. 



W 



ELL," said Jenny Sparrow one 

 fine day in April, as she flut- 

 tered from bough to bough 

 in a maple tree near my 

 study-window, "spring is advancing 

 and already the housewives are bus- 

 tling about busy from morning till 

 night. Such fetching and carrying of 

 grass and straw and feathers ! Mamma 

 concluded to build a new house this 

 spring but papa said the old homestead 

 would do, with new furnishings. Papa 

 always has his way; he's such a tyrant. 

 I'm a fortunate creature that I have no 

 such cares, I'm sure. Mamma says I 

 may as well sing and fly high while 

 youth and beauty last, for my troubles 

 will begin soon enough. Troubles ! 

 The idea of my having trouble! Old 

 people must croak, I suppose, and 

 would really be disappointed if their 

 children failed to experience the trials 

 they have. 



" I often wonder if papa strutted and 

 bowed and swelled himself out as my 

 suitors do, when he courted mamma. 

 Now he does nothing but scold, and I 

 never make an unusually fine toilet 

 but he shakes his head, and lectures 

 mamma on the sin of idleness and 

 vanity. I'm not vain, I'm sure. I only 

 feel strong and happy, and when I'm 

 challenged by a neighbor's sons and 

 their ugly sisters for a long flight or 

 graceful curve, I would be a silly 

 creature indeed if I didn't display my 

 accomplishments to good advantage. 



" There, now, is the son of our nearest 

 neighbor twittering on that roof op- 

 posite and trying to attract my atten- 

 tion. He prides himself on being a 

 direct descendant of one of the 

 sparrows first imported into this coun- 

 try from England, so we call him Mr. 

 Britisher. He has the most affected 

 way of turning his head on one side 

 and glancing at me. I can't help ad- 

 miring his engaging manners, though, 

 and there is a certain boldness in his 

 address which the rest of my admirers 

 lack, much to their disadvantage. He's 

 going to fly over here presently, I know 

 by the way he is strutting about and 



fluttering his wings. Talk about the 

 vanity of my sex ! Gracious ! He is 

 priding himself now on the manner 

 in which his toes turn out, and the 

 beauty of his plumage, and how much 

 broader is that black ring about his 

 throat than those on some of his neigh- 

 bors. Here he comes. I'll pretend to 

 be looking another way. 



" Ah, is that you, Mr. " Britisher? 

 How you startled me. Yes, 'tis a lovely 

 day. After the storms of winter, the 

 warm sunshine is a blessing to us little 

 creatures who live under the eaves." 



" True, Miss Jenny, true. But with 

 companionship even the storms of 

 winter can be borne cheerfully. Don't 

 you agree with me that a loving home 

 is a very desirable thing?" 



"Oh, Mr. Britisher, how you talk! 

 Have your parents been away from 

 home, that you are so lonesome?" 



"You know they have not. Miss 

 Jenny. You know full well that I was 

 not speaking of that kind of companion- 

 ship. Permit me to sit beside you on 

 that bough, for I have that to say 

 which I desire shall not be overheard. 

 The leaves even seem to have ears at 

 this season of the year, and do a deal 

 of whispering about the numerous 

 courtships which they hear and see 

 going on." 



"True, very true, Mr. Britisher," re- 

 turned Miss Jenny, making room for 

 him beside her on the limb. "There 

 is a great amount of gossip going on 

 just now in bird-land, I understand. 

 Why, only the other day I heard — but 

 ah — there is Mrs. Cowbird skulking 

 below us, and no meaner bird flies, I 

 think, than she. Fancy her laying her 

 eggs in another bird's ' nest, because 

 she is too lazy to make one of her own! 

 A tramp bird must do a great deal of 

 gossiping, so be careful what you say." 



"She is not nearly such a mischief- 

 maker as Mr. Blue Jay," replied Mr. 

 Britisher, " nor half so impertinent. I 

 heard him chattering with Mr. Black- 

 bird the other day and he said all 

 sparrows were alike to him. Fancy it! 

 A field sparrow, vesper sparrow, swamp 



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