sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yel- 

 low-winged sparrow, fox sparrow, and 

 dear knows how many other common 

 American sparrows, the same to him as 

 a blue-blooded English one. Wh)-, 

 my ancestors lived under the roof of 

 Windsor Castle, and flew over the head 

 of Queen Victoria many, many a time." 



"You don't say?" returned Miss 

 Jenny, very much impressed. "Why, 

 you are a member of the royal family, 

 you may say. Our family, I have heard 

 mother tell, always made their home in 

 the city — London proper, you know, 

 right under the eaves of the Bank of 

 England. But come, that is not what 

 you flew over here to say, surely," de- 

 murely casting her eyes upon the 

 ground. 



" How charmingly you coquette with 

 me," said Mr. Britisher, moving closer 

 to her on the limb. " Have you not 

 seen for weeks past that I have had no 

 thoughts for any girl-sparrow but you, 

 Miss Jenny?" 



" La, Mr. Britisher, I really have had 

 so much attention from your sex this 

 spring that I " 



" But none of them have been so de- 

 voted as I," interrupted her companion. 

 "Think of the many delicious morsels 

 I have laid at your feet, and all I ask 

 in return is " 



"What?" coyly asked Miss Jenny, 

 pretending she was about to fly away. 



"This little hand," stooping and 

 pecking her dainty claws with his bill. 

 " Will you be my wife. Miss Jenny, the 

 queen of my heart and home?" 



" The queen of your heart and home," 

 repeated Miss Jenny. "That sounds very 

 nice, indeed. But when one gets mar- 

 ried, my mamma says, then one's 

 troubles begin." 



" No, no, my dear one. Your husband 

 will hold it his dearest privilege to 

 guard you from every care. Life will 

 be one long dream of bliss for us both. 

 Say you will be mine." 



"Well, I suppose I may as well say 

 )'es. Mamma says girl? must be settled 

 in life some time, apd I am sure I fancy 

 you infinitely more than any of the 

 young sparrows hereabouts. So you 

 can ask papa and — there, there! You 

 will twist my bill off, and Mr. W^ood- 

 pecker over there, I am sure is watch- 



ing us. Really you put me in such a 

 flutter with your fervor. There, you 

 naughty boy; you mustn't any more. 

 My! I am so nervous. I'll fly home 

 now and quiet my nerves with a nap. 

 I'm off. By-by." 



The courtship was brief, as is the 

 custom with our feathered friends, and 

 so the wedding took place in a few 

 days. The bride received the blessing 

 of her parents for a dot and the groom 

 a shrug of the shoulders and the com- 

 forting assurance from his father that 

 he was a " ninny" and not aware when 

 he was well off. 



All went merry as a marriage bell 

 for a season, Mr. Britisher twittering 

 daily in soft low tones his prettiest 

 love songs and his spouse listening in 

 proud complacency as she oiled her 

 feathers and curled them prettily with 

 her bill. 



" O," she said one day, when making 

 a call upon a neighbor, " I'm quite the 

 happiest creature in the world. Such 

 a husband, and how he dotes on me! 

 I had no idea I was such a piece of 

 perfection, really. I wish all my friends 

 were as well and happil)' mated. Those 

 who have no such prospects are to be 

 pitied indeed. Ah! you needn't bridle 

 that way. Miss Brownie, for I had no 

 particular individual in mind when I 

 made that remark, believe me. Well, 

 I must cut my visit short, for hubby 

 will be looking for me, and he grows .s<? 

 impatient when I am out of his sight 

 a moment. By-by. Run in and see 

 us, do, all of you. We are stopping, 

 you know, with papa and mamma for 

 awhile." 



" Did you ever see such a vain, silly 

 thing?" said the mother of a large brood 

 of very homely sparrows. " If my 

 girls had no more sense than she, I'd 

 strip every feather off 'em and keep 

 'em at home, I would!" 



"She makes me sick," said a pert 

 young thing in the group. ''Per- 

 fection indeed! Why, when she laughs 

 I'm always uneasy for fear her face will 

 disappear down her throat. Such a 

 mouth!" 



"Hubby," mimicked another, "I 

 thought I should collapse when she 

 said that with her sickening simper." 



" W'ell, well," smilingl}' said an old 



