Mrs. Robin Redbreast came forward 

 just then and opened the discussion by 

 expressing- her own choice of "use before 

 beauty" and a dry and airy situation. 



Mrs. Bluebird Hked privacy and re- 

 tirement from the pubHc gaze, and de- 

 clared that no place more conspicuous 

 than a hollow post or stump is a fitting 

 home for the bringing up of baby blue- 

 birds. 



Mrs. Sparrow, in modest apparel, 

 showed her quiet taste in the matter of 

 home-making as in dress, choosing a 

 lowly nook in the pasture or upon the 

 edge of some grass-fringed bank. 



An equally secluded and unsuspected 

 site, with the meadow grasses waving 

 above and daisies and buttercups nodding 

 in the breeze but telling no tales, is the 

 select location of Mrs. O'Lincoln, and 

 rarely indeed does Madam betray the 

 secrets of her home. 



"No position is so favorable for nest- 

 ing purposes as a big knot upon a bridge 

 sleeper," tersely remarked Mrs. Pewee. 

 "My sisters and I make a point of util- 

 izing every bridge in our neighborhood, 

 though we like nearly as well the eaves 

 of a barn if only the Swallows would 

 give us permission to build on their ter- 

 ritory. 



"Dear me," exclaimed Mrs. Vireo in 

 a distressed tone. "Under a bridge. How 

 plebeian to be sure! Why, how can the 

 precious nestlings sleep in so much 

 noise? I think a swinging cradle indis- 

 pensable for my babies." 



"I, too," chimed in Mrs. Oriole. "I 

 have often watched Mrs. Pewee from 

 our beautiful Elm Lodge and wondered 

 how she could be happy with her home 

 in such a constant jar." 



"Come, come," interrupted Mrs. Crow 

 at this point. "I hope no sarcasm is in- 

 tended. Our taste is for a branch high 

 up in some dark hemlocks, out of the 

 reach of gunners and harum-scarum 

 boys. We care more for quantity than 

 quality, too, plenty of room but not too 

 much luxury .to make our children lazy 

 in getting their own living." 



"That would never do us," persisted 

 Mrs. Vireo. "We hold that nothing is 

 too good for the little ones, and early 

 surroundings and influences are every- 

 thing in cultivating a refined taste, a love 



for the beautiful, and the art of fanci- 

 ful designing. You cannot find anyone 

 who takes more pains than we in this 

 respect." 



"O, we all know that the Vireos have 

 plenty of time and means," tartly re- 

 sponded Mrs. Catbird, in an unmistak- 

 ably sarcastic tone. She, well aware of 

 her own carelessness both in selection of 

 site and manner of building, had not an 

 advanced idea to offer; and, like certain 

 humans, she therefore indulged in scof- 

 fing at her betters. "For my part," she 

 continued after a pause intended to be 

 impressive, "I think that those who trust 

 to luck a little more come out just as 

 well in the end and have just as respect- 

 able and more independent children." 



"Yes, yes," laughed Mrs. O'Lincoln, 

 "if by 'independent' you mean lawless ; 

 and fine examples you could furnish us, 

 too. No one will dispute you." 



"I like to see materials correspond 

 with surroundings," modestly suggested 

 Mrs. Sparrow, and Mrs. Bluebird add- 

 ed : "If you have proper regard for 

 privacy and modesty in the choice of 

 a site you need give less attention to 

 either materials or the style of your 

 structure." 



Madam Cowbird now descended from 

 a perch in the big birch balcony and sum- 

 marily dismissed the assembly with this 

 rough injunction: "Better be in better 

 business, all of you ! Work is better 

 than talk and accomplishes more for the 

 benefit of your neighbors. Theories are 

 well enough, but let me see a practical 

 demonstration of your various ideas. 

 Finish your building and I will come 

 around as critic and inspect your work, 

 ril warrant that I shall find little to 

 choose among you for all your fine talk." 

 This characteristic speech filled me 

 with such indignation that I resolved at 

 once to expose the duplicity of the speak- 

 er, thus thwarting Madam's wily plans 

 for shirking her own duties. 



Springing to my feet and gathering 

 my forces for an energetic and scathing 

 rebuke, I suddenly discovered that the 

 whole company had dispersed, leaving 

 me alone with the beauty and sweetness 

 and quiet gladness of the old orchard. 

 Sara Elizabeth Graves. 



