AN INDUSTRIOUS LITTLE HOUSEKEEPER. 



About a year ago, at the beginning of home. By and by she yields to his per- 



"the warm season, I took the childen out suasions and with him enters the port. 



to the country to spend a day. We had Here he guides her to a certain spot, 



a good time tramping through the woods and then leaves her, while he guards his 



all the morning, and at noon we sat down frontier. In a little while the visitor 



beside a small, brackish stream to eat takes her departure, and the episode is 



our lunch. The boys had cut long sticks repeated with other fish. Some are driv- 



from the willow trees, and with these en away savagely, but the little knight 



they threshed the water all the time we is so polite to the ladies that he always 



"were eating. treats them with the greatest respect. 



It was soon observed that they were We were very curious to visit the 



causing a great deal of excitement for place to which these visitors were invited, 



a little fish we had not noticed before, so we crept around to it and, after much 



He was so funny in his anger that he peering and speculating, made our dis- 



reminded us of a small boy squaring off covery. 



for a fight. The boys stopped when they This was the Stickleback's nest, 



found they were worrying him, but we I had often heard that these nests were 



stayed for some time that we might strange things, but never before had I 



watch him. had the pleasure of seeing one. And what 



He proved to be one of those queer a tiny thing it was ! We never should 

 little Sticklebacks, and he was, we could have seen it had we not looked so care- 

 plainly see, monarch of a certain small fully. It was of the same color as the 

 territory of water bounded by tw r o or mud in the bottom of the stream, and 

 three tussocks. His monarchy was ab- was built of tiny wisps of dried grasses 

 solute, there was no doubt about that. woven together. Some sticky material 



Whenever another fish dared to come held it fast to the bottom of the stream, 



near his kingdom he rushed at him in so that there was no danger of its being 



the wildest fury. He struck viciously at washed away. 



him with his fins, bit him and did every- And this w r as the place to which Mr. 



thing in his power to drive the intruder Stickleback had kindly invited the ladies 



away. Sometimes the water became who passed by. Each lady Stickleback, 



quite red from the blood shed in the pleased with the courtesy, stops in to rest 



fray, and the stranger, who was nearly for a moment, and leaves, as a souvenir 



always taken at a disadvantage, was glad of her visit, a few eggs. In this way 



to escape with his life. Mr. Stickleback receives as presents as 



Ah, but here comes the Queen of She- many as one hundred eggs for his nest. 



ba ! What does this mean ? Instead of These remain until they are hatched, 



attacking the newcomer, as we expected, We enjoyed our visit to our new 



of course, he advances most courteously friend so much that we called several 



and delicately to meet her. Now he times afterwards. And what a Bedlam 



glides by her side, close to her, now he the poor father had while the babies were 



darts back to his dominion. Back he growing! Little fishes here, little fishes 



comes to her again, swimming grace- there, and they wanted to eat all the time, 



fully, showing all his lovely colors to My, oh, my ! There never was a busier 



their greatest advantage, and, coaxing- father than this one. Until the children 



ly, perhaps whispering something to her, were four weeks old he spent all his time 



'he endeavors to allure her into his little in hunting delicacies for them. And he 



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