quite like that of the robin at the start, 

 but as related above, he stops suddenly 

 about midway as if out of breath. 



The nest and breeding habits of the 

 Evening Grosbeak are not very well* 

 known. Only a few specimens of its nest 

 have been taken. They were built but 

 a few feet above the ground, and the 

 materials used in their construction 

 were fine twigs and rootlets, strips of 

 bark and moss. The lining consisted of 

 moss, hair and fine rootlets. 



The tameness of the Evening Gros- 

 beaks when they visit the more southern 

 portion of their range, during the winter, 

 should teach a lesson to all on the treat- 

 ment of birds. They trust man because 

 they come from a region where -bird- 

 stoning, the domestic cat, and the killing 

 propensities of human beings are un- 

 known. "Every wild and fearful bird is 

 a sad comment upon the savage treat- 

 ment bird-life has received at the hands 

 of man." 



THE AUNT JANE STORIES. 



VIII. CURIOUS CAVES. 



Aunt Jane had company to tea. A gen- 

 tleman whose voice had often been heard 

 in the capitol at Washington was her 

 guest. To hear him talk was a rare treat 

 even for grown up folks. The children 

 at Woodland House were therefore duly 

 grateful when Aunt Jane told them that 

 if they were very well behaved indeed, 

 they might remain in the parlor all the 

 evening and hear the conversation. After 

 supper, as all were gathering in the room, 

 Howard said in a low tone to Bird, "He 

 has been a traveler, I do hope he will tell 

 about what he has seen." 



"I can tell you now," whispered John, 

 "that there will be nothing but politics. 

 By-and-by I'll slip out — and you follow, 

 for we can finish up the kites in the attic. 

 Kites are better than politics in my opin- 

 ion." 



"Hush!" said Alice, "Aunt Jane is 

 looking at us and some one is talking." 

 The person in question was speaking of 

 North Carolina as being in some respects 

 a remarkable state on account of its 

 "Thermal Belt," its precious stones, its 

 gold and silver ores, and its mica and 

 mineral mines. "Yes," continued the 

 guest, "and its mountains compare favor- 

 ably with some in the eastern states 

 Have any of you ever visited the 'Blow- 

 ing Cave,' situated in one of the pictur- 

 esque mountains of North Carolina?" 



No one present had even heard of it 

 except Aunt Jane, who remembered hav- 

 ing read an account of it in some school 

 reader, when she was a child. 



"Do tell us something about it," she 

 said, "for you see the curiosity of the 

 children is excited at the very mention of 

 a 'Blowing Cave.' " The children looked 

 their thanks for this suggestion and the 

 gentleman said : "The cave is now- 

 reached by a remarkable railroad. The 

 construction of this road is a marvel of 

 engineering skill. I scarcely know which 

 to admire the most, the difficulties which 

 nature has presented, or the skill of man 

 in overcoming them. However, nature 

 still has the supremacy, for the last 

 twenty miles has still to be traveled in a 

 stage coach. 



"Imagine, if you can, how awesome it 

 is to enter a cave, which, it would seem, 

 must be secluded from the gentlest 

 zephyr, only to find that there the wind 

 never ceases, and man with all his wis- 

 dom and ingenuity has failed to fathom 

 the mystery of its cause. Here in the 

 most decided sense 'the wind bloweth 

 where it listeth and no one knoweth 

 whence it cometh or whither it goeth.' 

 Sometimes the wind is gentle — only 

 strong enough to blow paper about ; 

 again it will take off and carry away a 

 man's hat, and sometimes, like a Her- 



ns 



