56 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



Some two years ago a great event happened to a pair 

 of my yellow birds, which ended in a serious disappoint- 

 ment. One warm May morning, as my daughter and I 

 sat sewing on the veranda, a little passing puff of wind 

 blew away some snips of the white material that we 

 had been busy with and carried them among the grass 

 just below the syringa bush, where the foundation of a 

 nest had just been laid by the female bird. Her 

 bright eyes quickly caught sight of the scraps of muslin, 

 and down she came from her perch in the bush and 

 carried off the prize to her nest, coming back and 

 diligently picking up all the bits "she could see. Noticing t 

 that she was so well pleased with this new building 

 material, we added some more scraps and some tufts of 

 cotton wool to the supply. Charmed with her good 

 fortune, and grown bolder, the pretty creature ventured 

 nearer to us and took all the scraps we chose to scatter 

 for he.r on the grass. 



The work of building went on so rapidly that in the 



course of two hours she had constructed a most delicate 



and dainty looking snow-white nest, and the pair took 



possession of this novel-looking house with festal song. 



But ah me ! their joy was destined to be of but short 



duration. 



" The best laid schemes o' mice and men 

 Gang aft a-gley, " 



and in the present case so it proved with our pair of 

 little architects. 



