THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 139 



abandon of life after mateship. How eager 

 their search for a fit nest place. How deferen- 

 tial to her wishes. She is finding the place and 

 he by pranks and songs expresses supreme 

 pleasure in her wisdom and skill, as the best 

 little wife that song-bird ever had. May is such 

 a short month, it always seems but half a 

 month, so interested are we in the birds and 

 flowers and the beautiful out-of-doors life. If 

 we could but add two weeks to it — taking them 

 off from cheerless February. There is so much 

 to see and do. The birds have all come and 

 are at their best. Some come in March and 

 some in April, some stay the year through but 

 May is the bird month and all too short. My 

 literary work always suffers in this month. 

 Meals are irregular, the garden and orchard 

 and pasture and the "hill over there" have first 

 claim, all because of the birds. I have my pet 

 birds and the children have theirs; they often 

 argue with me about their pets and if alone and 

 afield, rather than have an argument I always 

 side with them, but in the house I stick stub- 

 bornly to my own pets. It puzzles them but it 

 ornaments and punctuates the day and adds 

 interest. 



( Did you hear that most exquisite strain from 



