164 DATS OUT OF DOORS. 



proceeded, not to burn midnight oil, but utilize tallow and 

 moonlight in ornithological pursuits. 



The house was an early colonial one, with chimneys of 

 massive proportions ; but at some time in the past a stove- 

 pipe hole had been cut that the room I occupied could be 

 heated. This opening, that had been closed by paper, 

 muslin, and paper, in alternate layers, thick with mouldy 

 paste, I opened, and at once uplifted flood-gates I was 

 powerless to replace. Three screeching, helpless, half- 

 naked birds tumbled in upon the floor, and a parent bird, 

 deceived by the dim glare of the candle, which it might 

 have mistaken for a distant star, rushed after them. At 

 once it commenced darting dangerously near the candle, 

 and before I could place it beyond the bird's reach, the 

 fluttering wings extinguished the sickly flame. I was rapid- 

 ly getting into a miserable snarl, and, with greater speed, 

 becoming angry. Quite unable to catch the one obnox- 

 ious visitor, which declined to rest above my chamber 

 door, or anywhere else, I hastened to prevent others 

 from joining it by the same entrance. But adverse fate 

 was grinning over my left shoulder all the while, and 

 three others had entered while my back was turned. 

 Had it suddenly become cold as Greenland I could not 

 now have slept. The moonlight was too dim to at- 

 tract the birds toward the window — a mere slit in the 

 thick stone wall that six small panes were suiBicient to 

 cover. The bit of gauze that covered the space of two 

 panes was drawn aside, and I tried to drive them out. 

 More fool I ! Then I tried the pillow warfare, not in- 

 dulged in since early youth ; it, too, was a failure. Then 

 — but hark! It had never occurred to me that I had 

 been making any noise, and now a motherly voice came 

 ringing up the box staircase : " Charles, is thee sick ; shall I 

 bring thee some hot tea ? " 



How the latter query of the kind old lady still rings 



