;4Q 



RECREA TION. 



terra-cotta vests and the neatest fitting 

 boots. The robins were very bright, 

 and although they dressed plainly were 



always invited with the first, because of 

 their superior intelligence. 



Soon after came the timid, diminutive 

 wrens, plain, unpretentious little 

 folk, but being related to the 

 robins, by ties of marriage, they 

 could not be slighted. The ori- 

 oles, as became leading singers, 

 were dashing in their yellow 

 vests, while their scarlet - 

 breasted brothers, in black side 

 coats, cut a brilliant figure in 

 the assemblage. The beautiful 

 and sweet-voiced blue-bird was 

 hailed with delight by every one. 

 The black-bird came too, for 

 though avaricious and of doubt- 

 ful character, he had an estab- 

 lished claim to social recognition, be- 

 cause of the interesting fact that his an- 

 cestors had been baked in the historic pie 



notes struck discordantly among the 

 sweet tones of his gay young neighbors. 

 He was followed by the saucy king bird, 

 a mischievous young fellow 

 who delighted to tease the 

 % crow by giving the whiskers 

 of that worihy an occa- 

 sional tweak. Then came 

 the swallows, those cheerful, 

 chirping heralds of spring, 

 quietly dressed in brown and 

 gray ; and the bobolinks, 

 looking fat and sleek after 

 their sojourn in the sunny 

 «< south. 



When the red- headed 

 woodpecker appeared all the swallows 

 broke into a titter, notwithstanding the 

 fact that he was so elegantly attired in a 



o4 ilkhfjf 



Stately, severe and arranged in a shin- 

 ing robe of black, like the judge on 

 the bench, came the crow, whose solemn 



white satin vest, black broad-cloth coat 

 and red cap; but when, during the enter- 

 tainment, he played the grand march 

 for the opening quadrille, 

 with such admirable time and 

 execution, perched on the 

 highest dead branch in the 

 forest, all were forced to ad- 

 mit that he possessed great 

 musical talent. 



The owl, looking wise, 

 solemn and superior, retired 

 to a shaded corner and took 

 no part in the festivities, ex- 

 cept to wink knowingly to 

 his neighbor, the crow, when 

 some of the pretentious 

 youngsters exploited their 

 fine clothes and to sound an 

 occasional hoot of dissatis- 

 faction at what he termed 

 their undue frivolity. 

 Each warbler with his quiet-voiced 

 wife, greeted the radiant hostess, and 

 the air was vibrant with musical con- 



