KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL, 



371 



the ill- concealed dread of Mrs. S., lest Bella's 

 natural but somewhat romping manners 

 should be caught by the more strictly-trained 

 sisters. Her voice was more inaudible, her 

 smile more imperceptible, her movements 

 more dignified than even they usually were. 

 Upon Bella they had no effect ; she continued 

 to speak in the natural tone of her voice, to 

 laugh as merrily, and to move without any 

 greater consideration for the exigencies of 

 grace and dignity. She could not, or would 

 not "show off." She congratulated herself 

 upon it, speaking in what then seemed terms 

 of comic commiseration of her " poor" sis- 

 ters, whose triumphs she in no way envied. 

 It was evident that her departure would re- 

 move a load of anxiety from Mrs. S.'s mind. 

 Bella made no attempt to disguise the plea- 

 sure with which she herself looked forward 

 to it. 



Notwithstanding this unpromising " de- 

 but, 1 ' I may observe that she became, in a few 

 years, a very pleasing and sufficiently-accom- 

 plished young lady. During the evening, Ellen 

 was frequently called to the piano ; and at last, 

 her mother requested her to sing. Some- 

 what heated and excited by her exertions in 

 entertaining her young friends, and having 

 hoped the long-deferred request would not 

 be made, it was painful to observe the effort 

 she made to obey cheerfully. Ellen, let me 

 remark, was a saintly creature ; and to excuse 

 herself, or hesitate in acquiescing to any 

 wish of her parents, was not in her nature. 

 The sadden flush, the nervous contraction of 

 the throat, were painfully evident, — but the 

 song was got through. Hearty were the 

 good wishes on parting, — earnest the pro- 

 mises to meet soon again ; for although of an 

 infinitely more matured mind, and superior 

 steadiness of character to her companions, 

 Ellen's seriousness was tempered with so 

 much sweetness, her superiority was so un- 

 pretending, such a loving affectionate heart 

 was apparent through the gravity of her 

 manner, that all, however dissimilar to her- 

 self, loved her. We called a few days sub- 

 sequently. Ellen had been ill, and was going 

 to be bled. We were asked to return, no 

 danger being apprehended ; "and," added the 

 old butler earnestly, " Miss Ellen would be 

 so grieved to hear that you had called with- 

 out seeing her." We did return, — but saw 

 her no more. 



Jessy, the youngest, underwent the same 

 system. Her animated voice became sub- 

 dued to an irreproachable monotony ; her 

 unaffected manners became faultlessly unde- 

 monstrative. For a health-giving canter in 

 the pure air, was substituted the studied 

 grace of the riding-school — whose precincts 

 she never entered without a hearty fit of 

 tears. Within a short period, the bereaved 

 parents again mourned over an early grave. 



Bowed by that grief which cannot be com- 

 forted, they now lie beside it ! 



Well may it be said of these fair girls : — 



Elles etaient cle ce monde, oa les plus belles choses 



Out le pire clestm, 

 Et roses, elles vecurent ce que vivent les roses, 

 L' espace d' uu matin. 



FORESTIERA. 

 BIRDS OF SONG,— No. XXXVI. 



THE AVIARY AND ITS OCCUPANTS. 

 No. IV. 



Having cleared up all existing difficul- 

 ties in the matter of external operations, we 

 have now to consider minutely the essentials 

 necessary for fitting up the interior of an 

 aviary ; for on the completeness or otherwise 

 of the internal arrangements, do the comfort 

 and happiness of your birds depend. 



First, of the flooring. Our flooring was 

 of wood ; laid on sleepers, and elevated some 

 considerable distance from the ground. The 

 unsuitableness, however, of a wooden flooring, 

 has been rendered apparent by the total de- 

 struction of all our feathered family (a very 

 large number) by an army of rats, who, at mid- 

 night — assassin-like — made their way through 

 the floor, and conveyed away their innocent 

 victims one by one from off their perches. 



For full particulars of this murderous on- 

 slaught, reference can be made to our First 

 Volume — where will be found recorded,chap- 

 ter and verse, the first-rate reception we gave 

 the enemy, — ending in their total annihilation. 

 We 4iad a grand cause for quarrel, and amply 

 revenged ourself. If ever revenge was law- 

 fully sweet, it was then. 



We should recommend that the flooring be 

 of thick tiles, about twelve inches square 

 each, and made of brick earth.* This would 

 effectually prevent the entrance of vermin. 

 The walls all round the room should be cased 

 with floor-cloth— of a white marble vein, 

 with a black pattern on it, in the form of a 

 large diamond. This looks remarkably well, 

 both in summer and in winter ; and it can be 

 readily cleaned with a sponge and warm 

 water. 



* A correspondent under the signature of " X. 

 Y. Z., Hants," says, in reply to this sad record : — 

 " Every one who has read Mr. Kidd's lamentable 

 narrative of the destruction, by rats, of his beau- 

 tiful and unique aviary, will deeply sympathise 

 with him. The loss is not only great to himself, 

 but to all who love nature. * * * If Mr. Xidd 

 had laid down a bed of shingle or rough gravel, 

 from six to ten inches in depth beneath the floor 

 of his aviary, no rat could have reached him. 

 They cannot burrow in shingle. I have tried it 

 beneath the floor of a barn here, and it has 

 effectually kept this vermin out." 



