MY HUMMING BIHDS. 



05 



elegant Louse during the winter leisure, in anticipation of the new- 

 tenants thai were to be! In the meantime, as I always had some 

 half dozen different kinds of pets on hand, we found occupation 

 and amusement in taking care of them, and occasionally adding 

 to the stock. This, together with "the winter hunting, trapping, 

 and books, gave swift wings to the hours for me. Winter broke 

 up — spring came with its tender wild flowers and fickle smiles. 

 Spring is the time for poetry — when one is yet in the teens — and 

 I Lad fallen into a dreamy mood, in which I was permitting 

 the spring to go by without noting its flight, wLen I was suddenly 

 roused one May morning by a most curious and unexpected 

 incident. 



I Lad gone into tLe garden summer-Louse with my book as tbe 

 excuse, but dreaming as usual, without noticing the letters on its 

 pages, when a soft, whirring noise, close to my face, caused me 

 to look up. About one foot from me a Humming Bird, poised 

 so steadily upon the wing, that its body seemed perfectly motion- 

 less, looked with its bright, knowing eye fixedly upon mine. It 

 did not move when I lifted my head, and retaining this position for 

 nearly quarter of a minute, with a low chirp darted out and settled 

 on some flowers near to trim its plumes. I started up, while a quick 

 thought sent a thrill of exquisite pleasure and surprise through my 

 w hole frame. The bird sat still. I ran with my utmost speed to 

 the house, and catching a glimpse of my sister, cried out to her, 

 almost beside myself with excitement — 



"Get the wdiite cup! Get our cup! some honey! some sugar! — 

 here's the water! — quick dear! quick!" 



"What is the matter with you, brother?" exclaimed the distracted 

 child, endeavourhig at the same time to execute these multifareous 

 orders all at once. 



"O, our bird 's come back! I saw him just now! Where are tLe 

 closet_ keys? O, Le 's come back to us all tLe way from South 

 America — the little darling! I thought he couldn't forget us!" 



"But, brother, you are mad — how can you tell it from another 

 Humming Bird — I've seen a dozen this spring!" 



"O! I know it was one of the young ones — he came in and looked 

 me in the eye ever so long! Do make haste!" 



TLe mixture is completed, and off we run in trembling eagerness 

 — for this test we knew would decide for or against us. We reacL 

 tLe summer-Louse — tLe magical wLite cup is raised before us, it is 

 still sitting on tbe flower, we give one cLirp as of old, and witLout 

 an instant's Lesitation it darts to tLe cup, aligLts upon the rim, 

 and plunges its little thirsty bill up to the very eyes in that delicious 

 cup, and takes the longest, deepest draught I ever saw taken before 

 by one of them; and this convinced me that it had just arrived, 



