BOYHOOD AND BIRDS. 
83 
" Never mind, dear ; let us try the fairy's spell — I have 
faith in it." 
" Do tell me wliat it is you are going to do. Birds will 
only feed their own young ones, and they have enough to 
do to attend to them. What can your fairy do, unless she 
takes care of them herself?" 
I laughed, and making a low bow of mock courtesy, ex- 
claimed — 
''Why, how could it be surprising if she did? Has not 
their new life commenced already in the bosom of one fairy ? 
At least would not Mr. A. B. C. — what letter is it? — say so?" ' 
" Pshaw ! Do, brother, hush this nonsense, and tell me 
what you mean to do ?" 
" You shall see ! Come, jump down." 
We were at home, and we passed hurriedly into the garden. 
I called a little brother to join us, in a moment we were all 
three standing beneath the eaves of the summer-house. 
There was a small hole in the cornice of the eave, and I knew 
that in this a pair of blue birds had nested, and supposed 
that they must be just about hatched now. My sister stood 
watching my proceedings with great anxiety, for they were 
entirely mysterious to her. She saw me take my little 
brother aside, and whisper my directions to him ; then the 
little fellow prepare to climb up the columns of the summer- 
house, and with my assistance reach the cornice. His little 
hand was inserted into the hole, and with the greatest care 
not to touch either the sides of the hole or the nest within, 
he daintily plucks out the young ones, one by one, and hands 
them down to me. They are the same age with the mock- 
ing birds, but smaller. 
" Now, Sis, give me those little ones ; and hurry, dear, for 
I am afraid the old ones, who have gone out for food, will 
come back." 
She is so flurried she does not realize what I am about to 
do, but hastily places the young birds, now warm and fully 
alive, in my hand. They are reached to my brother. 
