THE PET FINCHES. 
313 
for a brief moment imagined tliat all tlie weary interim was 
to be as nought, in that he realized the dreams of youth' — « 
but what had shocked him back into the cold, sad world of 
his desolation ? "What, but that he had taken as the reality 
only the outward show, all dimmed as it really was, for the 
brilliant and living soul of those vanished reminiscences. 
He must be thrown again upon himself — he must shut his 
too sensitive eyes, until from the darkness the angels of hope 
and faith arise, and bear him into strength again, to endure 
the shock which his too gentle spirit has received. 
This little finch, now no longer the qu.arrelsome scamp, 
who made General Bern's life so vexed, has become most 
docile, reliant, and confiding. Everything we do for him 
he seems to consider quite proper and matter-of-course. He 
watches our preparations with the eye of a connoisseur, and 
at once puts to the test all our new schemes for his comfort. 
This seems the more strange because he was formerly so 
very pugnacious ; if no better antagonist offered, he would 
stand before the looking-glass, and try most desperately to 
whip the foe who glared at him with such determined ire. 
I believe, however, he discovered that secret, and with char- 
acteristic contempt for humbug, gave up this amusement, 
when he found, on examination, that there was really no 
other bird behind the glass, and contented himself with whip- 
ping every bird which I brought to the room. Now, however, 
since the death of the Bullfinch, he will not be persuaded 
to leave his cage, but sits among the grasses which I give 
him, and sings most charmingly during all the heat of the 
day. 
This concludes my wife's story of her pet Finches. Be- 
fore taking leave of these charming little birds, it may be 
interesting to hear through other naturalists the entire con- 
firmation of those traits which we have observed to charac- 
terize them so strongly in our domestication. The German 
Bechstein gives us some highly interesting particulars about 
