MY HUMMING BIEDS. 
105 
time before. This state of things continued* some three 
weeks, when I observed it beginning to lose its vivacity. I 
resorted to every expedient I could think of ; offered it small 
insects, &c., but with no avail ; it would not touch them. 
We at length came to the melancholy conclusion, that we 
must either resign ourselves to see it die, or let it go. This 
last alternative cost my sister some bitter tears. We had 
made a delicate little cage for it, and had accustomed it to 
roosting and feeding in it while loose in the rooms, and I 
consoled her with the hope that perhaps it might return to 
the cage as usual, even when hung in the garden. The ex- 
periment was tried. The cage was hung in a lilac bush, and 
the moment the door was opened, the little fellow darted 
away out of sight. My heart sank within me, for I could 
not but fear that it was gone forever, and my poor sister 
sobbed aloud. I comforted her as best I might, and though 
without any hope myself, endeavored to fill her with it and 
divert her grief by occupation. So we prepared a nice new 
cup of our nectar — hung the cage with flowers — left the door 
wide open, and the white cup invitingly conspicuous — then 
resting from our labors, withdrew a short distance to the foot 
of a tree, to watch the result. We waited for a whole hour, 
with straining eyes, and, becoming completely discouraged, 
had arisen from the grass, and were turning to go, when my 
sister uttered a low exclamation — 
" Whist ! look brother !" 
The little fellow was darting to and fro in front of his 
cage ; as if confused for a moment by the flower drapery ; 
but the white cup seemed to overcome his doubts very 
quickly, and, with fluttering hearts, we saw him settle upon 
the cup as of old, and while he drank, we rushed lightly foi 
ward on tiptoe to secure him. 
We were quite rebuked for our want of faith, threw open 
the door again, and let him have the rest of the day to him- 
self; but, as I observed him playing with some of the wild 
birds, I concluded to shut him up for a week or two longer, 
