OUR HOME BIRDS. 
55 
to fly from the nest and sing among the neighboring 
trees. But suddenly our hopes were blasted for ever. 
Two truant boys were rambling in the fields within 
sight of the church-spire, where we had heard the 
bell ring that very morning to invite them to the 
Sunday-school. 
“ ‘ As they came near I flew in terror from the nest, 
and my agonized mate flew toward it at the same time. 
Our movements guided them to the spot, and one of 
them declared that he would have the young birds. 
With the acutest anguish we watched the robber as 
he carried off the darling objects of our care. Oh, 
how changed was the face of Nature around us ! The 
fields and groves no longer seemed pleasant, but mel- 
ancholy and gloom were spread over them. I wish 
these boys had stopped to consider whether the nest 
gave as much joy to them as its loss caused grief to 
us. I hope you will teach all your acquaintances to 
be kind to the robins, and we will repay them with 
our sweetest music. 
“ ‘ As winter approached all the robins in the region 
where we lived flew away to the South. My mate and 
myself stayed at the North as long as we dared, in the 
hope that we should find our lost treasures. When 
we could wait no longer we started on our sad jour- 
ney. Our loneliness seemed doubly distressing when 
we saw other robins guiding their happy broods on 
