56 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
their first visit. I did not envy them, kind miss, but 
their happiness made me more keenly feel my own loss. 
44 4 When we returned in the spring we found that 
my old friend the gardener had a neat little cottage 
of his own. “ Here is the very place for us to build 
our nest,” said I to my mate as I alighted upon an 
inviting spot in a cherry tree close to his chamber 
window. “ We fared so badly when we tried to con- 
ceal our nest,” he replied, “ that I am half inclined 
to take your advice.” I then told the story of the 
good man's kindness ; and he agreed that we should 
be safer near his window than anywhere else. 
“ 4 You can guess how we were employed for several 
weeks from that time. I will only say, that while 
busied in our pleasant occupation it was a delight 
to us both to give our sweetest music to our loving 
neighbors. After the young birds were hatched you 
would have been delighted to have seen my mate fly- 
ing around the doors and windows, picking up insects 
and bringing them to the nest. 
44 4 But I come now to the saddest day of my life. 
My mate had gone to the edge of a little pool where 
insects were plenty, while I stayed to shelter our little 
chicks. As he returned with a worm in his mouth, I 
saw him alight on a fence. A moment after I was 
startled by a noise like thunder, and looking up again 
I saw him fall bleeding and fluttering to the ground. 
