THE CROWN IMPERIAL. 
Mary crept as softly as possible, that she might 
not frighten the little brown wren; but birds have 
learnt that mankind are not always friendly to them, 
and the wren had often seen a being, with large eyes 
and long arms, firing at her friends in the orchard. 
Its delicate ears caught the sound of footsteps, and 
just as Mary thought her hand was upon it, away it 
flew. She would not have hurt it for the world, but 
it did not know that, and its wings were given it for 
safety, as well as pleasure. 
The bells of the flower still trembled with the 
