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CANARIES. 
Let me tell you of my household pets—my 
sweet canaries: I have for them a beautiful home 
—a cage resembling a Chinese Pagoda. I had 
few days 
with my 
friend. I looked around for something to make my 
left them with a friend for the winter. A 
ago I came to spend the spring months 
watching, with pleasure, and much interest, for a day 
or two, I concluded that the bucket was not fit for my 
Queen’s palace. I looked again among the children’s 
toys, hoping to find a little basket. I only found a 
doll’s china basin ; I thought at once that would look 
pretty if covered with silk, or bright worsted, and 
suspended in birdie’s temple. I tried it, but did not 
like it. Then the happy thought occurred to me, why 
not imitate nature more closely? I flew to the cedar 
woven the pink worsted threads and the delicate 
grasses in and out among the cedars. I could but 
exclaim, “How beautiful!” I am seated in my rock¬ 
ing-chair, watching her to-day, with renewed interest. 
Would you believe it, she can tie knots, she tucks the 
pink thread in and out around the cedar, then, to be 
quite sure that it is tied safely, takes the other end of 
the beautiful pink crewel—which contrasts beautifully 
with her soft, yellow feathers — in her mouth and jumps 
tree, broke off a bunch with drooping sprays, twisted \ oft' the nest, suspending her whole weight upon the 
it around, and exclaimed with delight, “ Lou, look at! thread, which draw's the knot tightly—a regular Gror- 
birdies a nest. I found a toy bucket of little Mattie’s. 
This I suspended from the roof of the pagoda, and 
seated myself to watch my Queen build her nest—I 
have named my birds Prince Albert and Queen Vic¬ 
toria—I supplied her with grass, twigs, and a bit of 
cotton. She at once began to carry the cotton and 
deposit it in the tiny bucket. But, after waiting and 
A Mother’s Joy. 
my hanging basket!” I remembered I had some rose- I dian knot—which cannot be untied, but must be cut. 
colored velvet ribbon in my trunk, up stairs ; with it j I wish you could see her now, as she nestles in her 
I suspended my artistic hanging basket in birdie’s ; rose-colored home. It is said, to be happy, we must 
cage. Then I supplied her with rose-colored crewel, have a stock of small pleasures. But this has given 
broken into pieces as long as your hand, and delicate me so much delight, I can scarcely call it a small 
grasses from the lawn. I w 7 ent out to dine with a ! pleasure. 
friend. When I came back, my birdie Queen had I E. R. C. 
