Madeline Leslie

“ He left the room immediately, carrying the sparrow with him. Presently Annie came back with tears in her eyes, saying her father had killed it, to put it out of pain.
"I was afraid it couldn't live," rejoined Fred. "Ugly boys! I am glad they don't know of our robins' nest." [Pg 28]
"Such cruelty always meets with its punishment," remarked grandpa. "I myself knew a man who, when a boy, delighted to rob birds' nests. Sometimes he stole the eggs, and sometimes he waited until they were hatched, that he might have the greater fun. ”

“ Jack did not try to excuse himself, and as Annie called them to the door, and fed them from [Pg 15] her hand, the parents hoped she was not much offended.
Mr. Robin noticed that when Jack was reproved by his mother, Dick was very much pleased, while Molly and Katy appeared greatly distressed. "O," said he to himself, "why will not this unruly bird imitate the lovely example of his sisters!"
When they returned to the tree, and were sitting on their favorite bough near the nest, [Pg 16] Dick exclaimed, "I was glad, for once, to see that some one was in fault beside myself. ”

“ She flew to the upper perch of the cage, and put her beak lovingly to his.
"I cannot deny such a wish, my dear Jack," said Mr. Robin, "though it will pierce your mother's heart with sorrow to be deprived of two children. I [Pg 77] love you better for your ardent affection; but I do not at all despair of your release. Good by, dear ones; I go to consult our friends at the cottage."
As soon as he was fairly out of sight, the tall boy brought a stool, and stood upon it, to take the cage down from the hook, and carried it into the house, Jack still remaining perched upon the wires. ”

“ Katy then begged her father [Pg 20] and mother to accompany her to the village where Canary lived; and, after a ready consent, they all stretched their wings and flew away over the tops of houses and trees, not once alighting until they reached the dwelling where the pretty bird belonged.
Canary received them very cordially. She assured Mr. and Mrs. Robin of her interest in their promising children. "In [Pg 21] their society," she added, "I sometimes forget my own trials. Young as you may think me, I have reared four young broods. ”

“ Fred had just finished quite an ingenious contrivance, a little pasteboard cart, with wheels and shafts all in order, when tap, tap, went somebody at the door.
"That's our robin," cried Annie, springing up to go and let him in. [Pg 37]
True enough, it was Jack Robin, looking as drenched as a drowned rat.
"O, see how wet he is! I mean to take him to the fire," said the little girl.
"Set him on the floor, and he'll shake himself dry in a minute," answered grandpa. "Birds have an oily covering," he added, "which turns the water off and prevents it from soaking in. Look now at robin ”

“ Sea birds retain their position upon the wing for a wonderful length of time."
[Pg 58]
CHAPTER V. KATY ROBIN'S CAPTIVITY.
Not long after the rainy day, Mr. and Mrs. Robin were invited to Mrs. Bill's nest, to give their advice regarding her future prospects.
"Here am I," said she, "a lonely, sorrowing bird. Soon I am to part from my dear children, who will, in the order of nature, form new ties, thus leaving [Pg 59] me still more desolate. I have a proposal from a robin, who has, like myself, been cruelly bereft of his mate, to become his wife. ”

“ Mr. Jones bade Fred take the birds, while Annie left the room, to see whether it was not accident which had led them to alight on her head. But the [Pg 100] moment she returned, they flew to meet her, and showed the greatest pleasure when she caressed them.
"I'm afraid," said the gentleman to his daughter, "that you'll have to give up your pets."
"I don't care for them now," answered the child. "They never play any tricks for me; they only stay cooped up in their cage."
"When you go home, then, you may carry them," said the [Pg 101] lady. "But how will you get them back to the cage?" ”

“ Symmes we see standing within the shed churning butter. Fred is before the door, with a pail of dough in his hand, calling "chick, chick, chick." Annie is following grandpa to the barn with a pan of warm milk for Whiteface, while the good farmer is driving his oxen to the field. ”

“ Dick, to his parents' great sorrow, had expressed little sympathy for his brother and sister, and had never once visited them, though he gave as a reason that he feared himself being captured. [Pg 84] He was joined now almost wholly to Mrs. Bill's family, and seldom returned to his parents' nest.
[Pg 85]
CHAPTER VII. THE RESTORED ROBINS.
One morning, Mr. Robin, his wife, and Molly, came, as usual, to the cottage for crumbs. They were very much excited, and hopped hurriedly about the room, flapping their wings and jerking their tails incessantly.
"What can they want?" exclaimed Annie. ”

“ Another pigeon from Ballinasloe, in Ireland, belonging to a gentleman by the name of Bernard, was let loose at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, with a note appended to it, directing dinner to be ready at Castle Bernard at a given time, as he purposed being home that day. The message reached its destination, which was twenty-three miles distant, in eleven minutes, being at the rate of one hundred [Pg 56] and twenty-five and a half miles an hour. ”

“ His wife repeated what Fred had said.
"What makes you think they are yours?" asked the gentleman, kindly.
"Their parents came and built a nest in our tree," said the boy. "When the little ones were hatched, we always fed them, and they grew so tame they would eat crumbs from our mouths, hop about the room, and alight on our heads." [Pg 95]
"Yes!" cried Annie ”

“ The barn yard gate has been accidentally left open, and the cosset, [Pg 10] hearing Annie's voice, bounds forward to meet her, and puts his fore feet on her dress, nestling his head under her arm.
"O grandpa!" exclaimed the child, "do please take the pan ”