Various

“ Somewhere about, there is, perhaps, a starling's tub or bucket, that some friends of his have placed on a tree for his accommodation, in their garden or yard, after making a hole or door by which he may enter.
But, dear me! what is his indignation, when he finds that a family of saucy sparrows, going upon the old maxim of "might makes right," have taken up their abode in his house, without so much as saying, "By your leave"!
"Quit this!" cries the starling in tones that cannot be mistaken. ”

“ They first go to work, and clean their little house, pitching out all the rubbish the sparrows have left there.
Straw, feathers, and hay must now be got for a nice fresh nest. This they soon make; and one day Madam Starling shows her mate five or six clear blue eggs in the nest. For nearly sixteen days she must sit brooding on these eggs; and then—what joy!—half a dozen bright little starlings make their appearance.
But, dear me, how hungry they are! Father and mother have just as much as they can do to feed them. The little ones seem to be crying all the time for "more, more!" ”

“ But the starling has a sharp bill, and he hits the poor sparrow with it. Sparrow calls him all the hard names he can think of, and summons the whole sparrow community to his assistance against the mean fellow who has come to deprive him of his home. ”

“ I heard all the reasons why you couldn't take Johnny till fall, and I couldn't wait. 'Twon't hurt us to walk this nice spring weather; and I don't think any one will refuse to give a poor blind boy and his sister a place to sleep, or a bowl of bread and milk to eat. We shall ask our road, and we won't get lost. Our Father in heaven will go with us all the way.
Mr. Cortrell was much alarmed. "I must start after them, wife," said he. "Those children on the road to Boston all alone! Jessie is crazy." ”

“ Santa Claus, will give me the goats.
Folks say, that, although you are an old man, you love little children; especially little boys with black eyes, and who obey their mother. Well, my eyes are very black ”

“ Just then he slipped, and fell into the barrel head first, with his feet sticking up.
How he squealed! Aunt Susan's cold had made her so deaf, that she did not hear him. He kept on squealing and kicking until the barrel tipped over; and then he backed out of it, and went slowly up to the kitchen, very red in the face.
He was pretty quiet after that until dinner was ready. After dinner the children cracked nuts, and parched corn, and played merry games; and Eddy had his share of all the fun. ”

“ By this time they had reached the place where the poor woman was moving slowly along under her heavy burdens. She seemed very tired, and sighed often as she picked her way timidly over the frozen snow.
"We are sorry we frightened you," said Albert. "We did not mean to do any harm. Put your baskets on this sled, and we will drag them for you as far as you want to go."
"Well, you are little gentlemen, after all," said the woman, "and I'm sorry I was so vexed with you."
"You had cause," said Frank: "we were to blame."
Then she put her two baskets and the tin pail on the sled ”

“ When he went to bed, his Aunt Susan asked him whether he had had a good time.
"Splendid!" said Eddy.
"How did you like being thrown into the puddle?" said Aunt Susan. [Pg 170]
"First rate!" said Eddy.
"Did you think it good fun to dive into the barrel?"
"Jolly!" said the little rogue. "I'd like to do it again."
M. F. Burlingame.
BENNY'S ARITHMETIC LESSON.
Little Benny has just begun to go to school.
Some boys as young and active as he is would rather play all day long than to spend part of the time in the school-room; but he seems to like it. ”

“ He thrust his hand down the neck of the jar, and took hold of all the nuts he could. When his hand was quite full, he did his best to draw it out of the jar.
But the neck of the jar was small, and his hand was so full of nuts, that he could not draw it out. He felt so sad, that tears fell from his eyes. His friend who stood near told him to let go half the nuts. He did so, and then drew out his hand with ease.
We shall find it so in life: men lose all, if they try to get too much.
T. C.
[Pg 167]
EDDY'S THANKSGIVING.
Last year Eddy spent Thanksgiving Day at his grandpa's. ”

“ The cries grow louder and wilder. Such an uproar of sparrows as there is before the door! At last comes Madam Starling flying to the rescue; and then the battle is quickly decided. The sparrows are driven off, and the starlings remain in full possession. [Pg 183]
Madam Starling looks about with her clear, bright little eyes, and sees that the troublesome sparrows have all gone away ”

“ She thought she could not wait three, four, or five months, to have Johnny cured: it ought to be done at once.
The next day she told her plan to Johnny, and they made their preparations; and one bright morning, when it was school-time, she and Johnny stole out of the house hand in hand, quite unnoticed by any one.
They met a little girl named Jane Anderson; and by her Jessie sent the following letter to her parents:—
Dear Father and Mother,—I didn't ask you, for fear you would say No ”