Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-06-12
Che family Circle.


your IiUu III DClWctn lub lNISS anu
feel tho soft woolly inside of the nest, and
then touch the smooth eggs!" He made
IL noise with his mouth rs if he was al
ready enjoying all this.
There was rustlng of his fathers
newspaper. Mr.. Manning was sitting in
his corner chair. reading the evening pa
per. Mrs. Manning was on the other side
of the hearth, busy in some way. Neither
of them said anything.
But it would be pity. Aft, to spoil
such nice nest, and TO put the old birds
about. 1t must have taken them such II
lot of time to build it." The speaker now
was Gertie. Allies sister. How pretty
the mother looks, standing just outside
the nest"
"Nonsense! answered Allie, buster
ingly. They would have to build an
other. That would be all"
We are sorry 10 say, the younger chill
dren clapped their hands at this rough off
hand way of settling it. Very young chill
dren, who cannot have had much expert
ence, and do not know things well, usually
do cheer bold, off hand words. Besides.
Allie was hero in the eyes of his small
brothers and sisters. They thought his
speaking in this light way was capital.
In all, there were five children, and just
before bedtime they were gathered around
the table in the dining room looking at Il
book of beautiful engravings. The page
lying open before them showed a fine pic
ture of birds nest, holding five spotted
eggs, the parent birds being near the
nest; one standing on the rim of it, the
other perched on low bough below.
Allie Manning and his brothers and
sisters, for some days past, when in the
garden, had seen the birds busily flying
here and there, carrying in their bills
straws, sticks, feathers, and almost every
thing they could pick up From this they
knew that the birds nest time had come
again. 1t was this which had made them
turn to the picture book.
What was that l overheard you say
Alfeo" broke in his father, at last, lower.
ing the newspaper to his knee.
Allie was q little taken aback. He
thought his father had not heard him
However, he was truthful boy. Straight
ening himself in his chair, his checks
Redeemed.
81 SAID, father, shonld like TO take one
birds nest
"If you have that feeling, it is homes,
to say so" replied Mr.. Manning. " But
don't know that you used quite the righ
words"
Didn't I?"
All he ring of children pricked theil
ears, waiting, with big eyes, for the an
swer.
NO." said Mr.. Manning: there i:
another way of putting it. To speak o
taking nest wraps the thing up so
The planest, exactest way of speaking
would have been for you to say, SHOULD
like to rob just one pair of birds of theil
nest "
80, father, that is making so bad of it,
reproachlully called Allie. II don't wan
to be q robber!"
Little Willie eagerly turned to thei
mother for help. He must stand up fol
his brother. "Mother," he said "Alti,
wonld not steal, would hep"
Il don't know whether the birds Ian
guage is very polite or not" she smiling
ly replied. I" You ask the old birds, afle
Allie has taken their nest, what they cal
ii? l should not be surprised if the,
thought they had been robbed"
Dsmay went AROUND the ring of uptul II
ed faces But Mr.. Manning brighlene,
things by saying. We'll, shall | tell yol
Il story abou! II very queer nest | know
of? ;
There was general clapping of hand
ut this, and Mr.. Manning drew his chat
toward the table,
"The nest" he began " was built il
four Stories"
Gertrude blinked her eyes. A mes
built in four stories!'
+ I" mean,n answered her father, be
sides the lower kitchen and the cellaring
"A kitchen and cellaring to Il nestn
exclaimed Allie.
Mr.. Manning went on: The old bird
were not watching over eggs. They hat
young ones -there were five of them; ant
a great deal of feeding they wanted. The
old male bird used every morning to fly
right into the city to find food"
d" Bnt, father" broke in Gerry, bird
don t find worms in the city,"
During the last minute Willie had beer
counting round the table, pointing from
one to another with his foretinger. "One
two, three, four, five" he slowly said
" Five young birds in the nest and there
are five of u.s."
"Well done, Willie! exclaimed Mrs
Manning.
, You are all stopping me in my story,
said Mr.. Manning. The old bird coul'
never have got as far us to the city to lool
for feed, but he took the railway trair
every morning. He had Il season ticket.
Allie struck the palms of his hands to
gether and yelled out. Z" Why, father, 90,
are the old bird, and this house is tn
nest of four stories, and we are the youn.
, ones! -
In spite of tue general laughter whc
followed, Mr.. Manning tried to keep
grave face. THE mother bird" he sale
/ "stayed at home. She had so much t
do, and well she did it"
Bravo for mammal cried Allie, an
all the others clapped hands.
"Three of the young birds wore frock
and petticoats. One of them had a lac
5 frill round the neck"
f THAT is Nelly" shouted Willie, point
: ing with his finger toward his younges
sister but one.
Mr. Manning raised his hand to stop tn
laughing. "Yes, but suppose that on
day there came to this nest of four stories
Wnefe cNeiypouy was 81 h"PP9, Steu
t giant, looking about rs tall to you as 20
do to the birds. Suppose he put in his bi
hand through an opening in the roof, an
: took out the five young ones, and brok
: up the nest, smashed doors and window:
. and everything else"
. 81 know what you mean, father" sal
Allie, dropping his head a little. "Yo
mean that the birds nests are as much
, home o them as our house is 10 us. an
that the young birds are the old ones
children. l don't want to take bird
nest now"
: Nor J." Nor l." repeated first on
, and then another around the table.
Father and mother distributed NOR
than the usual number of kisses anon
the young people that night before tn
little procession went climbing upstairs {