180 TROTTYS WEDDING TOUR.

a baby-bird came to play with Pudge, and away in the field
she heard quite plainly, —

“ Child — of — sin — and — so—or—row !”

And take it altogether she was as miserable a little Pudge as
she could well be for half an hour longer. Then she heard
a cricket. She saw him, too, and that amused her. He was
a funny, little, thin, black fellow, and he sat down on “ Para-
dise Lost,” and looked at her.

“Well?” said Pudge. For he looked exactly as if he had
something to say.

“ Quick! Quick!” said the cricket.

“What?” said Pudge.

“ Quick! Quick! Tell her quick! Tell her quick!”

“Tell who quick? Idon’t want to!” said pouting Pudge.

“Tell her quick! quick! quick! Tell her quick! quick!”
persisted the cricket.

Pudge began to think that the cricket must be about right;
partly because she was hungry, and a little because she was
sorry. So she went, dragging the little pantaloons by one
leg, very solemnly, into the hall, and told her, —

“Tt ’s bout time to be sorry, I guess, mamma; and is n’t
it ’bout time for dinner, too?”

When she trotted up stairs, to get out of the little
“zhacket”’ and into the clean apron, something on the
front doorsteps said, —

““ Ba—bee!”

And there, as true as you live, was the baby-bird.