132 POLITENESS.

when any one of the birds sings our ‘ native
wood-notes wild, there is @ silence all
around, and every one has a look of delight.
But when one of the fashionable musicians 1s
singing, though the birds roll up their eyes
and say, ‘exquisite ? and ‘enchanting!’ and
all that, they look, all the time, as if they
were in the greatest distress. It seems to
mie very silly for people to praise a thing
they dislike or do not understand, merely
because it has come into fashion.”

This fable may show, that what is merely
fashionable may be, and often is, praised by
a certain set of people; but that most per-
sons prefer what is simple and natural, and
founded in nature and good taste.