a quart of cherries, and the servants told of an astonishing thing:
that no sooner had the birds discovered who was standing in the
tree, wearing the clothes in which he used to feed them during the
winter, than the news spread like wildfire to the effect that he
had climbed up there and was calling out: "Here is the best tree,
fellows! Pitch in and help yourselves!" So that the like of the
chattering and fetching away was never seen before. This was the
story; but little negroes love cherries, and it is not incredible
that the American birds were assisted in this instance by a large
family of fat young African spoon-bills.

Anxious to save another tree, and afraid to use more of my own
clothes, I went over to Mrs. Walters, and got from her an old bonnet
and veil, a dress and cape, and a pair of her cast-off yellow
gaiters. These garments I strung together and prepared to look
life-like, as nearly as a stuffing of hay would meet the inner
requirements of the case. I them seated the dread apparition in the
fork of a limb, and awaited results. The first thief was an old
jay, who flew towards the tree with his head turned to one side
to see whether any one was overtaking him. But scarcely had he
alighted when he uttered a scream of horror that was sickening to
hear, and dropped on the grass beneath, after which he took himself
off with a silence and speed that would have done credit to a
passenger-pigeon. That tree was rather avoided for some days, or
it may have been let alone merely because others were ripening; so
that Mrs. Cobb got her cherries, and I sent Mrs. Walter some also
for the excellent loan of her veil and gaiters.


As the days pass I fall in love with Sylvia, who has been persuaded