never gave offence."

"But I tell you, Mrs. Magpie, I don't want any interference between
my husband and me, and I will not have it," says Mrs. Oriole, with
her little round eyes flashing with indignation.

"Don't put yourself in a passion, my dear; the more you talk, the
more sure I am that your nervous system is running down, or you
wouldn't forget good manners in this way. You'd better take my
advice, for I understand just what to do,"--and away sails Mother
Magpie; and presently young Oriole comes home all in a flutter.

"I say, my dear, if you will persist in gossiping over our private
family matters with that old Mother Magpie--"

"My dear, I don't gossip. She comes and bores me to death with
talking, and then goes off and mistakes what she has been saying for
what I said."

"But you must CUT her."

"I try to, all I can; but she won't BE cut."

"It's enough to make a bird swear," said Tommy Oriole.

Tommy Oriole, to say the truth, had as good a heart as ever beat
under bird's feathers; but then he had a weakness for concerts and
general society, because he was held to be, by all odds, the
handsomest bird in the woods, and sung like an angel; and so the
truth was he didn't confine himself so much to the domestic nest as