Page:010 Once a week Volume X Dec 1863 to Jun 64.pdf/55

 Jan.

ONCE A WEEK.

•:.

and stood looking out into the garden, so that my eyes should not be upon her. " I have had a great surprise this morning, Mrs. Newton," said

She started up.

"Norman is gone." "Gone!" said she, in

just heard from for the

—

a

spoke of starting immediately for Egypt." I looked round now. She was ashy pale, She and was struggling hard for self-control. trembled so that the book she had been holding slipped out of her hands, and as I stooped

him that he will be in London when ho supposes we shall

meet that he has written a book on the East, which he thinks w ill succeed, and that he is going in strong for politics.

Mrs. wife

Newton

is

devoted to her duties as a

and mother, and

is apparently happy but that bright playfulness which used to characterise her is gone. She looks older and more subdued. It will, I think, be long, very long, before either of us three forget John

Norman's

up some dried flowers fell from its I remembered them pages. they were those Norman had given her the first day they met. Her agitation was so manifest that it was it

season,

r

I.

dreary voice. " Yes," said I, "he has gone, and I fear it He will be long before we see him again.

to pick

47

visit to



Guestford. (Conclt"!(l)

—

ARCHITECTURE OF BIRDS.

you were both the victims of circumstances. I cannot wonder at your caring for him cerNo one else knows tainly I cannot blame you.

It is seldom that one can walk in the country during the spring without meeting marauding boys with birds'-nests in their hands, which they have pillaged from neighbouring copses or Some of these nests may be observed hedges. to be farmed with wonderful skill and labour, such as no human art could successfully imitate. Amongst these may be mentioned the nest of

anything. Now, good-by. I shall leave you to yourself to-day to-morrow I shall faring Jane to you. You must keep up for the sake

or Long-tailed Titmouse (Parua Perhaps nothing in the architecThe ture of birds can exceed its beauty.

of Frank and your children and for I held out my hand to her. She took

fabricators of this pretty nest are among the and yet we shall smallest of our British birds

impossible to affect that I must speak.

"Mrs. Newton," afraid of me.

I

I felt

unconsciousness. said

I,

"you need

not be

know why Norman has

He has gone because he

dared not stay.

I

gone.

know



—

1>

it

and pressed it between her two little bunds, looking up at me w ith an appealing glance, as if there was something she wanted to hear, but could not ask. I knew for what her woman's heart was really thirsting, and though I felt it was almost wrong to gratify her, I could not T

resist

it.

" John Norman was Mrs. Newton,"

in earnest this time, at said I; "if you had

least,

you would know how You would indeed do him injus-

seen liim this morning

he

suffered.

tice if

you thought he had been only amusing

himself."

Involuntarily she bent, and just touched my hand with her lips. " Thank " you, Mr. Evesham," she said you

are very kind to me I shall be better tomorrow." So 1 left her.

Two years have passed since the incidents recorded above took place, and Norman has not yet resumed to England. He has been a great trav^B ; has penetrated as far East as Ispahan, and had all manner of adventures with robbers and wild beasts. I have heard from him now and then, and of him often.

For some months

after his departure I was told he rather avoided society, and showed a I perfectly morbid desire for movement. suppose at last he has calmed down, for I have

•ttle Tits,

cordati's).



presently 866 with what skill and industry they build a home for their numerous young, not only remarkable for its external appearance,

but for its extraordinary internal arrangement. I have mentioned these bird-architects in the

number, although it is generally supposed that the nest is exclusively the work of the female, who is employed four or five weeks in its construction, and which I will now plural

attempt to describe.

The nest is composed of white moss and cowand of another lichen, called Liverwort. These are fixed together by means of gossamerlike fibres, and the empty cocoons of spiders' webs. The mosses, or lichens, are in very small bits, and the spiders' webs are drawn out to hair,

assist in felting (if the

term

may be

used), that

when

the texture of the nest is stretched, as it must be when the young are nearly full-grown, portions of the gossamer fibres appear among the fibres of the wool, which has also been This is used in the construction of the nest. so plentifully lined with feathers of various

kinds, that, upon being counted, they proved and to be about two thousand in number amongst them were observed those of the pea;

cock, turkey, partridge, barn-door fowl, greenwood-pigeon, duck, turtle-dove, thrush, Indeed, so numerous are they, blackbird, &c. finch,

that I have seen a

common

cigar-box filled with