think at all where the stones went, for the boys were out at play in a field behind the house, and had begun to throw from it.

3. But as they got more and more cager in their sport, they had turned their faces almost round to the house, though they did not notice it.

4. At last, one stone went a great deal farther than the rest, and as Richard looked after it, with joy and pride in his eyes, he saw that it was going right across to his father's cottage.

5. Then he turned very red, and was in a sad fright. It might break a window; it might hurt poor Rover again; or it might even hit his father, or his mother, or the little baby, who could just walk out at the back door into the garden.

6. All this went through Richard's mind in a moment, and almost took away his breath: it seemed as if his heart stood still.

7. He could not take his eyes from the stone, and he soon saw the effect of his folly. The stone struck the wall of the house, and fell upon the cage of the poor little bird that could not save itself.

8. The nail that held the cage to the wall

was old and gave way, for the stone had come with great force, and the cage and bird fell with a crash to the ground.

9. Richard saw it fall, and he knew that it was he that had done it all. He was half afraid to go and pick it up, but he knew he must tell the truth at home; so he ran as fast as he could, and jumped over the wall that lay between the garden and the field.

1. His father and his mother were in the porch. They had come out to see what was the matter, and before they had picked up the cage, Richard was close beside them.

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2. O father! O mother!" he said; "I did it. I was in the field, and I forgot and threw stones, and one hit the cage."

1 Pronounced thru.

2 Pronounced brō'kn.

3.

You have killed the poor bird, Richard," said his father.

4. Richard burst into tears. It was too true: the poor bird was dead.

5. Richard shed so many tears, and was so really sorry, that his father and mother did not say much to him about his broken word; but he felt in his own mind all that could have been said to him.

6. If he had only done as he had been told, if he had only kept his word, the little bird would not have died a cruel death: it might have lived for a long time, and sung its happy little song.

7. Richard could not forgive himself, and he never forgot this lesson. When he came home from school, and saw green weeds such as birds love, he used to think there was no little bird at home to peck them.

8. How much did he miss the sweet songs that once filled the room, to welcome his return! How sad did the empty bird cage seem! He never looked at it without being reminded of the pretty creature that once dwelt in it, and made the house gay with his voice. Richard never threw stones any more.

1. ONE morning, as Mary Brown was walking in the fields with her cousin Sarah, her little dog Jip picked up a young linnet that had fallen out of its nest in a high tree, and laid it at Mary's feet. Mary was delighted, and ran home with her bird.

2. "Poor little thing!" said her mother;

1 Pronounced fall'n.

"we will take care of it till it can fly, and then let it go."

3. "Ah, no!" cried Mary; "we shall keep it always. I will feed it and soon teach it to love me."

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4. My dear child," said her mother, “it will never love you as it will love the fields, and the trees, and the air. It is true, we see birds in cages. They eat the seed that is given to them, and sing, and flutter their little wings, as if they were very well pleased; but once leave their cage door open, and away they fly to seek their own food, to sing upon the tall trees, and build their own little nests.

5. "They never come back to the cages, or to the hands that used to feed them. But your linnet is too young and too helpless to be left to himself; he would be starved if you were to let him fly away till he is older, for we know not where to find his nest and his mother."

6. The linnet was put into a cage; and he grew and began to sing. Mary fed him herself, and he became so tame that he would hop out of his cage on the table and on the ground.

7. One day, a strange cat found the door