r excellent consul) appeared with lots of
lanterns and men "with staves and swords," as becometh a Levantine
consul, and, escorted by these, we walked a long way over the rough,
slippery paving-stones before we reached the Armenian and Greek
quarters. Here people were seen sitting in family groups at their doors
and windows, gossiping with their neighbors and enjoying such evening
air as is afforded by the streets of Smyrna. But they showed, at any
rate, some human interest and enjoyment of life, and we must remember
that they had been accustomed to the smells from childhood. Perhaps the
weaker ones had all died off, for those we saw were very stout and
hearty. In all respects their streets presented a pleasant contrast to
the dark, filthy, windowless, cheerless lanes in the Turkish town, with
the skulking, snarling, mangy dogs disputing one's right of way, and an
occasional encounter with a scowling Moslem, lantern in hand and
homeward bound, who drew up to the wall, and showed by the gleam of our
lanterns upon his yellow face that he inwardly cursed us all for
Giaours, and wondered that Allah in His providence permitted us to
exist. In fact, the Anatolian Turk is still a good Mohammedan of the
time of Solyman, and not one of the degenerate race of Stamboul.

E.S.

A BIRD STORY.

Visible from my study-window, and less than a stone's throw away, is a
cottage, all tree-embowered and vine-covered, which its owners call "The
Nest." All over the house, wherever a bird-box can be placed, there you
are sure to find one. These little homes nestle under the eaves among
the supporting brackets; they hide under the nooks of the gables; they
are perched above the windows; they are indeed to be found wherever you
would be likely to look for them, and in a good many places where you
would never think of looking. Besides these bird-boxes on the house,
there are bird-boxes in the trees, bird-boxes airily placed on high
poles--bird-boxes in all forms, from the plain four-sided salt-box to
the elaborate Swiss chalet and the pretentious be-spired and be-columned
meeting-house. Then there are bird-cages--pretty brass cages, with
tarlatan petticoats to keep the seeds from flying out, and tied with
such dainty bows of ribbon that one has no need to be told there is a
woman in the house; there are capacious cages in which brown
mocking-birds sit all day long echoing back the other birds' songs they
hear; there are dainty glass cag