moment of the day
when some blue jay, or snow bird, or chickadee, or robin, was not
picking up grain, or pecking at the bones.

"That is the way to have birds in winter!" said Kitty.

The Tramp did not seem to care a fig about his relations till one day
in March when a flock of chickadees flew past, and he fluttered
against the windows and begged to be let out.

[Illustration: THE TRAMP VISITS CHARLEY.]

Mamma opened the window and off he flew! Kitty sighed and said, "That
is the last of him, I suppose." But it wasn't.

One sunny May day Charley was sitting up in bed. Charley is Kitty's
brother. He had been sick and the window was open so he could breathe
the soft spring air. Suddenly a bird dropped upon the window sill and
began to whistle "Chick-a-dee-dee-dee!" so blithely and cock his head
at Charley.

"It's the Tramp!" said Charley; and sure enough it was! After that he
came almost every day. If the window was shut they opened it for him.
Charley used to hide hemp seed and sugar under the edge of the pillows
for the Tramp to find. He always found it. Sometimes he would tie
sugar up in a paper and the Tramp would peck at it until he got it
out.

[Illustration: THE TRAMP'S HOME.]

He would perch on Charley's shoulder and eat seeds from his mouth.

He wanted to build a nest in an old letter box nailed up against a
wall. Ever so many birds, blue birds, wrens and sparrows wanted to
build in that box too.

The Tramp was a brave little fellow and a good fighter; but he never
would have driven the birds off, if Kitty hadn't helped him.

"I love all the birds," said Kitty, "but the Tramp is my very own
bird."

So he and his mate built a nest and raised a family of birds in peace,
and now Kitty and Charley call the old letter-box "The Tramp's Home."

[Illustration: A PAIR OF HORSES.--_From Rosa Bonheur's painting, "The
Horse Fair."_]

[Illustration: CHILDREN OF CHARLES I.--_From the sketch by Verspronck,
in the Louvre._]

THREE ROYAL CHILDREN.

Here is a picture of a little prince and two little princesses who
lived about two hundred years ago. They were the children of Charles
the First, king of England. I suppose they were very much like the
boys and girls of nowadays. They played and studied and had their
pets, just as children play and study now.

[Illustration: READY FOR THANKSGIVING.]

AN OSTRICH PLUME.

Matty Ellis had a new hat. It was a pretty white hat with a lo