he least spark of tenderness
left in their hearts------"

The rest of the sentence was lost in the louder tones of a pert little
miss, who in company with her mother was rummaging over a box of
trimmings on the counter nearest my cage.

CHAPTER XI

THE ILL-MANNERED CHILD

O wad some power the giftie gie us
To see oursel's as ithers see us.
--_Burns._

There lived of yore a saintly dame,
Whose wont it was with sweet accord
To do the bidding of her Lord
In quaintly fashioned bonnet
With simplest ribbons on it.

"I won't have ribbon loops, I tell you," exclaimed the child. "I want
an owl's head and I'm going to have it."

"Why, my dear, the ribbon is ever so much prettier," urged the mother
soothingly. "An owl's head is too old a trimming for your hat, dear.
It wouldn't do at all. Here, select some of this nice ribbon."

"Didn't I say I wouldn't have it?" answered "dear" pettishly, as she
reached into another box containing an assortment of wings, quails,
tails, and parts of various birds jumbled up together. Picking out a
pair of blackbird's wings she placed them jauntily against the rim of
an untrimmed hat which her mother held.

"There, that looks nice," was her comment. "If I can't have an owl's
head I'm going to have these wings."

Her mother mildly assured her that the ribbon was more suitable only to
be met with the reply: "You can wear it yourself then, for I sha'n't
wear it."

This shocking disrespect caused two old ladies who were pricing hat
pins to turn quickly and view the offender.

"Goodness gracious!" ejaculated one of them, drawing a deep breath.
"If that youngster belonged to me for about twenty minutes, wouldn't I
give her something wholesome that she'd remember? I'd take the
tantrums out of her in short order."

"She deserves it, sure," said her companion. "But the mother is more
to blame than the child for letting it grow up with such abominable
manners. I dare say the woman at first thought it was cute and smart
in the little thing, and now she can't help herself. La, sakes! just
listen to that." She re-adjusted her spectacles and gazed with added
interest at the pair in altercation.

With the hat poised on her finger the milliner was bending smilingly
toward the little girl who was giving her order in a very peremptory
tone.

"I want those wings put on my hat. I won't wear it if you trim it only
in ribbon."

The mother seemed a litt