nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby. If he had not been ill,
it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day
Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened
with some pleasure. But the next he could not bear even Diamond's sweet
voice, and was very ill indeed; so Diamond took the baby into his own
room, and had no end of quiet games with him there. If he did pull
all his bedding on the floor, it did not matter, for he kept baby very
quiet, and made the bed himself again, and slept in it with baby all the
next night, and many nights after.

But long before his father got well, his mother's savings were all but
gone. She did not say a word about it in the hearing of her husband,
lest she should distress him; and one night, when she could not help
crying, she came into Diamond's room that his father might not hear
her. She thought Diamond was asleep, but he was not. When he heard her
sobbing, he was frightened, and said--

"Is father worse, mother?"

"No, Diamond," she answered, as well as she could; "he's a good bit
better."

"Then what are you crying for, mother?"

"Because my money is almost all gone," she replied.

"O mammy, you make me think of a little poem baby and I learned out of
North Wind's book to-day. Don't you remember how I bothered you about
some of the words?"

"Yes, child," said his mother heedlessly, thinking only of what she
should do after to-morrow.

Diamond began and repeated the poem, for he had a wonderful memory.

A little bird sat on the edge of her nest;
Her yellow-beaks slept as sound as tops;
That day she had done her very best,
And had filled every one of their little crops.
She had filled her own just over-full,
And hence she was feeling a little dull.

"Oh, dear!" she sighed, as she sat with her head
Sunk in her chest, and no neck at all,
While her crop stuck out like a feather bed
Turned inside out, and rather small;
"What shall I do if things don't reform?
I don't know where there's a single worm.

"I've had twenty to-day, and the children five each,
Besides a few flies, and some very fat spiders:
No one will say I don't do as I preach--
I'm one of the best of bird-providers;
But where's the use?