ings
and congregations in wood and field--on lawn and in tree--in hedgerow
and down even in the ditches. The martins and swallows all said
"Good-bye," and were off in a hurry; and all the other summer visitors
who were lagging behind, when they saw the swallows go, went off as hard
as ever they could, not even stopping to take any cold flies with them,
they were in such a hurry. Sparrows and finches, they all made
excursion parties, and went feasting in the stubble-fields; starlings,
jackdaws, and rooks, they went worm-picking in the wet marshlands; and
all the thrush family went off to the fields and hedgerows, seeking
berries and fruits that had now grown tender and sweet; and so at last
Greenlawn began to look very deserted all day, but it was not so of a
night, for there would be a fine noise in the ivy, where all the
sparrows came home to roost, for they were in such high spirits that
they could not keep quiet, but kept on chatter, chatter, till it grew so
dark they could not see to open their beaks. As to the starlings, they
came home by scores to the warm, thick cedar, and there they whistled
and chattered until the moon began to shine, when they, too, went off to
sleep; and so, wherever there was a snug, warm spot at Greenlawn, the
birds came back in the cold wintry nights to sleep--flying far-off in
the day-time, but always returning at night.

They were hard times for the poor birds when Jack Frost had it all his
own way; for in his sharp, spiteful, nip-toes fashion he would freeze
and freeze everything until it was all as hard as steel; and then, so as
to make sure that by hard work and bill-chipping no worms were dug out,
he would powder the ground all over with white snow, so that all the
footmarks were stamped upon it as the birds walked along.
Shiver-shiver-shiver; ah! it was cold! and food was so scarce that no
one could get anything to eat but the robin-redbreast; and he would go
up to the house, and, sitting upon the snow-covered sills, peep in at
the windows with his great round staring eyes, until the master's little
girls would come and open the sash, and shake all the crumbs out of
their pinafores; so that the poor cold bird would often get a good
hearty meal.

Sometimes the sun would come out and shine upon the snow-wreaths, and
they would glitter and sparkle, and turn of the most beautiful colours;
while the trees were covered with frost-work that looked more brilliant
than the finest silver