rifles, though, as a rule, they are good-tempered little fellows
enough, putting up with scanty fare and homely lodgings very contentedly
and cheerfully. 'I wonder what kind of seed it is, do you know?' he
still further questioned, being of an inquisitive turn of mind.

'No, I do not,' replied the finder.

'Ah,' he said, with a sigh that ruffled all his feathers, 'if we did but
live in the beautiful green hedgerows, instead of dwelling among town
chimneys, we should soon know what it was; our country cousins would be
able to tell us in a moment if it was good to eat or not. By the bye,
shall you eat it?' he pursued, eyeing his friend in the same keen way as
he eyed occasional crumbs of bread, his sharp little eye glancing quick
and bright whilst waiting for the reply.

'No,' answered the other; 'I shall give it away.'

'Give it away!' he repeated, in utter astonishment at the idea; 'who
to?'

'Why, in my travels about this city, I have noticed a small window up
among the chimneys in the East End of London--it's a mere garret, I
expect.'

'Well?' ejaculated the listener, somewhat impatiently.

'I have also observed,' pursued his companion deliberately, 'that on the
ledge of this window there are two or three flower-pots with some tiny
pieces of green trying to shoot out of the dry mould.'

'What have those flower-pots and the dry mould to do with this seed?'
was the question he sharply put.

'I think,' continued the other Sparrow, not heeding the interruption,
'this must be a flower-seed, since I found it in a garden well known to
me for its loveliness,--for, as a rule, I go about with my eyes open,'
he added. 'Now at this attic window of which I spoke,' he went on
saying, 'I have seen a poor pale-faced girl for ever bending over
needlework, although sometimes, but very rarely, I have observed her
carefully watering and tending those flower-pots with their feeble
attempts at greenery.'

'Have you nearly finished your touching description?' asked the friend,
with a sneer.

'Now,' went on the Sparrow, as though he had not heard this remark, 'the
soil does not look very inviting, yet I have been thinking that, as
there has been rain during the night, the mould may be a little softened
perhaps; so if I alight on the window-sill, and drop this seed into one
of those pots, a pretty flower _might_ come up in time, and then how
glad the poor girl would be!--why, it would actually give her
happiness.'

And the ref