be asleep.

She was a very neat and cleanly creature, everlastingly brushing her
clothes, and bathing regularly in a bath of snow provided for her in the
cabin. This last operation was her great delight. She would throw up
the white flakes with her diminutive nose, rolling about and burying
herself in them, wipe her face with her soft paws, and then mount to the
side of the tub, looking round her knowingly, and barking the prettiest
bark that ever was heard. This was her way of enforcing admiration; and
being now satisfied with her performance, she would give a goodly number
of shakes to her sparkling coat, then, happy and refreshed, crawl into
her airy bed in the bull's-eye, and go to sleep.

Mr Hayes does not tell us what became of Birdie. I am afraid that her
fate was a sad one.

THE POLAR BEAR AND HER CUBS.

The monarch of the Arctic regions, the monstrous white bear there reigns
supreme. Savage and ferocious as is his consort, as well as he, she
shows the utmost affection for her young. I have a sad tale to tell.

The crew of an exploring vessel in the Arctic Seas had killed a walrus,
and set fire to part of the blubber. The steam of the flesh drew from
afar towards it a she bear and her two cubs. Putting their noses to the
tempting mess, they began to eat it eagerly. The seamen, seeing this,
threw other pieces on the ice nearer to the ship. The bear incautiously
approached, carrying off the pieces, which she bestowed on her cubs,
and, though evidently famished, taking but a small portion herself. The
thoughtless sailors shot the two cubs, and again firing, wounded the
mother. Though she herself was barely able to crawl to the spot where
they lay, she carried to them the last lump of blubber, endeavouring to
make them eat it. Discovering that they were unable to do so, she
endeavoured to raise first one, and then the other; but in vain. She
now began to retreat; but her motherly feelings overcoming her, though
conscious of the danger she was running, she returned to where they lay,
moaning mournfully. Several times did she thus behave, when, seemingly
convinced that her young ones were cold and helpless, she cast a
reproachful glance towards the vessel whence the cruel bullets had
proceeded, and uttered a low growl of angry despair which might have
moved the hearts even of the most callous. A shower of musket bullets,
however, laid her low between her two cubs, and she died licking their
wounds