e delight that never fails to arise from the
pleasing reflection of having raised honest poverty to happiness and
plenty.

[Illustration]

NANCY AND HER CANARY BIRD,

POOR CHERRY.

[Illustration]

As Nancy was one day looking out of her window, a man happened to come
by, crying, "Canary-birds; come, buy my Canary-birds." The man had a
large cage upon his head, in which the birds hopped about from perch to
perch, and made Nancy quite in love with them. "Will you buy a pretty
bird or two, Miss?" said the man. "I have no objection," replied the
little maid, "provided my papa will give me leave. If you will stop a
little while, I will soon let you know." So away ran Nancy down stairs
to her papa, while the birdman put down his cage at the door.

Nancy ran into her papa's chamber quite out of breath, crying, "O dear
papa, only come here! here is a man in the street that has a large cage
on his head, with, I dare say, a hundred Canary-birds in it."--"Well,
and what of all that?" replied her papa; "why does that seem to rejoice
you so much?" Nancy answering, that she should be happy to buy one of
them; her papa reminded her, that the bird must be fed, and should it be
neglected, even only for a day, it would certainly die.

Nancy promised that she would never eat her own breakfast till she had
given her bird his; but her papa reminded her that she was a giddy girl,
and that he feared she had promised too much. However, there was no
getting over her coaxings and wheedlings, so that her papa was at last
obliged to consent that she should buy one.

He then took Nancy by the hand, and led her to the door, where the man
was waiting with his birds. He chose the prettiest Canary-bird in it:
it was a male, of a fine lively yellow colour, with a little black tuft
upon his head. Nancy was now quite cheerful and happy, and pulling out
her purse, gave it to her father to pay for the bird. But what was to be
done with the bird without a cage, and Nancy had not money enough?
However, upon her promising that she would take great care to feed her
bird, her papa bought her a fine new cage, of which he made her a
present.

As soon as Nancy had given her Canary-bird possession of his new palace,
she ran about the house, calling her mamma, her brothers and sisters,
and all the servants, to come and see her pretty Canary-bird, to which
she gave the name of Poor Cherry. When any of her little friends came to
see her, the first t