rning to night, the dressing and
undressing of Miss Columbine engrossed the whole of her time. What with
this and her carrying her doll up and down stairs, and into every room
in the house, it was happy for poor Cherry if he got fed by the
evening, and sometimes it happened that he went a whole day without
feeding.

One day, however, when Nancy's papa was at table, accidentally casting
his eyes upon the cage, he saw poor Cherry lying upon his breast, and
panting, as it were, for life. The poor bird's feathers appeared all
rough, and it seemed contracted into a mere lump. Nancy's papa went up
close to it; but it was unable even to chirp, and the poor little
creature had hardly strength enough to breathe. He called to him his
little Nancy, and asked her what was the matter with her bird. Nancy
blushed, saying, in a low voice, "Why, papa, I--somehow, I forgot;" and
ran to fetch the seed-box.

Her papa, in the mean time, took down the cage, and found that poor
Cherry had not a single seed left, nor a drop of water. "Alas! poor
bird," said he, "you have got into careless hands. Had I foreseen this,
I would never have bought you." All the company joined in pity for the
poor bird; and Nancy ran away into her chamber to ease her heart in
tears. However, her papa, with some difficulty, brought pretty Cherry to
himself again.

Her father, the next day, ordered Cherry to be made a present of to a
young gentleman in the neighbourhood, who, he said, would take much
better care of it than his little thoughtless daughter; but poor Nancy
could not bear the idea of parting with her bird, and most faithfully
promised never more to neglect him.

Her papa, at last, gave way to her entreaties; and permitted her to keep
little Cherry, but not without a severe reprimand, and a strict
injunction to be more careful for the future. "This poor little
creature," said her papa, "is confined in a prison, and is therefore
totally unable to provide for its own wants. Whenever you want any
thing, you know how to get it; but this little bird can neither help
himself, nor make his wants known to others. If ever you let him want
seed or water again, look to it."

Nancy burst out into a flood of tears, took her papa by the hand, and
kissed it; but her heart was so full, that she could not utter a
syllable. Cherry and Nancy were now again good friends, and he for some
time wanted for nothing.

About a month afterwards, her father and mother were obl