y with her. Bella and the rat were great friends. It was very
funny to see them going about the house together. From the very first
she had liked him, and coaxed him into her cage, where he soon became
quite at home, so much so that he always slept there. About nine o'clock
every evening, if he was not with her, she went all over the house,
crying, "Davy! Davy! time to go to bed. Come sleep in Bella's cage."

He was very fond of the nice sweet cakes she got to eat, but she never
could get him to eat coffee grounds food she liked best.

Miss Laura spoke to Carl about Bella, and told him he had hurt her
feelings, so he petted her a little to make up for it. Then his mother
told him that she thought he was making a mistake in keeping his
canaries so much to themselves. They had become so timid, that when she
went into the room they were uneasy till she left it. She told him that
petted birds or animals are sociable and like company, unless they are
kept by themselves, when they become shy. She advised him to let the
other boys go into the room, and occasionally to bring some of his
pretty singers downstairs, where all the family could enjoy seeing and
hearing them, and where they would get used to other people besides
himself.

Carl looked thoughtful, and his mother went on to say that there was no
one in the house, not even the cat, that would harm his birds.

"You might even charge admission for a day or two," said Jack, gravely,
"and introduce us to them, and make a little money."

Carl was rather annoyed at this, but his mother calmed him by showing
him a letter she had just gotten from one of her brothers, asking her
to let one of her boys spend his Christmas holidays in the country with
him.

"I want you to go, Carl," she said.

He was very much pleased, but looked sober when he thought of his pets.
"Laura and I will take care of them," said his mother, "and start the
new management of them."

"Very well," said Carl, "I will go then; I've no young ones now, so you
will not find them much trouble."

I thought it was a great deal of trouble to take care of them. The first
morning after Carl left, Billy, and Bella, and Davy, and I followed Miss
Laura upstairs. She made us sit in a row by the door, lest we should
startle the canaries. She had a great many things to do. First, the
canaries had their baths. They had to get them at the same time every
morning. Miss Laura filled the little white dishes with water a