ain, packed me up, (in my cage,) and sent me by the stage to
his sister, who lived at Stamford in Lincolnshire, and was very
intimate with Miss Huntley. My reception was a very good one.
Louisa Bentley was very fond of me, and always took care I should
have plenty of food. She had invited a party of young ladies to
see her that very afternoon: their names were, Miss Wilson, Miss
Clark, Miss Smith, Miss Newman, and Miss Huntley.

When these young ladies were all seated, their conversation was
as follows.

_Miss Bentley._ O, Miss Huntley, I had such a present made me
to-day. My good brother always sends me some present from school,
between the holidays; but this last, is the best he ever sent
me. Only look, what a pretty squirrel! What makes you sigh, Miss
Huntley?

_Miss Huntley._ Your squirrel puts me in mind of one I had lately.
Young Eaton came to drink tea with us before he went to school,
when he let the squirrel out, and it jumped out of the window.

_Miss Clark._ Were you not very angry?

_Miss Newman._ I am sure I should have been very angry indeed;
and, I think, not without a cause.

_Miss Smith._ He is always doing mischief, I think. It was but on
Friday, when he came to see us, that he killed my canary bird, by
putting a shot in the place where the seeds were, which stuck in
its throat, and it died in a few minutes.

_Miss Clark._ And what did he say, when he saw he had killed it?

_Miss Smith._ He only laughed, and said he did not know it could
not eat shot.

_Miss Wilson._ Perhaps he took it for an ostrich, and thought
it could eat lead and iron. I do not wonder at it; for, in my
opinion, he is foolish enough to think any thing.

[Illustration: _I have been looking at your squirrel._]

_Miss Huntley._ I have been looking at your squirrel, Miss Bentley,
for some time; will you be kind enough to tell me where you got
it? O, I remember, you said your brother sent it you, so it cannot
be the same; but every mark on it is exactly like mine.

_Miss Bentley._ Suppose I write to him, and ask him where he got
it. I assure you, if it is yours, you shall have it. I dare say
my brother got it fairly.

_Miss Huntley._ My dear Louisa, I would not take it from you on
any account: I only wish to know that it has not died a violent
death.

_Miss Newman._ Poor creature! I hope it has not. I would much
rather see any favourite bird or squirrel die, than that they
should escape.

_Miss Clark._ My brother n