"I don't know but smothering is as bad as choking," said Florence; "and
now your new bird will be sure to come to some bad end."

"You're always saying hateful things," exclaimed Susy, a good deal
vexed. "I like Grace Clifford ten times as well, for she's a great deal
more lady-like."

"Well, I suppose I can go home," said Florence, with a rising color;
"you're such a perfect lady that I can't get along with you."

"O, dear," thought poor Susy, "what does ail my tongue? Here this very
morning I said in my prayer, that I meant to be good and patient."

Florence began to put on her cloak.

"Cousin Flossy," said Susy, in a hesitating voice, "I wish you wouldn't
go. I didn't mean to tell that I liked Gracie best; but it's the real
honest truth, and if I should take it back, 'twould be a lie."

This was not making matters much better. Florence put on her hood, and
tied it with a twitch.

"But I like _you_ ever so much, Flossy; now, you know I do. You're
hateful sometimes; but so am I; and I can't tell which is the
hatefulest."

Here Flossy, who was as fickle as the wind, laughed merrily, took off
her hood and cloak, and danced about the room in high spirits.

"Yes," said she, "I'll stay just on purpose to plague you!"

But good humor had been restored on both sides, and the little girls
were soon talking together, as freely as if nothing had happened.

"Just come out in the kitchen," said Susy, "and you shall see me wash my
bird."

"Why, I thought birds washed themselves," replied Florence, following
her cousin with some surprise.

"They do, but Dandy won't; it's all in the world I have against Dandy;
he isn't a cold-water bird."

Grandma Read stood by the kitchen table, clear-starching one of her
caps--a piece of work which she always performed with her own hands.
She moved one side to make room for Susy's bird-cage, but said she did
not approve of washing canaries; she thought it must be a dangerous
experiment.

"If he needed a bath, he would take it himself, Susan. Little birds know
what is best for them by instinct, thee may depend upon it."

"But my birdie gay ought to be clean," persisted Susy, who was often
very positive. "Mrs. Mason says so--the lady that gave him to me. I told
her he wouldn't bathe, and she said then I must bathe him."

Susy went to the range, and, dipping some hot water from the boiler,
cooled it with fresh water, till she found, by putting in her fingers,
that it was of a