he present for baby at last, I do believe, James,"
added my wife; "a cheque, perhaps, or----" I opened the letter and
read:--

"MARTIN HOUSE, HERTS.,
"_October 17th_.

"DEAR NEPHEW,--You may perhaps have heard that I am forming an
aviary here. A friend in Rotterdam has written to me to say that
he has sent by the boat, which will arrive in London to-morrow
afternoon, a very intelligent parrot and a fine stork. As the
vessel arrives too late for them to be sent on the same night,
I shall be obliged by your taking the birds home, and forwarding
them to me the next morning. With my respects to your good lady,

"I remain,

"Your affectionate Uncle,

"RALPH MARTIN."

We looked at each other for a moment in silence, and then my wife
said, "James, what is a stork?"

"A stork, my dear, is a--a--sort of ostrich, I think."

"An ostrich! why that's an enormous----"

"Yes, my dear, the creature that puts its head in the sand, and kicks
when it's pursued, you know."

"James, the horrid thing shall _not_ come here! If it should kick
baby we should never forgive ourselves."

"No, no, my dear, I don't think the _stork_ is at all ferocious. No,
it can't be. Stork! stork! I always associate storks with chimneys.
Yes, abroad, I think in Holland, or Germany, or somewhere, the stork
sweeps the chimneys with its long legs from the top. But let's see
what the Natural History says, my dear. That will tell us all about
it. Stork--um--um--'hind toe short, middle toe long, and joined to
the outer one by a large membrane, and by a smaller one to the inner
toe.' Well, _that_ won't matter much for one night, will it, dear?
'His height often exceeds four feet.'"

"_Four_ feet!!!" interrupted my wife. "James, how high are you?"

"Well, my dear, really, comparisons are exceedingly
disagreeable--um--um--'appetite extremely voracious,' and his
food--hulloa! 'frogs, mice, worms, snails, and eels!'"

"Frogs, mice, worms, snails, and eels," repeated my wife. "James, do
you expect me to provide supper and breakfast of this description for
the horrid thing?"

"Well, my dear, we must do our best for baby's sake, you know, for
baby's sake," and, getting my hat, I left as usual for the office. I
passed anything but a pleasant day there, my thoughts constantly