soon as possible. As soon, therefore, as my father was old
enough to be married, and grandpa saw that he had already selected a
pretty wife, he immediately found him a convenient hollow tree on the
very shore of our beautiful river, which he showed to papa and mamma,
saying, 'My children, here is a fine place for your housekeeping; make
your nest at once.' Papa and mamma were a very affectionate couple, and
they aided each other in the work of nest-building. Papa brought the
materials--moss, twigs, and soft grasses--and mamma arranged them
artistically in the interior of the hollow tree, making a pretty and
comfortable apartment. The nest was soon complete, and housekeeping
began. Papa and mamma were not a moment too soon in their preparations,
for no sooner was the nest constructed than it contained three eggs.
Beautiful little eggs they were, papa has often told me, and mamma never
contradicted him. I was in one of those three eggs. My brother and my
sister were in the other two. Mamma kept us warm with the greatest care,
while papa brought her food like a good husband, always choosing the
particular fruits and other delicacies she preferred. As this attention
allowed her to brood us constantly under her warm wings, we soon became
ambitious to escape from our shells. One beautiful morning, to the great
delight of my parents, I burst the delicate prison walls which confined
me. My brother and sister made their appearance in the world a day
later."

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

THE BOY'S TELESCOPE.

The parson's boys were very fond of astronomy. They knew the chief
constellations, and kept the place of the planets as they moved along
among the stars. When their father told them how splendidly the moon and
the planets look through a telescope, they were sadly disappointed to
learn that a telescope costs so much money that he could not think of
buying even one of the smallest size. Happening to hint that _perhaps_
one might be made at home at small expense which would show the moon in
new light and bring Jupiter's moons to sight, they gave him no rest till
he had agreed that he would "see about it."

A few days afterward he showed the boys two common tin tubes which the
stove man had just made. One was about one inch and a half in diameter,
and about thirty inches long; the other was about twelve inches long,
and just enough smaller to slip inside the first, and move easily out
and in. The inside of both was painted bl