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"Never mind," murmured Molly, softly, as she "It is only a minute more,

pulled at the catch.

and there will be the fields and the sky."

The peg was drawn out and she opened the door wide. The bird did not come out; it just fluttered backward and forward. Molly pushed the cage a little farther out of the window. The bird got quiet. It turned its head and looked out of the door. Mildred had clasped her hands tightly, and was looking on with speechless surprise. She thought it might be some spell of Molly's.

The bird hopped out of the cage on to the window sill and stood for a second in a patch of sunlight. It craned its neck and gazed all around curiously; it turned and looked at the cage, and then fastened its eye steadily on Molly, shook itself in the warm air, gave a little trill, almost a whimper, and suddenly tore away in the sunlight.

Mildred gave a little gasp, "Oh!" But Molly did not move a muscle. Straight away the bird flew, at first up and then on over the black houses

and the smoke, toward the blue sky over Mildred's home, his wings beating the fresh spring air, on, on, growing smaller to the sight, flying straight for the open country -a mere speck till at last he faded from sight. Molly lay mo

tionless, with her gaze still on the fair blue sky where he had disappeared, as if she could still see him. Her lips had been moving, but now were stilled.

"There!" she said softly. "At last!" and sank back on the pillow, her eyes closed, her face full of deep content. Mildred sat and gazed at her, at first with a vague wonder and. then almost with awe. A new idea seemed to enter her mind. Could Molly be sending the mocking bird to heaven with a message to her mother?

THE LADYBIRD

LADYBIRD! ladybird! fly away home,
The field mouse has gone to her nest;

The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes,
And the bees and the birds are at rest.

Ladybird! ladybird! fly away home,

The glowworm is lighting her lamp;

The dew's falling fast, and your fine speckled wings Will flag with the close-clinging damp.

Ladybird! ladybird! fly away home,

The fairy bells tinkle afar;

Make haste, or they'll catch you, and harness you fast

With a cobweb to Oberon's car.

ONE OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS AND SOME

1

OF HIS DESCENDANTS

N the tombs and monuments of Egypt, the scarabæus, a member of the Beetle Family, has an honored place. It was worshiped by the Egyptians in their far-away country in the days of long ago.

The common black "tumblebug" of the fields and

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