LILY'S LETTER ABOUT THE SWALLOWS

AND CAT.

'Now, dearest Mamma, I must tell you about the Swallows. They have built some nests in the eaves over Auntie's room, and they allow the Tom-Tit to visit them. They fight sparrows and other birds, but they seem to know that Tom will do them no harm, and they are so friendly with him. You must know, dear Mamma, that Auntie keeps no cat of her own, but there is one belonging to little Nell, at the lodge. She is a

lovely cat, and Nell is very fond of her.

"One day Auntie sent for Nell, to give her a little present. She came into the room with the cat in her arms, dressed out in all sorts of smart ribbons, and Auntie made us laugh by asking Nell if she was not afraid of making Pussy vain by so much finery. You know, the window of Auntie's room is a French one, and opens on to the garden, so when Nell put Puss down, she took it into her head to walk out. Well, we suppose the Swallows thought Puss was there for no good, and they began to 'twit, twit' to one another, as if to say, Beware of the cat.'

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Now, I do think Puss is too well fed

to care about a young swallow for her

supper; but, of course, when they went on in that way, she looked up at them. The Swallows thought, no doubt, that it would be best to drive Puss away if they could, and so two of them flew down close to her head with such a flap, flap, that she ran off in a great fright. Faster and faster ran the cat, the Swallows flying close to her head, and making a great noise. At last she got in such a state that she seemed rather to fly with the birds than to run. We cannot think how long the race would have lasted, had not Puss jumped through an open window at the lodge, and so got away from the Swallows.

"Mrs. Jones came out to see what had put Puss in such a fright, for she said the cat shook all over like a leaf.'