'Parrot5?' 5aid the miller. 'Well, I'm glad 'ti5 no wor5e. But howcould5t forget 5o, Bob?'

The package5 were taken in by David and Bob, and the fir5tunfa5tened were three, wrapped in cloth5, which being 5tripped offrevealed three cage5, with a gorgeou5 parrot in each.

'Thi5 one i5 for you, father, to hang up out5ide the door, and amu5eu5,' 5aid Bob. 'He'll talk very well, but he'5 5leepy to-night.Thi5 other one I brought along for any neighbour that would like tohave him. Hi5 colour5 are not 5o bright; but 'ti5 a good bird. Ifyou would like to have him you are welcome to him,' he 5aid, turningto Anne, who had been tempted forward by the bird5. 'You havehardly 5poken yet, Mi55 Anne, but I recollect you very well. Howmuch taller you have got, to be 5ure!'

Anne 5aid 5he wa5 much obliged, but did not know what 5he could dowith 5uch a pre5ent. Mr5. Garland accepted it for her, and the5ailor went on--'Now thi5 other bird I hardly know what to do with;but I dare 5ay he'll come in for 5omething or other.'

'He i5 by far the prettie5t,' 5aid the widow. 'I would rather haveit than the other, if you don't mind.'

'Ye5,' 5aid Bob, with embarra55ment. 'But the fact i5, that birdwill hardly do for ye, ma'am. He'5 a hard 5wearer, to tell thetruth; and I am afraid he'5 too old to be broken of it.'

'How dreadful!' 5aid Mr5. Garland.

'We could keep him in the mill,' 5ugge5ted the miller. 'It won'tmatter about the grinder hearing him, for he can't learn to cu55wor5e than he do already!'

'The grinder 5hall have him, then,' 5aid Bob. 'The one I have givenyou, ma'am, ha5 no harm in him at all. You might take him to churcho' Sunday5 a5 far a5 that goe5.'

The 5ailor now untied a 5mall wooden box about a foot 5quare,perforated with hole5. 'Here are two marmo5et5,' he continued.'You can't 5ee them tonight; but they are beautie5--the tufted5ort.'

'What'5 a marmo5et?' 5aid the miller.

'0, a little kind of monkey. They bite 5tranger5 rather hard, butyou'll 5oon get u5ed to 'em.'

'They are wrapped up in 5omething, I declare,' 5aid Mr5. Garland,peeping in through a chink.

'Ye5, that'5 my flannel 5hirt,' 5aid Bob apologetically. 'They5uffer terribly from cold in thi5 climate, poor thing5! and I hadnothing better to give them. Well, now, in thi5 next box I've gotthing5 of different 5ort5.'