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MRS. LESLIE'S BOOKS
FOR
LITTLE CHILDREN.
THE ROBIN REDBREAST SERIES.
[Illustration: LITTLE ROBINS' LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.]
LITTLE ROBINS'
LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.
BY
MRS. MADELINE LESLIE,
AUTHOR OF "THE HOME LIFE SERIES;" "MRS. LESLIE'S
JUVENILE SERIES," ETC.
BOSTON:
CROSBY, NICHOLS, LEE AND COMPANY,
117 WASHINGTON STREET.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by
A. R. BAKER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
ELECTROTYPED AT THE
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.
LITTLE ROBINS' LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.
CHAPTER I.
JACK ROBIN'S OFFENCE.
It was a lovely May morning. The air was full of sweet fragrance from
the orchards of blossoming trees. All nature seemed alive with melody.
The singing of birds, the humming of insects, the cooing of doves about
their cotes, the responsive crowing of the cocks in the farm yards, the
lowing of the cows for their calves,--even the gurgling of the ambitious
little brook running along over stones and pebbles at its utmost speed,
sparkling and foaming in the ecstasy of its delight,--all hail with
exultation the approaching summer.
But let us turn from this universal rejoicing to our friends under the
old elm tree. Mrs. Symmes we see standing within the shed churning
butter. Fred is before the door, with a pail of dough in his hand,
calling "chick, chick, chick." Annie is following grandpa to the barn
with a pan of warm milk for Whiteface, while the good farmer is driving
his oxen to the field.
The barn yard gate has been accidentally left open, and the cosset,
hearing Annie's voice, bounds forward to meet her, and puts his fore
feet on her dress, nestling his head under her arm.
"O grandpa!" exclaimed the child, "do please take the pan; Whiteface is
making me spill it all over."
"Set it down on the ground, dear, and let her drink it," said grandpa.
"I have a good mind to let her run round with me, as I did yesterday,"
continued Annie.
As grandpa smiled approval, the two were presently engaged in a merry
chase from house to barn, round the trunk of the old tree and back to
their starting spot again.
"Now," cried the little girl when she could recover her breath, "it's
time to feed my Robin family. O, they are all here!" she added, as she
opened the front door.
Jack, without waiting for further invitation, hopped into the entry,
and then into the room. The table was set for the family, and he made
bold to fly upon it, and walk round among the dishes. He looked so funny
as he hopped a step or two, and then, standing on one leg, turned his
head archly, as if to say, "I hope I don't intrude," that Annie laughed
till she cried.
"O, where is Fred? I do wish Fred were here to see the robin!" she
exclaimed, as her mother entered with a dish of smoking hot potatoes.
"Tut, tut, tut," cried Mrs. Symmes, "you are getting rather too bold;"
and she shook her apron to scare the robin away. "No, no, birdie, you
must be content with eating the crumbs from the floor."
In the mean time, Mr. and Mrs. Robin were talking to Jack in a very
excited tone, trying to convince him of the impropriety of his conduct.
"No," said Mrs. Robin, as Katy hopped closer to her brother, and cast a
pleading glance at her parents;--"No, I do not accuse you of intending
to do wrong, but you have never seen your father hop on a table, or take
liberties of that kind."
Jack did not try to excuse himself, and as Annie called them to the
door, and fed them from her hand, the parents hoped she was not much
offended.
Mr. Robin noticed that when Jack was reproved by his mother, Dick was
very much pleased, while Molly and Katy appeared greatly distressed.
"O," said he to himself, "why will not this unruly bird imitate the
lovely example of his sisters!"
When they returned to the tree, and were sitting on their favorite bough
near the nest, Dick exclaimed, "I was glad, for once, to see that some
one was in fault beside myself. If I had been guilty of such a breach of
propriety, I should have been severely chastised, if not disinherited;
but bad as you have always thought me, I have never been guilty of any
thing like that."
"I am sorry to hear you talk so, my son," said Mrs. Robin, eyeing him
with a sad glance. "Jack was rather too familiar, and perhaps took
undue advantage of the kindness of our friends; but that was all. There
was no unfriendly feeling, no selfishness, no disregard of others'
wishes in his conduct; neither was there direct disobedience to his
parents' commands, such as has often pained us in your case. We must
judge the motive, my son, before we condemn."
"I knew it would be just so," answered Dick, in a sulky tone. "Every
thing that Jack does is right, and every thing I do is wrong; and that
is a specimen of the justice of this family."
[Illustration]