"Do come again as soon as you can,"

said the bright-eyed sparrow, blowing some dust off his neck; "I shall miss you dreadfully."

"You'll see me back just as soon as I can get hold of that piece of silk,—perhaps to-morrow. It all depends upon Posy, you know. Good-by, my dear;" and he kissed his little wife very affectionately. "Good-by, young uns;" and he was off again. As he looked back he saw the little bright-eyed sparrow standing in the doorway and looking wistfully after him, and he threw her a kiss before he passed out of sight. "She's a dear little thing," he said to himself, "and I know I'm not half good enough for her, but I really won't stay away so long again. It wasn't very comfortable at home then, I must confess; the babies were little, and teasing for food most of the time, and she was so taken up with them that she didn't take much notice of me."