The piece has one other merit which is not the least among its attractions, that is, that it begins at nine punctually and is over by eleven, thus yielding two hours of all-but continuous merriment.
SIMPLE STORIES.
"Be always kind to animals wherever you may be!"
ELSIE AND THE MACAW.
Elsie was growing a big girl, and though she was still in short frocks, she gave herself airs, and had ideas about dress, and sometimes was tempted to argue with her dear Mamma and give her a pert answer. She was, however in high glee just now, because she had been invited by her Aunt Dabblechick to a pic-nic with a lot of other little boys and girls. She made a great fuss about her dress, she studied The Queen, and The Gentlewoman, and other papers devoted to this important subject, and worried her poor Mamma with all sorts of silly suggestions. The costume, however, was at last arranged, and the little goose was cross because her Mamma would not allow her to have a blue feather in her hat. Elsie, like a naughty child, determined that she would, by some means or other, have this feather.
How to obtain one was the difficulty. At last it struck her that the splendid Macaw, a gift from her Uncle, Admiral Sangarorum, brought from Brazil, had some lovely feathers of about the right tint.
Taking a few lumps of sugar with her, she paid a visit to the conservatory where "Lord Macawley," as he was called, swung all day and shrieked. She felt how naughty she was, but her overweening vanity quite stifled her conscience. She scratched the bird's poll, treated him to several lumps of sugar, and, when he was not looking, suddenly jerked one of the finest feathers out of his tail.
"Lord Macawley" screamed furiously, and Elsie was terribly frightened for fear she should be discovered. She, however, ran away with her prize, and carefully fixed it in her hat.