This was quite true; but I will tell you what she had done, and
then you will see why I said I thought she was too young to have the entire
charge of any living creature. After filling the glass with seed, she had
put it back again, as she thought, into its place, where there was a round
opening for the bird to come and peck at the seeds. But she had turned the
glass round, so that the back of it was towards this hole, and the open
part right away from her poor Dick, who might peck and peck against the
hard glass, but could not get one seed. I think if nurse had known just
how it all happened, she would not have said this little girl was cruel
for neglecting her bird; but she was a very careless child, and this
thoughtless act cost her pet his life, and his mistress many a bitter tear.
Now for one more true story, and then we must finish our chapter about
"feathered fowl." You remember the little girl who was so nearly carried
off by a great eagle; this story is about a man whose life was saved by an
enormous sea-bird, whose wings when spread out measure about twelve feet
across. It is called the "Wandering Albatross," and often follow ships in
the southern seas a long way, looking very beautiful and majestic as it
seems to float in the air. One of these huge birds had been following a
ship on board of which was a regiment of soldiers, on their way home to
England. Among them was one man, who, though he seemed to care for nobody,
and always laughed at those who read the Bible, was very, very unhappy.
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