He should not be encouraged to desire the chief seat at feasts, and the eleemosynary spirit taward poorer and less favored dogs should be PETS IN THE HOUSEHOLD. 345 developed in his breast. Aoove all, let us remember that a sense of justice and a love of virtue are native to him, and that it is only the dog who has had evil surroundings and never enjoyed the blessings of a Christian home and a refined education who becomes a social pirate and the terror of his neighborhood. He is strongly imitative and soon learns mercy from the merciful, order from the orderly, manners from the mannerly, and tyranny from the tyrannical. " The merciful man regardeth the life of his beast," and the beast knows when he is well treated and has a merciful man for his master. If we are good to him, he will be good to us. CARE OF CANARY BIRDS, PARROTS, ETC. Canary Birds. — Almost all diseases to which canaries are sub- ject are occasioned by colds, which generally are contracted by their being placed in a draught or in a hot room. As a general rule, a bird cannot be given too much fresh air. Even in winter time, .although it is never quite safe to hang the cage in the window, it is advisable to throw open the window once or twice a day to let in the air. Canaries are tender creatures ; but they will stand a low tem- perature— as low as fifty degrees — providing you keep them out of draughts. A temperature not lower than sixty degrees is about right, and this should be maintained day and night, if possible. More birds sicken and die from diseases contracted by exposure to night chilli- ness than from any other known cause. Again, the air of a room should not be over-heated or suffused with gas. The philosophy of management of canaries may be summed up thus : Proper light, proper air, and proper food. A bird should never be removed sud- denly from a dark to a light room, or 7h'cc versa. All day it should be allowed the broad sunlight, but never exposed to the sun's direct rays. Unless colds are relieved promptly they often turn to asthma, and birds so diseased frequently sit for hours at a time with their feathers puffed out, wheezing as though every breath gave them intense pain. 346 THE hearthstone; or, Life at home. This can be benefited by giving, in addition to their regular food, small particles of salt pork covered over thickly with cayenne pepper. A cracker soaked in water and sprinkled with cayenne pepper is equally good. When birds seem to have lost their voices, which they often do, the most effectual remedy is to place pure rock candy in their drinking water and let it dissolve. If birds are provided with nice clean sand or gravel, their perches kept scrupulously clean, and always supplied with ficsh water, they will not suffer from sore feet. Cages should be scoured clean in hot water frequently in order to keep insects off birds. If, however, they are troubled with them, put the least bit of kerosene oil under each wing — say as much as re- mains on your little finger after you have let the drop fall. Do this every ten days until all are removed.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

He should not be encouraged to desire the chief seat at feasts, and the eleemosynary spirit toward poorer and less favored dogs should be developed in his breast. Above all, let us remember that a sense of justice and a love of virtue are native to him, and that it is only the dog who has had evil surroundings and never enjoyed the blessings of a Christian home and a refined education who becomes a social pirate and the terror of his neighborhood. He is strongly imitative and soon learns mercy from the merciful, order from the orderly, manners from the mannerly, and tyranny from the tyrannical. " The merciful man regardeth the life of his beast," and the beast knows when he is well treated and has a merciful man for his master. If we are good to him, he will be good to us. CARE OF CANARY BIRDS, PARROTS, ETC. Canary Birds. — Almost all diseases to which canaries are subject are occasioned by colds, which generally are contracted by their being placed in a draught or in a hot room. As a general rule, a bird cannot be given too much fresh air. Even in winter time, .although it is never quite safe to hang the cage in the window, it is advisable to throw open the window once or twice a day to let in the air. Canaries are tender creatures ; but they will stand a low temperature— as low as fifty degrees — providing you keep them out of draughts. A temperature not lower than sixty degrees is about right, and this should be maintained day and night, if possible. More birds sicken and die from diseases contracted by exposure to night chilliness than from any other known cause. Again, the air of a room should not be over-heated or suffused with gas. The philosophy of management of canaries may be summed up thus : Proper light, proper air, and proper food. A bird should never be removed suddenly from a dark to a light room, or vice versa. All day it should be allowed the broad sunlight, but never exposed to the sun's direct rays. Unless colds are relieved promptly they often turn to asthma, and birds so diseased frequently sit for hours at a time with their feathers puffed out, wheezing as though every breath gave them intense pain. 346 THE hearthstone; or, Life at home. This can be benefited by giving, in addition to their regular food, small particles of salt pork covered over thickly with cayenne pepper. A cracker soaked in water and sprinkled with cayenne pepper is equally good. When birds seem to have lost their voices, which they often do, the most effectual remedy is to place pure rock candy in their drinking water and let it dissolve. If birds are provided with nice clean sand or gravel, their perches kept scrupulously clean, and always supplied with ficsh water, they will not suffer from sore feet. Cages should be scoured clean in hot water frequently in order to keep insects off birds. If, however, they are troubled with them, put the least bit of kerosene oil under each wing — say as much as remains on your little finger after you have let the drop fall. Do this every ten days until all are removed.

The hearthstone; or, Life at home