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THE EARLY BIRD.
WHEN Diamond got home he found his father at home already, sitting by the fire and looking rather miserable, for his head ached and he felt sick.

He had been doing night work of late, and it had not agreed with him, so he had given it up, but not in time, for he had taken some kind of fever.

The next day he was forced to keep his bed, and his wife nursed him, and Diamond attended to the baby.

If he had not been ill, it would have been delightful to have him at home; and the first day Diamond sang more songs than ever to the baby, and his father listened with some pleasure.