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It came to my lot, while staying in far-off Tasmania, to be shown into a room at a house to await the arrival of a friend. I did what I ought not to have done — I began to investigate the pictures on the walls and the articles on the table. Amongst other things I observed a canary bird in a cage before the window. I looked at it, and hoped it would sing. As it would not do so I began to sing to it — to say, "Sweet! sweet!" "Pretty Dick!" If you want people to be kind to you, you should be kind to them. But this canary would not utter a note. I was disgusted, so I looked into the cage. Doubtless the bird was living, thought I, for there was the seed in the trough; then there was a vessel filled with water, and a piece of sugar was stuck between the bars. So I said, "Sweet! sweet!" But still it would not sing. "Then my friend came into the room, and, after talking a little while, I said, You have got a dumb canary; do what you will, it will not sing — at least to strangers." "Oh," said my friend, "it's stuffed — it's not a live bird." And I confess that I have been into churches and into Christian homes where there was bread enough and to spare, where there was seed in the trough, and water — aye, and the sugar too, but they would not say, "Sweet! sweet!" or be glad in their songs.

(T. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

WEB: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.