. Bird-land echoes; . s. There was a warm stratumof air on the level at which I stood, and into this II* 126 Bird-Land Echoes. the insects rose from the damp depressions near I could see ; and now to meet them came thenight-hawks. To stand hke a statue and heroi-cally ignore the mosquitoes was very tiresome ; butI was repaid. I saw more clearly and heard moredistinctly these strange birds of the gloaming and ofthe night, for when the darkness deepened and everyobject became indistinct, the whir of their wings andtheir happy expressions of content still trembled inthe air. That the nigh
. Bird-land echoes; . s. There was a warm stratumof air on the level at which I stood, and into this II* 126 Bird-Land Echoes. the insects rose from the damp depressions near I could see ; and now to meet them came thenight-hawks. To stand hke a statue and heroi-cally ignore the mosquitoes was very tiresome ; butI was repaid. I saw more clearly and heard moredistinctly these strange birds of the gloaming and ofthe night, for when the darkness deepened and everyobject became indistinct, the whir of their wings andtheir happy expressions of content still trembled inthe air. That the night-hawk seldom misses its aim, that itis an expert in its line of insect-capturer, will not bedenied. In this respect I rank it next to the swallowand superior to the pewee. After all, in this matter of catching flies, is it notthe truth that the professionals—the tyrant fly-catchers—are the amateurs, and not far advancedat that; while the amateurs, if judged by theirmeasure of success, are the real professionals ?. CHAPTER V. OUR OLD-GARDEN BIRDS. ON the outskirts of an old village stands a quaintcottage, built early in the last century, and asyet unmarred by any modern improvements. Mostappropriately, it is occupied by old people. Aweather-beaten board at the little gate has paintedupon it Cakes and Beer, and there is not ayoungster in the neighborhood, nor an adult either,but will testify to the excellence of the foamingbeverage and spicy gingerbread that are ever readyfor the hungry and thirsty wayfarer. For many andmany a year there has been a constant dropping ofpennies upon the little counter or into the wrinkledpalm of Aunt Peggy, whose Thank thee is veri-table music to him who recalls it as the same voicethat sounded so sweetly in the long-gone, unappre-ciated days of early childhood. In the course of a recent ramble I passed by thatquaint cottage for, perhaps, the thousandth time, and,the back door being open, caught a glimpse of theold garden, which I had not visi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1896
