. The bird . frankly, and reveal to me the barrier which separates the living from the dead. But let us not anticipate,nor let loose the waters of bitterness. Rather let us trace this bird in the peoples thoughts,in the good old popular wisdom, close akin, undoubtedly, to thewisdom of Nature. The people have seen in her only the natural dial, the division ofthe seasons, of the two great hours of the year. At Easter and atMichaelmas, at the epochs of family gatherings, of fairs and markets,of leases and rent-paying, the black and white swallow appears,and tells us the time. She comes to separat
. The bird . frankly, and reveal to me the barrier which separates the living from the dead. But let us not anticipate,nor let loose the waters of bitterness. Rather let us trace this bird in the peoples thoughts,in the good old popular wisdom, close akin, undoubtedly, to thewisdom of Nature. The people have seen in her only the natural dial, the division ofthe seasons, of the two great hours of the year. At Easter and atMichaelmas, at the epochs of family gatherings, of fairs and markets,of leases and rent-paying, the black and white swallow appears,and tells us the time. She comes to separate and define thepast and the coming seasons. At these epochs families and friendsmeet together, but not always to find the circle complete ; in tlie lastsix months this friend has disappeared, and that. The swallowreturns, but not for all; many have gone a very long journey, longerthan the tour of France. To Germany ? No ; further, further still. Our co^npanions, industrious travellers, followed the swallows. 196 MIGRATIONS. life, except that on their return they frequently could no longer findtheir nest. Of this the pendant bird \rarns them in an old Germansaying, wherein the narrow popular wisdom would fain retain themround the roof-tree of home. On this proverb, the gTcat poet Rlickert-,metamorphosing himself into a swallow, reproducing her rhjthmicaland circular flight, her constant turns and returns, has founded a lyiicat which many will laugh, but more than one will weep :—
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Keywords: ., bookauthormich, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbirds
