Stowe notes, letters and verses . barn swallows,often seen on fence rails and ridge-pole of barns, display-ing their buckskin vests. I could duplicate my last years notes. Last night themoon set about half past eleven; at ten it was descend-ing toward the barn. The air was warm and sweet withthe smell of hay that was gathered in little hummocks,arranged with rectangular precision, and each haycockcasting its little arc of shadow. A softly lighted, odor-breathing night. The other day, speaking of the hermit thrushs song,so far differing from the bobolinks in the spirit of itsutterance that, whi
Stowe notes, letters and verses . barn swallows,often seen on fence rails and ridge-pole of barns, display-ing their buckskin vests. I could duplicate my last years notes. Last night themoon set about half past eleven; at ten it was descend-ing toward the barn. The air was warm and sweet withthe smell of hay that was gathered in little hummocks,arranged with rectangular precision, and each haycockcasting its little arc of shadow. A softly lighted, odor-breathing night. The other day, speaking of the hermit thrushs song,so far differing from the bobolinks in the spirit of itsutterance that, while both are without effort, one is theunconscious, uncounted, and prodigal scatterings of ablithe heart; the other seems conscious of the unutterablesweetness of his song, and although the utterance of itsnotes is as easy as the flow of water, they are heard onlyat intervals. Yet he is no niggard, but a constant singerringing his changes when the fount of aerial song is dryat noon. He is less heedless; it seems as if he must par-. VERMONT 113 take somewhat of the deep joy that falls upon his lis-tener; his pauses thus seem breathless—he is rapt in thedelight and wonder of his strange power of song. Whohas not heard him, in many successive efforts, pitchinghis voice high and low, striving to strike again the thrill-ing note that still lingers in ones ears? His are jewelsof song that cannot be squandered lightly, whether hewould or no. There is here no jingle of current coin,but each note falls with the weight of precious metal. A quality that adds to its especial charm is that it isso strong and searching a note that one is at once able tolocate it. It is not scattered in the air like the song ofmost birds, but is confined to stricter limits than somequarter of the horizon. Standing in my mossy road, I hear it chiming in thewood; in the open field I can even locate it, tracing it toa certain tree. Though not as vague as other bird notes,it loses nothing of its mysterious charm
Size: 1189px × 2102px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthortaberedw, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
