. The bird . ich you are clothed is by no means a matterof indifference to him. I have observed that birds in general do notlike black, and that they are afraid of it. I was dressed quite to hisfancy, in white shaded with lilac, with a straw hat ornamented witha few blossoms. Every minute I could see him fix upon me his blackeye, of a singular vivacity, wild and gentle, sometimes a. little proud, THE NIGHTINGALE. 293 which said plainly, I am free, and I have wings; against mo thoucanst do nothing. But I am very willing to sing for thee. We had a succession of severe storms at breeding-time, an
. The bird . ich you are clothed is by no means a matterof indifference to him. I have observed that birds in general do notlike black, and that they are afraid of it. I was dressed quite to hisfancy, in white shaded with lilac, with a straw hat ornamented witha few blossoms. Every minute I could see him fix upon me his blackeye, of a singular vivacity, wild and gentle, sometimes a. little proud, THE NIGHTINGALE. 293 which said plainly, I am free, and I have wings; against mo thoucanst do nothing. But I am very willing to sing for thee. We had a succession of severe storms at breeding-time, and onone occasion the thunder rolled near ns. No scene can ho moreaffecting than the approach of these moments: the air fails; fish riseto the surface in order to breathe a little; the flower bonds langTiidly ;everything suffers, and tears flow unbidden. I could see clearly thathis feelings were in unison with the general distress. From hisbosom, oppressed like mine, broke a kind of hoarse sob, like awild But the wind, which had suddenly lisen, now plunged into ourwoods; the loftiest trees, even the cedar, bent. Torrents of raindashed headlong, all was afloat. V^Tiat became of the poor little nest,exposed on the ground, with no other shelter than the periwinldesleaf? It escaped; for when the sun reappeared, I saw Taj birdflying in the purified air, gayer than ever, with his heart full ofsong. All the world of wings then hymned the light; but he moreloudly than any. His clarion voice had returned. I saw him be-neatfi my window, his eye on fire and his breast swollen, intoxi- 294 THE NIGHTINGALK. eating hiioself with the same happiaess that made my heaiipalpitate. Tender alliance of souls! Why does it not everywhere exist,between us and our winged brothers, between man and the universalliving nature ?
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Keywords: ., bookauthormich, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbirds
