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Rural School Leaflet 



" Sweet, siveet, sweet! happy that I am! 



{Listen to the meadow-larks, across the fields that sing!) 



Sweet, sweet, sweet! O subtle breath of balm, 



winds that blow, buds that grow, rapture of the spring! 

 ****** 



" Sweet, sweet sweet! Who prates of care and pain? 

 Who says that life is sorrowful? life so glad, so fleet! 

 Ah! he who lives the noblest life finds life the noblest gain, 

 The tears of pain a tender rain to make its waters sweet." 



INA COOLBRITH 



The meadow lark 



Oh meadow lark! 

 From dawn to dark 



Your carol quaint is ringing. 

 And neer did fioat from thrush's throat 

 Song sweeter than your simple note, 



Of sunny summer singing." 



Meadow lark. — 

 Size : Larger than 

 the robin, but with 

 shorter tail. 



General color : 

 Bright yellow breast 

 with a black crescent. 

 The back is streaked; 

 the outer tail feathers, 

 which show when 

 spread, are white. 



" What a twang there is 

 about this bird and what 

 vigor! It smacks of the 

 soil. It is the winged em- 

 bodiment of the spirit of 

 our spring meadows. What 

 emphasis in its 'z-d-t, 

 z-d-t,' and what character 

 in its long piercing note! 

 Its straight, tapering, sharp 

 bill is typical of its voice. 

 'Spring o' the 

 year! spring o' the year!' it 

 says, with a long-drawn 

 breath, a little plaintive, 

 but not complaining or 

 melancholy." 



JOHN BURROUGHS 



SELECTED 



Up from the marsh a chorus shrill 



Of piping frogs swells in the night; 

 The meadow lark shows flashing quill 



As o'er brown fields she takes her flight." 



JOHN BURROUGHS 



