A Book on Birds 



importance when they come in a burst of 

 brightness to crown some dark and dismal 

 day; having very much the same effect 

 under such conditions upon bird-hearts 

 as the hearts of men and women; dispelling 

 their sadness and depression, filling them 

 with song, and often conjuring suddenly out 

 of absolute silence almost as much woodland 

 music as the most roseate dawn. 



Moreover, our brisk tramp — tramp — 

 tramp — on the hard road-bed so quickens 

 both memory and imagination that we 

 recall in fact, on the instant as we proceed, 

 at least one sunset of this very sort — a 

 sunset many months previous above the 

 Hundred-mile- woods in the verdant Chester 

 valley. 



As evening drew on it seemed that the 

 storm which had prevailed during the after- 

 noon was to have its unbroken will through- 

 out the night. But just in the fulness of 

 time every barrier of gloom gave way and 

 the heavens triumphed gloriously. 



Only a few brief moments remained for 

 the victory when it came at length, and the 



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