252 



Evas Equestrianism. 



closed white marble tomb, rising about 

 three feet above the ground, without carv- 

 ing except the inscription on the slab, which 

 is as follows: 



This Monument 



covers the remains of 



ALEXANDER WILSON, 



Author of the 



American Ornithology. 



He was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, 



On the 6 July, 1766, 



Emigrated to the United States 



In the year 1794, 



And died in Philadelphia 



On the 23 August, 1813. 



Aged 47. 



hin-nio stat sine mortc decus. 



There are some venerable deciduous trees 

 and a few arbor vitses growing here, and 

 the place has an air of restful sanctity about 

 it, but there is no deep shade nor tangle of 

 vines nor seclusion; nothing of the rural 

 cemetery aspect which Wilson would have 

 loved, or that would invite the birds to build 



their nests and sing above his grave. The 

 European sparrows clustered about the ad- 

 joining buildings, uttering their discordant, 

 complaining notes, which was more like a 

 mockery of the wishes of the great orni- 

 thologist than silence would have been. 



Commerce, merchandise, and the dwell- 

 ings of the uncultivated and illiterate bound 

 this little cemetery on every side. The old 

 church with its sacred associations and his- 

 toric record is visited by hundreds annually, 

 and this will always be a remembered spot, 

 never to fall into neglect. But no song 

 birds wake the silence with their sweet 

 minstrelsy above Wilson's grave to-day. 



But what matters it ? His genius has made 

 the world better. Somewhere his thrushes 

 are singing in woodland and meadow, and 

 the bluebirds will not forget their old haunts. 

 Somewhere "the robin's breast of golden 

 brown is trembling with an ancient tune." 

 Somewhere an oriole is swinging in her nest, 

 and somewhere at sunset the wood larks will 

 say "Good night." 



Helen N . Austin. 



EVA'S EQUESTRIANISM. 



EVA'S home is a modern farmhouse 

 surrounded by orchards and groves 

 of forest trees. Within its doors hospitality 

 and goodwill abound. Eva is a sturdy 

 little maiden of twelve years, a born natur- 

 alist, who knows from observation the 

 habits of birds and bees, of crabs and frogs, 

 and of all animals, whether aerial, creeping, 

 aquatic or amphibious, that are to be found 

 within the limits of her father's farm. In 

 her "hunting expeditions," as she calls 

 them, she discovers many thing both inter- 

 esting and amusing, and the encyclopedia 

 in the library decides for her all vexed 

 questions. She does not disdain the usual 

 occupations of maidens of her age, such 

 as learning lessons, practicing music and 

 ''helping mamma," but in add'tion to these 



accomplishments she can construct wonder- 

 ful cottages of moss; she can catch crabs, 

 searching them out in their homes by the 

 brookside with unerring eye; she can tell 

 you where to find birdnests innumerable, 

 how many eggs are in each, their differ- 

 ence of color and marking, and the habits 

 of the parent birds; the metamorphosis of 

 wrigglers and polliwogs and caterpillars 

 are familiar facts which observation has 

 demonstrated. Snakes have no horrors 

 for her. If she wishes to call upon the 

 neighbors on a dark summer evening (the 

 nearest one being one-eighth of a mile dis- 

 tant) her torch is a branch of the cat-tail 

 willow dipped in kerosene. Indeed the 

 girls who are pent up in crowded cities 

 can form a very inadequate conception of 



