THE SNOW BIRD 



131 



where it was always sure of the warmth from the rising 

 sun, a little bird sat snugly in her nest on the ground. 

 Now the light shown directly upon her, but later when the 

 blazing orb should climb higher through the heavens, 

 there was the shelter of an overhanging cluster of leaves 

 to protect her from the scorching rays. Her head turned 

 inquiringly from side to side, as with first one eye and then 

 the other she examined a neighboring laurel bush behind 

 which appeared two heads. ^' Queer that they keep look- 

 ing at me,^^ she may have said to herself, ^^but I guess 

 they will not hurt a body. ' ' 



Just then her mate flew along and alighted on the top- 

 most spray of a neighboring bush. He evidently did not 

 see the strangers, for a moment later in a low reassuring 

 tone he began his morning song. Louder and more con- 

 fident he became as the beauty of the morning and the 

 sense of security of his mate and their treasures grew upon 

 him. His head was thrown back, his white breast con- 

 trasted strongly with his black head and gray coat, and his 

 throat swelled as the enchanting strain came stronger and 

 clearer. Ah ! why did we ever have to leave the singer and 

 his song ! 



And so I like to think of him as each spring he sings— a 

 solitary songster on the mountain side ; mingling his music 

 with the murmur of the brook, his only listener the mate he 

 loves. 



