218 BIRCH BROWSINGS. 



matter. So wrapping myself up more thor- 

 oughly, and stowing my hands away as best 

 I could, I tried to sleep, being some time 

 behind my companions, who appeared not to 

 mind the "no-see-ems." I was further an- 

 noyed by some little irregularity on my side 

 of the couch. The chambermaid had not 

 beaten it up well. One huge lump refused 

 to be mollified, and each attempt to adapt 

 it to some natural hollow in my own body 

 brought only a moment's relief. But at last 

 I got the better of this also, and slept. Late 

 in the night I woke up, just in time to hear 

 a golden-crowned thrush sing in a tree near 

 by. It sang as loud and cheerily as at mid- 

 day, and I thought myself, after all, quite 

 in luck. Birds occasionally sing at night, 

 just as the cock crows. I have heard the 

 hair-bird, and the note of the king-bird ; 

 and the ruffed grouse frequently drums at 

 night. 



At the first faint signs of day, a wood- 

 thrush sang a few rods below us. Then 

 after a little delay, as the gray light began to 

 grow around, thrushes broke out in full song 

 in all parts of the woods. I thought I had 

 never before heard them sing so sweetly. 

 Such a leisurely, golden chant ! it consoled 



