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THE SUNRISE SERENADE. 



*' Ah walk out when de eas' am red 



Among de timbehs tall; 

 Ah heah a mockeh oberhead, 



De sweetest froat ob all. 

 * Why do yo' sing?' Ah stop en ask, 



En den Ah heah her say; 

 1 Dis am mah daily sunup task, 



A sahanade to Day.' 



'" Songs ob sunrise joy when de darkness fades away, 

 De mockeh in de treetop sing a welcum song to Day. 



" Ah brush among de meddeh lan's 



Wheh yelleh-jackets hum; 

 Ah look up wheh det dogwood spans, 



En heah det solemn drum. 

 Oh, Misteh GoP Wing, why yo' drum 



Up yandah in de tree? 

 'Ah drum jes' kase de day hab cum,' 



Is how he answeh me. 



"Drum! drum! drum! Yo' see his movin' haid, 



De peckeh drum a welcum when de eas' am fiah red. 



"Ah thrash among de bramble vines, 



A-brushin' off de dew; 

 A jaybird callin' fum de pines, 



A catbird chimes in, too, 

 ' What's all dis racket fum yo' two?' 



En den Ah heah dem say: 

 ' We's callin' kase de sun am new, 



En de night hab gone away.' 



" De jaybird en de catbird, dey call en welcum day, 



Dey's happy when de sun cum up en bathe with sumac spray. 



" En all aroun' de timbeh Ian' 



Deh watch foh cummin' day; 

 En Night she shake Mis' Mawnin's han,' 



En den she fade away. 

 Den ebehy songsteh break de hush, 



De hummin' bird he hum; 

 Mis* Quail she wistle in de brush, 



De gol' wing peckeh drum. 



" En all bus' out in melody det echo fro' de haze, 



When de sun he smile in crimson en de dewdrops tuhn a-blaze." 



-Victor A. Hermann, in The Chicago Daily News, 



