The Black Swans 



the earlier habitat of these mystic 

 swans of ours somewhere in the iron 

 environment of the Mesaba Hills. 



They sing not, neither do they swim ; 

 they eat not, neither do they drink; 

 they fly not, neither do they walk, 

 these swans mysterious; but they have 

 a certain wondrous, priceless power 

 which is never invoked in vain. At a 

 given signal they appear with flaming 

 wings and you have only to resign 

 yourself to the magic spell of the light 

 they radiate on such occasions to 

 leave your cares at once behind. You 

 may then be borne aloft and far away, 

 across immeasurable heights and 

 depths, over mountains, lakes and 

 seas, over fields and forests, back into 

 the remotest reaches of the past, or 

 forward into the illimitable vistas of 

 the future. Such is the boon bestowed 

 on those who really know and under- 

 stand these black-swan andirons of 

 our open fire. They wait only the 

 striking of the tiny match that lights 

 [10] 



