^/Esthetic and Moral Reasons 125 



" And when my light of life is low, 

 And heart and flesh are weary, 

 I fain would hear before I go 

 The wood note of the veery." 



And I have noticed that the work of providing for 

 the needs of wild birds has a wonderfully good 

 effect upon the people engaged in it. In the first 

 place it awakens or stimulates an interest in an 

 important and fascinating subject, and provides 

 for the mental and physical activities an out- 

 let which can lead only to good. Through it the 

 coming generation will get practical experience 

 in the conservation of our natural resources, and 

 thus by taking part in a great national movement 

 they will at an early age begin to feel the joy of 

 being useful. Most work of a public nature is 

 impractical for children, but here is a work in 

 which young people can be almost as useful as 

 older ones and at the same time provide for 

 themselves one of the sweetest and most satisfy- 

 ing hobbies known to man. Work for the birds 

 tends to thoughtfulness and consideration; in- 

 asmuch as it is inspired by the work the birds 

 do for us, it encourages appreciation and grati- 

 tude, and a sense of justice and fair play; as it 

 brings to the worker a sense of the helplessness 

 of his feathered friends at certain times, it be- 

 gets feelings of humanity, kindness, sympathy, 



