UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 



seems to leave no mark upon them. Take a hundred 

 snow buntings in winter, or robins or bluebirds in 

 the spring, and each individual seems up to the 

 standard of its kind. Indeed, Nature has standard- 

 ized them all. 



Among the song sparrows and white-throats that 

 gathered for their daily lunch under my window, I 

 noted differences between male and female and be- 

 tween old and young, yet each individual seemed at 

 the top of its condition. How free from spot or blem- 

 ish they were, not one disheveled or unkempt, not 

 one vagabond or unfortunate among them. How 

 neatly groomed they were, every feather perfect and 

 every feather in its place. How bright and distinct 

 the pencilings of the song sparrows' backs! The 

 surplices of the white-throats had just come from 

 the laundry. Among all the wild creatures it is the 

 same. Nature deals evenly and impartially with 

 them. They differ markedly in this respect from 

 birds and mammals under domestication. A brood 

 of newly hatched chickens are fresh and clean 

 enough, but they very soon deteriorate in appear- 

 ance; but a brood of young grouse or quail keep as 

 clean and bright as shells upon the beach. Then 

 consider the chipmunks and red squirrels — how 

 rarely is one of them below the standard of its kind! 

 how rarely one shows any indication of hard luck, 

 or a loss of standing among his fellows ! None are 

 poor; all are equally prosperous. Success is wTitten 



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