212 IN BIRD -LAND 



Eastern Europe. What induced them to. come 

 over here, to cross the wide tracts of land and the 

 cold North Sea, that must have seemed to such 

 birds which are not much bigger than large 

 walnuts an almost unending passage? But at 

 last the shore of England was sighted, and they 

 knew that they had reached their haven ; but 

 how? What power told them so? Instinct, it is 

 said. They knew that they had to come, and 

 that the land and sea had to be passed, and they 

 ventured forth knowing not whither they were 

 going ; and yet these tiny travellers knew when 

 their journey was ended, and faith induced them 

 to keep on. 



What a tale of woe they could tell if they could 

 only speak ! How the winds blew them out of 

 their course ; how they saw a bright light in the 

 distance, and flew thitherwards as to a haven 

 reached at last ; but it was only a lightship, and 

 against which a number flew to get killed by the 

 glass. Then at last the shore of England was 

 reached, and the travellers, exhausted, sought cover 

 among the nearest bushes and searched for food 

 that they had not tasted for so lon^. Truly God 

 cares for the birds ! 



We, like the Goldcrests, have a good hope 

 during these dull winter days ; we know that the 



