202 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 



little creature did not, absolutely, seem capable of imagining 

 that there could be such things as evil or danger in a world 

 where the sun shone bright, and the leaves were all so rust- 

 ling green. It had not yet learned the terrible lesson of hate 

 and death. It had only learned of love, beneath the warm 

 brooding of its gentle mother's breast ; and now the tender 

 innocent, with its unvitiated vision, saw the upturned face 

 of man, with that true recognition that first graced Adam in 

 the Eden of his birth and power, as sovereign, lord and mild 

 protector, not as persecutor, tyrant and the brutal robber. 



I never saw an incident more beautiful, or that filled me 

 with such strange and glad delight. I felt as if a messenger 

 of harmony and holy peace had left some Halcyon's nest of 

 love, to bring me calm and holy teachings, and I could not 

 bring myself to let it go away from me cruel as it seems 

 thus to have to abuse that meek seraphic confidence. 



I am not romancing now. I am telling you a vivid fact 

 of natural truth that strange little bird that sweet new 

 comer in the birth of love fed from my hand as regularly 

 on from that moment, as it ever did from its mother's bill 

 never exhibited any fear of me, and never made any attempt 

 to escape. It followed me everywhere about my room, and 

 perched constantly upon or close to my person. 



Alas ! this too great affection finally proved the cause of 

 its loss to me. 



I left my room hastily one day, and this affectionate crea- 

 ture followed close at my heels, without my observing it ! 



It was lost ! My gentle little Wood Thrush, I never yet 

 loved a pet so dearly ! 



A short time after the loss of our charming pet Brownie, 

 a dear friend presented my wife with an English Wood 

 Thrush. It was a remarkably fine specimen a male in the 

 first year. We give you here a singularly accurate portrait 

 of this bird, in the plumage of the second year. We called 

 him " Brownie the Second," and I have some curious things 

 to relate to you of him, too. 



