Birds by Land and Sea 



and in a distant orchard a fine old tree, which had 

 seen generations come and go, stooped slowly to 

 earth as if with the dignified deliberateness of age ; 

 but when I passed it later on my way home, I found 

 that it had been snapped clean across a yard above 

 the ground. 



All this hurly-burly was enacted beneath a blue 

 cloudless sky and a brilliantly shining morning sun. 



