26 Travels in a Tree-top 



although this species is less aquatic than its 

 fellows. They were always in sight from 

 the door of my tent, and always an earlier 

 bird than I. I recall now standing upon the 

 beach long before sunrise, marking the prom- 

 ises of the coming day, as I interpreted them. 

 The fish-hawks were ahead of me ; so, too, 

 the little sand-pipers. Their piping at this 

 time was very clear and musical. It was a 

 delightful accompaniment to the rippling 

 water. The dear old song-sparrows were 

 quiet, and I was very glad ; but with the 

 first flooding of the sea with sunlight they 

 all sang out, and the Chesapeake was afar 

 off and I in the home meadows on the Dela- 

 ware. I prefer novelty when away. It is 

 well to utterly forget, at times, that which 

 we most prize. What boots it to stand on 

 the hill-top, if your thoughts are forever in 

 the lowlands? Twice, from the branches 

 of the old oak, I saw a splendid sunset, but 

 nothing equal to the sunrise of to-day. With 

 many a matter of this life the beginning is 

 better than the end. We had a superb sun- 

 set last night. The color was gorgeous, but 

 it was plain and commonplace compared to 

 the sunrise of to-day. Perhaps no tint was 



