SOUND 



Perhaps in the heart of the country on a cold 

 still night we might listen in vain for a sound ; 

 at any other season we shall not listen long. 



Every one of these different sounds has its 

 meaning, and will tell a great deal to people 

 who take the trouble to understand. We all of 

 us know a little about sound ; we do not mistake 

 the barking of a dog and the purring of a cat. 

 We distinguish between a light cart going quickly 

 along the road and a heavy waggon that is com- 

 ing slowly. Sometimes the distant rumble of 

 wheels is rather like the sound of running water, 

 and a faint breath of wind in the poplar trees 

 will make us believe it is raining, but we are 

 not long deceived. Certain people can go a 

 great deal further than this. They know the 

 song and call of all the various birds ; they can 

 tell the footstep of one friend from that of 

 another ; they can distinguish between the bark 

 of dogs, just as a shepherd is said to know the 

 different bleating of his sheep. If they drive 

 along a country lane at night they can often say 

 under what trees they are passing, because the 

 wind sings a different note for each new kind 

 of foliage ; and they will know what the road is 

 made of from the sound of the horse's hoofs. . 



It is worth while to go out into the country 

 or into the street, or even to sit at home in a 

 room, and to close our eyes, and then see how 

 many different sorts of noise we can count, and 

 think whether we know what is making them 



(41) 



