THE INSPIRING SPARROWS. 23 



the many hundreds that more gleefully greets the 

 rosy blossoms. It is not less glad because it had a 

 clearer vision of their coming. The constant song- 

 sparrow ; that best describes it. It was faithful when 

 few besides had faith ; and now, when the apple- 

 blossoms have fallen, it sings no less cheerfully. The 

 summer's heat may drive it from the upland fields, 

 but it finds the world pleasant in the cooler mead- 

 ows ; and where the scarlet lobelia stands, a pillar 

 of fire, upon the swift brook's grassy brim, lighting 

 up the weedy wilderness about it, there the same 

 sweet song is uttered in all its earnestness. The 

 falling leaf of October's frosty days brings it no 

 gloomy thoughts. As we gather the hazel-nuts 

 along the hill-foot hedge we hear the same clear 

 notes ringing through the hazy, golden sunshine of 

 the Indian summer, keeping time to the dropping 

 of dark-brown nuts. With the first snow there is 

 the same burst of gladness, a rejoicing that jolly 

 winter with all his sport has come at last ; and with 

 the last storm of the season the sparrow sounds the 

 good news that winter is ready to depart and spring 

 is on the way. Blessed song-sparrows, that ought to 

 keep the whole earth in excellent humor, full of 

 faith and of an ever-abiding hope ! 



As already mentioned, we have many sparrows, 

 resident and visitors, some of the latter coming only 

 for the summer, others to spend the winter, and not 

 one but has marked features of its own. The little 

 " chippy," for instance, that is at home even in large 

 towns, if there are shade-trees in the streets ; the 



