HARMONY IN NATURE, 



Did you ever notice in the country how 

 perfectly everything harmonizes? In 

 winter, when nearly every indication of 

 life has disappeared, and we think all 

 creatures are dead, how beautifully the 

 leaden sky harmonizes with the season. 

 There are many such cases of harmony 

 in nature ; I will try to tell of some where 

 the songs of birds seem to agree with 

 the scene so beautifully. 



Near where I live is a certain bridge, 

 crossing a hollow; in this hollow is a 

 lake, that was once (though I am sorry 

 to say it is no more) surrounded by mod- 

 erately thick woods. I used to love to 

 stand on this bridge about sunset, and 

 admire the beautiful scene. On one side 

 the great red orb was slowly 'sinking be- 

 hind the hills, while on the other hand 

 night was gradually creeping over the 

 cold, still waters of the lake. These were 

 the dying moments of the day, and how 

 beautiful, how suggestive, the low, plain- 

 tive "pewee, pewee, pewee peer" that 

 rises up to us with the night mists. 



The night comes on, the moon rises, 

 casting a weird pale light over the scene. 

 The stars come out, one by one, and 

 eclipsing them now ' and then are the 

 nighthawks, uttering their discordant 

 squawks. A slight breeze rises, shaking 



the treetops, and making large shadows 

 that chase themselves over the lake. It 

 is truly a weird scene, but what would it 

 be without the "whoo, whoo, whoo" of 

 the owls? Here, too, is another case of 

 perfect harmony. 



Now I picture myself in daylight again. 

 I am sitting in a cool, shady glen, with 

 a gurgling spring at my feet. It is mid- 

 summer, and I have been walking a long 

 distance, in the hot sunshine, along a 

 dusty country road. How delicious the 

 cool, clear water and the shade, but how 

 much more delicious the joyous clear 

 notes of the wood thrush singing on yon- 

 der twig! 



There can be color harmony, too. Did 

 you ever watch a gold-finch on a thistle 

 flower? What a beautiful sight! The 

 royal purple and gold, with just enough 

 to set off the bright colors to advantage ! 

 What a dazzling sight, and yet there is 

 perfect harmony. It is not a harsh 

 blending of colors. 



There are many such cases of harmony 

 in nature. The next time you visit the 

 country, try to notice some of them. It 

 is one of the ways our Creator has used 

 to make our home beautiful, and to give 

 us a taste of the beauties in store for us 

 in the world beyond. 



Arthur T. Henrici. 



THE REAL SONG. 



I was dreaming a wondrous, wondrous dream, 



Of a garden in Dreaming-land, 

 Where the lilies bud by a golden flood. 

 Where the roses grow mid the summer snow. 



Where the dryads in rapture stand; 

 But sweeter still was the song I heard — 

 A dreamland song from a dreamland bird! 



But the dreaming came to the waking time, 

 Yet the singer was singing still; 



And it seemed to be in the apple tree, 



Or the ivy hedge, by my window edge, 

 So I hastened there to the sill, 



And swinging there 'neath the shelt'ring eaves, 



A robin sat 'mid the apple leaves. 



Tag Lowell. 



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