BIRD PARADISE 105 



down into the hard earth, building houses there 

 that to them are abodes of light and cheer. The 

 old adage "many hands make light work" tells 

 a part of the story, and "always at it" tells an- 

 other part, but the task seems larger than the 

 genius of the workmen can compass. Still, they 

 do compass it and in so doing write out one of 

 the parson's great object lessons : " Being and 

 doing at one's best is getting there in the first 

 movement at the beginning and in all the move- 

 ments that follow on to the end, and there is no 

 end." 



The dry weather has been quite a burden to 

 many of my lawn tenants. Some of them are 

 furnished with means of defense which they use 

 freely. The earthworms laugh at the drought. 

 The hot and dry vie together and the surface of 

 the ground yields to their influence until there 

 is not a particle of moisture left in at least a foot 

 of the earth. The worms simply retire to the 

 cool rooms of their castle a little farther down, 

 and wait in comfort for the return of better days. 

 What a house it is that these fellows build ! 

 Chambers everywhere, down five or six feet from 

 the surface of the ground. There are no other 

 plowmen like them. Our best workers stir and 



