BIRD PARADISE 217 



visits to our village, but I do know tliat the 

 visits confer good. like their Master and ours, 

 they go about doing good, and that is about the 

 only method I know of getting good. The real 

 test of our doing that which is good lies in the 

 consciousness that the river of life is flowing un- 

 vexed through the rightful channels in our small 

 domain. My chickadee friends may not know 

 any such test, may not be conscious of conferring 

 good upon anybody, but all the same they minis- 

 ter most graciously to the human brother and, so 

 far as I know, never leave undone what they 

 ought to do. The song they use is instinct with 

 the " soul of wit," three or four notes measuring 

 the entire refrain. On the other hand, the notes 

 are of such a character that one never tires of 

 tiieir repetition. If I were to choose from all the 

 bird songs the one charged with the most home- 

 like notes, I should give the preference to the 

 chickadee effort. I regard it as the finest antidote 

 I know for homesickness. The little fellow goes 

 to and fro, a perfect bird petition of " Give us 

 this day our daily bread," and not only illus- 

 trates the prayer handsomely, but shows in his 

 living the answer wondrously complete. When 

 I want a first-class sermon from a first-class 

 preacher I take my place in the great temple not 



