UNDER THE APPLE-TREES 
seems to leave no mark upon them. Take a hundred 
snow buntings in winter, or robins or bluebirds in 
the spring, and each individual seems up to the 
standard of its kind. Indeed, Nature has standard- 
ized them all. 
Among the song sparrows and white-throats that 
gathered for their daily lunch under my window, I 
noted differences between male and female and be- 
tween old and young, yet each individual seemed at 
the top of its condition. How free from spot or blem- 
ish they were, not one disheveled or unkempt, not 
one vagabond or unfortunate among them. How 
neatly groomed they were, every feather perfect and 
every feather in its place. How bright and distinct 
the pencilings of the song sparrows’ backs! The 
surplices of the white-throats had just come from 
the laundry. Among all the wild creatures it is the 
same. Nature deals evenly and impartially with 
them. They differ markedly in this respect from 
birds and mammals under domestication. A brood 
of newly hatched chickens are fresh and clean 
enough, but they very soon deteriorate in appear- 
ance; but a brood of young grouse or quail keep as 
clean and bright as shells upon the beach. Then 
consider the chipmunks and red squirrels — how 
rarely is one of them below the standard of its kind! 
how rarely one shows any indication of hard luck, 
or a loss of standing among his fellows! None are 
poor; all are equally prosperous. Success is written 
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