Music of the Wild 



enemies stealing ujj to destroy it. I did not enter 

 the thicket again, so its fate is unknown. But 

 that a vireo and a finch should be homing in such 

 a 2)lace proves how universally birds as well as 

 flowers are distributed. Brilliant color attracts 

 bird and insect musicians not only to the Avater's 

 edge, but OA'er it to the depth of the longest white 

 water lily stem, M'hich ranges from three feet to 

 a specimen I once pulled that was sixteen. 



The five typical flowers growing in the water 

 at the outer edge of all other vegetation are the 

 Water arrowhead lily, blue flag, yellow lily, water hya- 

 Fiowers (.j,i|^i|^ wliite Avater lily, and differing members of 

 their families. Tliey are all beautiful plants of 

 fine leaf and exquisite bloom; and there are some 

 who will prefer one, and some another. My choice 

 is the arrowhead, not oidy of marsh flowers, but 

 among any; it ranks well toward first ^Aith me. 



I love a red flower in the fields; it a])pears so 

 vital, so full of life, it excites the imagination and 

 warms the cockles of the heart; for red is love's 

 own color. A red flower or fruit or leaf appears 

 to be a consummation of something worth while: 

 the fields haxe done a perfect work, no-w I must 

 busy myself and ]:)roduce results to ])rove what I 

 am attempting. Any day my faith weakens, a bed 

 of foxfire or cardinal flower waving salutation can 

 renew my courage and urge me on Mith fresh zeal : 

 and if a cardin_a] bird just then comes winging 



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