202 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIKDS. 
little creature did not, absolutely, seem capable of imagining 
that tliere could be such things as evil or danger in a world 
where the sun shone bright, and the leaves were all so rust- 
ling green. It had not yet learned the terrible lesson of hate 
and death. It had only learned of love, beneath the warm 
brooding of its gentle mother's breast ; and now the tender 
innocent, with its unvitiated vision, saw the upturned face 
of man, with that true recognition that first graced Adam in 
the Eden of his birth and power, as sovereign, lord and mild 
protector, not as persecutor, tyrant and the brutal robber. 
I never saw an incident more beautiful, or that filled me 
with such strange and glad delight. I felt as if a messenger 
of harmony and holy peace had left some Halcyon's nest of 
love, to bring me calm and holy teachings, and I could not 
bring myself to let it go away from me — cruel as it seems 
thus to have to abuse that meek seraphic confidence. 
I am not romancing now. I am telling you a vivid fact 
of natural truth — that strange little bird — that sweet new 
comer in the birth of love — fed from my hand as regularly 
on from that moment, as it ever did from its mother's bill — 
never exhibited any fear of me, and never made any attempt 
to escape. It followed me everywhere about my room, and 
perched constantly upon or close to my person. 
Alas ! this too great affection finally proved the cause of 
its loss to me. 
I left my room hastily one day, and this affectionate crea- 
ture followed close at my heels, without my observing it ! 
It was lost ! My gentle little Wood Thrush, I never yet 
loved a pet so dearly ! 
A short time after the loss of our charming pet Brownie, 
a dear friend presented my wife with an English Wood 
Thrush. It was a remarkably fine specimen — a male in the 
first year. We give you here a singularly accurate portrait 
of this bird, in the plumage of the second year. We called 
him " Brownie the Second," and I have some curious things 
to relate to you of him, too. 
