Democratic messenger., 1889-10-19
INHABITANTS OF THE AIR.
Impressions of Tive IsrmutIfut and Pa
thrtir ~torte- Ai,,ut tsIr.l..

tnspsr.@Ians ot Tive tsrmutlfut and Pm-
th-tir staries Ab.nt isIrsl..
The marvellous powers by which
birds eau guide tlicnisclviS frUn the
pole 10 the Mediterranean. frUm the
White Nile 10 the Thuringian forests.
are the most inscrutable and pro
foun,lly interesting OF all natural
wonders. The scalpel and the cruel
ble Of the vivisectionist aud the chem.
Isl cannot penetrate its secrets. and
tho cvolutionist may III his pet theo
ries rs lie will to its mysteries; he will
fail To explain IL
Tourgcnieif. IN The Quail. sets the
problem before us. but eau give no
soluiion, tho small body Of the quail.
her courage for her brWsl. her litilc
Beating heart, licr affection. her limo
cciicc, her full. sweet. happy life.
laruiing nothing under the grasses
aud the dark leaves. and all its lovli
ness lookcd on merely us an aim for u
gun. as u tootlisomc morscl for an cpl
cure! Oh. the pity Of i'll the pity Of
i'll The cruel and scnselcss waste OF
love and pain, Dcsdcmoma's death
was not half SO pitiful a. the death Of
the birds with ever day that dawns.
Tourgcnieif. child even when hc
saw the quail. never forgot her. II
such lessons could oftcncr bc given TO
boy.ioo,l. perhaps hearts less noble
than Tourgenicif's might bc moved.
and the minds less lofty than his be
touched 10 some compassion aud TO
comprehension.
would have TourgcnictTs Quail"
and Dostoieifskys printed aad given
to every lad who can understand
beauty Of thought aud style.
Tie eagle had been captured in the
snare and brought To prison in 81
IBERIA. the prisoners keep il and see in
its intense misery the reflection and
expression of their own. Then spring
comes the late. harsh. Siberian
sprimg. Some among them wish TO
give il freedom. others dcmur. Why
should bird be set free when their
own lives must drag on under chains
until death brings iiscnsibility and "a
i::ockcry Of released
The debate is long, aud for "a while
the more selfish prevail. They suffer;
let the eagle suffer with them. But
u, last the nobler and more gcmcr
ous have their way The eagle is un'
chained. For IL few moments. Dc-
wildcrcd and incrcdulous. he cannot
realize his liberty; then slowly he rises
and spreads his mighty wings aud
sails above the parapct Of the bastion
and passes away. soaring higher and
higher III the misty air until he is lost
from sight against the clouds.
The men to whom freedom can
never come watch him with aching
eyes giving to him that which death
alone can give To- them. All the high
est parts of gcn,us-its sympathy, lis
tenderness. its comprehension. its pas.
sion of pity and freedom are cmbod.
led IN these two bird stories Of the two
:rrcat Russian writers; and whoever
could read either without emotion
would indeed he cursed with that
scchcrcssc dc cnur which modern cd
ucation has done 81 much To create.
Tourgcnicif and Dosioicilsky would
feel the heart beats of that murdered
quail. the overwhelming misery Of the
imprisoned eagle, because they were
men of that evident genius which Is uni
vcrsal comprehension; but some echo
of this comprehension. some iibcrs of
it, may he aroused in all who study
and love naturc--not with the cold
inquisiiivcnc>s of so called naturalisis,
but with the warmth OF sympathy and
tie reverence OF mnihcism
II is no, the naturalist. capable Of
killing every rare specimen that he
spies by mere or brake. who loves
birds. but the poet who listens To the
sad evening cry Of the agialc, like
Shelley, or who translates the
,lronllcs 5 strong March lyric into liu-
man verse. like Austin, or who can
ciant the glorious rapture Of tho SEA.
gull Hight. like Swinburne, who lYSs
both birds and nature To be avail
cl ia the soft gray Of earliest david
The LauS Dco oi the merle. and liE
lhcc. q, day! of the nightingaleft.~
ling, shouting. eclioing through Ia
leaves beneath our chamber windows.
is ono oI Tie sweetest and purest joys
of life. Ouida IN Cosmopolitan.