St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-12-14
tidious night" 10 run oser this ground,

tidious night" 10 run oser this ground
to them also home.
Even these are net all Of the animal
world whose boundary Of life and in.
terest Is here. Not p count the but
terfiies. tho burly. DOING humble
bee. and the flies that sail over il.
look closely ut the ground. Beetles,
ants. spiders and creeping and crawl
ing creatures Of many sorts are wcnd.
ing their way hither and thithcr. each
one intent upon its own absorbing bus
incss. and utterly obliviOus Of me. big
and usurping as l feel myself to be.
Musing on this and other strange
things that meet us ut every turn. I
sauntcrcd back toward the bars. but ai
the barn door I pause-there Is music
within.
Didst ever hear the swallow singing
in the barn. dear reader? Nos-then
come with mo. / pass through the
Hospitality open door. subside xs silent
ly as possibly. and listen and look.
There they are; two on a beam stretch.
ing across near the peak of the roof.
another on q wooden pin beside his
nest. q fourth flying about, and
all singing like mad. Now the
melody swells and fills the empty
old walls. till one may shut his eyes
and fancy he is among the bobolinks-
for. strangely enough. this quaint and
peculiar song does resemble the rapt-
urous carol of that bird. But now il
is low again; all have finished their
not very long strain. except the one
on the peg. And. 10. before be reaches
the last note the three strike in again.
and the sweet sounds fills the building
once more. 1t is curious contagion
that. when one is singing. impels
every other to join in. and happy as
curious. since it 10 in chorus that the
effect is best
And there are their homes. Ono q
the end Of the beam near tho singers.
where see tho head Of the patient
sitter; another on the wooden peg,
where five small. triangular-shaped
mouths-generally wide open-fringe
the edge Now the mother sweeps in
and alights beside them. spreading
wide her beautiful tail and showing
clearly it's oval white spots. Great is
the chattering. and urgent tho de-
mands Of every infant swallow In the
nest. and low and sweet the murmur-
ing after she leaves them. for the few
minutes before they fall again into
silence.
DO swallows. Their. sing only in the
barn? l 60 out and seat myself on q
rOck beside the door. for now. after
some remarks among themselves which
'ound strangely like articulate speech.
md which ! suspect may be reflections
,pon intruding spectators. the whole |
'arty have passed out hardly know
vhere The barn is old and rickety,
md bird can 60 in or out almost any.
vhere.
Again the swallow-song 10 heard. |
Three are on the roof; one on the peak.
'here his minute feet may be seen
with . good glass) clinging. and two
re nat On the shingles-all singing.
Ind when they pause, the delightful
rarble floats down from the air. where
! swallow scars and sings in the sum
hine. Sunshine and the open air do
'Ot lessen the charm Of the song, but
is 90 low that it is lost in the great
nut of-dQors; only the listening car and
he desiring heart will hear IL there.
Did I not we'll to brave the bars md
he barnyard that sweet morning in
une?-Olive ThOrne Miller. in Chris
an Union. /