The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02
THE BROWN R U

That's the wise thrush-he sings each
song twice over
Lest you should think he never could re-
capture
The first fine careless RAPTURE
If thou wouldst be in tune with spring,
know the brown thrush. Be the bluebird
springs gentle harbinger, verify is the
brown thrush her impetuous trumpeter. If
the bluebird is a floating bit of fallen sky
waited earthward, then is the brown thrush
a soaring handful of radiant red soil. What
more likely, when his joyous tones first
come to us in late March some early morn
ing when the plowman breaks his way
across the rugged field? Who but he should
Iberate the brown thrush from winters
bondage? Released from languishing in
Pluto's dark realms, the thrush follows
closely upon P~roserpina's fleet footsteps
and bursts into ecstacy of song. Surely in
that strain the gorgeous flower of the erst-
while dead pomegranate blossoms into
melody!
The brown thrush is extremely good to
look at. That he comes to US in numbers
almost equal to the catbirds hardly seems
TO detract from the interest his appearance
eXcites. AS he forages upon the ground
his long rufous hack melts into harmony
with the upturned clods. His lengthy,
dropping tail is evidently an object of great
pride. and his habit of switching it from
side to side has won him the undignihed
name of "~thrashcr." The shade of that
red-brown back makes il %singularly appro-
pirate that his creamy breast should be
heavily freckled with velvety brown ar
rows, which run into chains at his sides.
His wings are crossed with two dainty
white bars. The throat is Well shaded by
his long sickle bin and is free of spots. His
amber eyes hold clearest depths Of yellow,
but it is not until he uncloses his long bill
that you know him TO be the poet of the
spring.
Then, perhaps in early morning. from the
top of some tree overlooking the path of
the pillow. and excited. barking dogs rum
ming alongside the patient pair of horses, he
thrills the air with a very resurrection of
song. Whence lie sings his yellow eyes may
note again the beautiful verdure which has
sprung into life beneath Proserpina's light
tread, and he paints his JOY upon the air.
He voices the morning breeze with rapture
pictures the boar frost. still silvering the
grass, which the delicate lavender sunrise
will anon transform into sparkling gems,
the measureless blue oc the sky, the burst
ing pink blossoms of the peach trees. the
tiny leaflets already greening the lilacs and
syringa bushes. the soft song of the dane
ing rivulet-alI these and numDer1ess other
tidiags live again in his rare tones. Ma
bel Csgood Wright has well termed his song.
"ekultant. and the listener can but par
take in his exultation. He is an enthusiast
i'm temperament and pours out unstinted
measure of melody. II disturbed, after a
full hours rapid execution, he will fly to
another treetop, hmging back "A few final
notes while on the wing. Thomas Went
worth uigginson is among his warm ad-
mirers and says: Il recall the steep, bare
hillside and the two great powders which
guard the lonely grove whereeI first fully
learned the wonder Of his lay, as if i had
met Saint Cecilia there. . . 3 Every note
of wood or field appears 10 pass in yelled
procession through mis- song Listen while
you may. for with June his period OF To-
quacity often ceases ana he is henceforth
sedate and silent until comes another
s~pringtime 10 rccreate the poet.
Arrived on March Is, by April l6 he and
his mate are building or does Ire but look
on From a row of some dozen venerable
japonica bushes close by the stream they
finally select one near the far end, after
twice pretending to build IN others. The
nest IS set deeD in the center Of the hush