The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-29

anu Cne evening sun, DnJ nau not
seen him, because his golden dress,
hecked here and there, where the
shadows fell upon it, with greenish
shade, had given him the appearance
of being a part of the foliage. In.
deed, as l watched him and saw his
little throat swell in the exuberance
of song, | almost thought him an
animated leaf praising the creator.
| had heard goldfinches sing be-
fore, but never one like this. It
seemed to me that he was giving the
world a new musical composition;
but | presume it was only his old
song elaborated or sung with more
intensity of feeling. However that
may be, it is certain that motive
| after song-each succeeding one
more powerful than that which pre-
ceded it-swelled forth from his tiny
throat. For full ten minutes it
seemed to mel did not time him
he poured out one continuous flow of
song; not cold harsh one in which
technicalities absorbed the singers
attention; but one in which joy, love
| may almost say reverence, mingled
and formed the creative force. Those
who say birds have no soul should
have listened to that song. So
thoroughly was this birds soul-for
| am sure he had one-so thoroughly,
say, was it wrapped up in the har-
mony of sound and the spirit of
beauty, which was the inspiration of
his melody, that he was not conscious
of anything except the song he was
singing. | almost feel that, could he
have talked, he might have asked
after finishing what the little child
some times asks after its visit to
dream land, "Was in heaven7"
But the truth is, the song was never
finished. He had nearly reached the
climax and was trilling away on his
crescendo, and was wondering if his
vocal organs could bear the strain of
those last sharp, clear, ringing notes
of the finale, which was sure to toll
low, when all at once he suddenly
stopped. Something discordant had
drifted in upon his melody. That
was the cause of the unexpected
break.
The goldfnch and l both looked to
see whence came those unharmonious
strains. 1t did not take us long to
find out; for there, in full view, on
the bare bough of the next oak sat a
poor, homely English sparrow doing
his very best to pour out his soul in
music too. As soon as the goldfinch
saw the strained effort his kinsman
was making to sing, and detected the
lack of sweet voice and the want of
fine ear for harmony, he pitied his
cousin and tried to go on with his
own lay as if nothing had happened;
but with the shrill voice of the spar
row stinging his ears he could not do
it. He sang only few weak notes
in a manner that showed that all in
spiration was gone and then few
away.
But the English sparrow still sat
there marring the vesper hour with
his loud, harsh song. AS l lis
tened to him, l noticed that his
voice displayed one quality, volume
of tone, which might, had it been
combined with other pleasing re-
quisites, have distinguished him as
a fine vocalist. | also noticed that
he exercised this one talent-he had
not hidden it in napkin-to its full
est capacity in his effort to express
the strong feelings which were stir
ring him. "Poor bird, thought l,
"if there is little music in your voice,
there is certainly much in your SOUL"
What spirit had prompted this
busy, quarrelsome bird to throw aside
household cares, to separate himself
from all his fellows, to perch himself
upon that bare bough so near the
goldfinch, whose song he either wit
tingly or unwittingly spoiled, and
to try to warble as if he were a
professional singer? What spirit, l
say, prompted him to do all this
was more than l could readily
understand. At first l thought
that, having been piqued by the
silent praise, which his friends were
bestowing upon the goldfnch, he had
stepped forth to show those feath-
cred listeners, sitting about in
screened boxes, that he with his pow
erful voice, could completely outdo
his fair cousin if his tried; but a
second thought made me blush to
think that l had so readily assigned
the evil incentives of rivalry and
vanity to the sparrow's earnest effort.
He. as we'll as the other birds, had