The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-27

trees until he goes to sleep again, the
lullaby is one that may not be found
elsewhere. Chapel Hill is the paradise
of birds. They are everywhere, they
I'LL the landscape, and mOnOpolize the
sounds of life. From the deeper woods
the thrushes tinkle to the ear, hun
dreds of them, like rock spring gurgles;
some lordly hooking bird takes UP the
leading strain; bob-o-links come in for
brief spaces of prominence in the
changes of the motif; cat-birds, red
birds, warblers, finches, grosbeaks,
tree-sparrows, pe-wees, gnat catchers
all aud their little parts. The wine
of life is outside the window, but it
is life that is not afraid, that is at
peace with itself and with you. that
is singing to the good red sun in the
fellowship OF another day from which
no harm can come.
| believe / said it was Friday morn
ing. On all the other mornings in
the week, the birds are the prima
donnas doing their preliminary solos
and the chorus working up the ITEM
perature' for the acting that is to &C"
company the Wagner concert, which,
is sure to follow. You are aware how
that great orchestra SobS and means and
cries and begS and rejoices and deS-
pairs during the whole performance;
you remember how amid a perfect
heaven of sound you arc sitting in
your chair while your astral body
floats away on the wings of the melody
and-suddenly-still to the undertone
of the music that reigns between the
pshereS how there comes the crash
of deep voice, dark and mcnacing,
the scream of a woman in pain, the
Shrek of the devil in the heart of ma
ture as it wrenCheS out the passions
by the roots and waves them like a
bloody scalp before your eyes; and,
then, the orchestra sobs again with a
sadness beyond expression and yet with
| smiling lure running through the
strain that seems to say hard but
brief; It's better So On Mondays,
tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays, the Jay-birds
do the Wagner They are impassion-
I'd actors They bring the world. the
screaming, tearing, squabblinS world
into the heaven Of sound. 1t is a
good reminder OF things one has left
behind, a fine artistic climax-but it
is not restful to listen to. 1t is 50
much easier to be happy when one is
permitted to forget But the Jay does
his part Convincingly. True, there
s a heaven one thinks on a Chapel
Hill morning, but also there is a hell
The bird opera is conducive to an
old time orthodoxy. On Fridays. how
y
1ay--the Heaven is pure and undefiled.
Inetcad of Wagner it is Mozart.
On this particular morning, how
ever, it was still Wagner-nOt so
strong but unmistakable. There was
4 solitary actor | knew him person
ally He was q jay with a red spot
on the side of his head. Perhaps his
mother had looked at g. wood-pecker.
Otherwise he was a Jay of Jays and
a leader in the flock. Unaesisted he
did very well with his Wagner but
what was he doing in Chapel Hill on
Friday? it was a mystery worth sac
rificc to solve. hate Seton-Thompson
n Thompson-Siton Thomas
Siphon-Whatever he is Variously call
ed but l read him through. BY morn
ing / had learned to the dregs what II
is to be a Jaw. | lay awake all night
rehearsing. In the morning came re-
ward.
Any one who has read Innnocents
Abroad will remember the story of
the Jay who tried to fill up a house
with acorns dropped through a knot
hole. But Mark Twain, being a hui
mourist. dwelt only upon one or two
of the superficialities of this remark
able. bird, his persistency and his pro-
family True, a Jay is always profane
when he is excited-and there is al
ways a scandal in his family. He is
plain-spoken bird when his temper
is up-and he is generally hot Like
all high tempered tribes he is intoler-
ant to u degree, yet in a way he is
both a democrat and an anarchist By
this | mean that he is fond of discus
sion and impatient of a verdict Any
matter, either of pith or triviality is
at once the summons to a congress of
the whole Jay community, women in
cluded. But this show of fair play is
rotten at the core. Nothing is ever
decided for the reason that by no
chance are two votes ever of the same
Dattern. Each Jay has his own in
fallible remedy and his personal iron
bound theory. Not being bashful and
knowing he is right he goes ahead
The result is something to weep over.
In comparison to a tree full Of Jays in
executive session, q "festibul' when
the knives come out is a model of
dignity Beside it a progressive
euchrc part" is as the silence of the
night, A discussion as to whether
Gaby should feed on Cow or Ma at q
meeting of the Mothers Directing De-
aartment Of the Amalgamated Asso
iatton of Maiden Aunts is TO JAY
o'rd disagreement as tho sharpening
e slate Mcneil to p steel file in a
foundry. The Jay talks. And what
he saws he means. He has no di-
plomacy. His is a craftsmanship
which will not brook difference.
There is nothing of the star chamber
about his deliberations. either. 1t is
not a question of letting the world
into confidence. If the world does not
care to hear. it can sink itself in the
sea. Each Jay-bird knows that he
knows an entirely new thing and he