The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-31
THE LIFE OF THE EAGLE

I PERCH on a tan tree. standing
~ higher than its fellows on some
rugged hill or mountainside. with all his
surroundings-trees,r rocks and waters
expressing majesty and strength-with
all his chosen environment in perfect
harmony with the spirit OF the bird. the
eagle seems eminenuy worthy of all
the henor given to him by the ancients
and OF being exalted above all feath-
cred. creatures. His chosen perch. the
tree on which he rests. is an expression
Of his staunch. incorporating nature.
From his high watch tower there,
what wonders does he see, The max
ing Of each new day-and it's passing:
and the great mountains with their
UpthrUst peaks and their quiet val
lsys between. changing with the sue
cessf-e seasons and with every passing
mood Of the sky. No long hours Of
lsborious toiling up q painless noun
tain side for him that he may view a
scene Of grandeur. such views as NOR
tails are permitted to see but once or
twice n a lifetime-perhaps neyer-are
spread out before him always. He
. sees the dawn rising from the purpled
east and striking every cloud with
gold and crimson and rosy purple, while
the waters below multiply their lights
and coloSs until the whole world is
sufused and aglow. AT MONDAY he
gazes with unfinching eyes at a scorch-
ing sun under whose glance the grasses
bntH and curl up on the plains below,
and later IN the day he sees thu watch
fres lighted in the evening sky; and
when these burn low and darkness
closes in. he sees the forests Of pine as
"a green bloom on the bronze noun
tsins-like the purple bloom on the
gradually sink into their dark
back ground. leaving them black and
sornher-then the mountains themselves
sink into and become part of the
darkness.
Again he sees the life going out of
the living clouds as the sunlight leaves
them-their rose and pale gold and
amethyst lights purpling and craving
till they are deadened and darksome
as the mountains beneath them. And
when the clouds have grown heavy
and the storm gathers. when the fierce
lightning darts about among the cleft
peaks in the distance, when, as il
comes nearer great trees bend TO the
blast or are 1prooted by its force, when
all living creatures in the compare
lively safe valleys below are filed with
terror-rabbits covering in their bur-
rows fieldnaice seeking home shelter
the owl perching close TO the trunk
g q her hometree, and the Woodpecker
scarcely daring 10 peep from her. hole
the eagle shows no fear. Facing the
storm on his solitary bough, by the
Mapping Of his great wings. he shows
his enjoyment in the warfare of the
elements. The fierce heart of the
eagle is made glad as he defiantly faces
the storm
Compared with this, what, 10 him
were the conflicts of men at the head
of whose armies he was borne in the
years that are gone?
When he chooses to leave his lofty
perch, one stroke of his mighty wings
carries him far into the air. and he
mounts to heights far beyond mortal
vision. IN ever narrowing spirals till
he seems to disappear in the sun itself
When again he is seen, seemingly
motionless wings are bearing him
along. far above the highest peaks
and beyond the mountains. where a
different world lies beneath him
broad valleys veined by streams that
seem but curved and bent threads of
silver, viewed Glstantly-and plains
whose windswept grasses are like the
smooth waves on the surface of the