Birds and All Nature, Vol. V, No 5, May 1899

<h2><SPAN name="THE_PREACHER-BIRD" id="THE_PREACHER-BIRD"></SPAN>THE PREACHER-BIRD.<br/> <span class="xx-smaller"><span style="font-weight:lighter;"> (Red-eyed Vireo.)</span></span></h2> <p class="ac">JENNY TERRILL RUPRECHT.</p> <p>LISTEN near a grove of elms or maples and you will not fail to hear its song, a some what broken, rambling recitative, which no one has so well described as Wilson Flagg, who calls this bird the preacher, and interprets its notes as "<i>You see it! You know it! Do you hear me? Do you believe it?</i>"&mdash;<i>Chapman's Bird-Life.</i></p> <div class="poetry-container"> <div class="poetry"> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">Apostle of the grove across the way,</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Surpliced in color of the foliage,</div> <div class="verse">I list enchanted to thy sermon-lay,</div> <div class="verse indent-2">As if it were the wisdom of a sage;</div> <div class="verse">"<i>You see it! You know it! Do you hear me? Do you believe it?</i>"</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Ah! thou wouldst quicken memory to-day.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">Nor morning's chill, nor noon-tide's languorous heat,</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Doth hold thy voice in thrall, O, preacher fair;</div> <div class="verse">Perched on the greenest bough, thy message sweet</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Thou pourest out upon the vibrant air,</div> <div class="verse">"<i>You see it! You know it! Do you hear me? Do you believe it?</i>"</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Over and over in a swift repeat.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">Apostle of the grove! Thy song divine</div> <div class="verse indent-2">The God of Nature gave thee note by note,</div> <div class="verse">To gladder, fuller make the message thine,</div> <div class="verse">Rippling in beauty from thy dainty throat.</div> <div class="verse">"<i>You see it! You know it! Do you hear me? Do you believe it?</i>"</div> <div class="verse indent-2">Would that apostleship so sweet were mine!</div> </div></div> </div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</SPAN></span></p> <table class="sp2 mc w50" title="CEDAR WAXWING." summary="CEDAR WAXWING."> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span class="ac w100 figcenter"> <SPAN name="i_008.jpg" id="i_008.jpg"> <ANTIMG style="width:100%" src="images/i_008.jpg" width="445" height="600" alt="" /></SPAN></span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xx-smaller ac w30">FROM COL. F. M. WOODRUFF.</td> <td class="x-smaller ac w40">CEDAR WAXWING.<br/> 5/7 Life-size.</td> <td class="xx-smaller ac w30">COPYRIGHT 1899,<br/> NATURE STUDY PUB. CO., CHICAGO.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr class="chap" /> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</SPAN></span></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />