And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
Soon, o'er thy sheltered nest.

Thou'rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet on my heart
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,
And shall not soon depart.

He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.'"

"I should like to learn that by heart," said Frank; "I like it very
much."

"Come, Mother," said Harry, "what more have you to tell us about
these travellers?"

"Not much, Harry. The martin is such a universal favorite that
Wilson says he never knew but one man that did not like them and
treat them kindly. Wherever they, go, they find some hospitable
retreat prepared for their reception. Some people have large
habitations formed for the martins, fitted up with a variety of
apartments and conveniences; these houses are regularly occupied
every spring, and the same individual birds have been known to
return to the same box for many successive years.