The Lancaster Gazette

Enchanted Canary Birds.—We haven't heard of a prettier piece of pathos in a long time than the burning of the great aviary at the fire in Williamsburg on Saturday evening. The aviary contained 800 Canary Birds, and as fast as they were set free they darted straight into the air, but, 'fascinated by the glare of the flames, hovered above them and one by one dropped into and were consumed by them.' The appearance of these golden-winged creatures, their pale plumage lighted up by the intense glare of the red flames, poised motionless above the conflagration, or darting swiftly, like thought, in the vain endeavor to escape the spell that must destroy them, was full of poetic interest, as well as a thrilling sadness. In the divine language of Swedenborg, birds correspond to thoughts, and the general resemblances which suggest themselves immediately, give strong coloring of rationality to this beautiful analogy. As we saw these birds wheeling about the vast sea of burning air that lay beneath, or lying helpless or palpitating upon its surface, we thought of the myriads of bright human intellects which, caught in the suffocating atmosphere and dazzled by the burning flames of passion, gleam for an instant in the lurid light, and dart downward to quick destruction.—N. Y. Tribune.