Litchfield enquirer., 1851-03-06

good many scholarly tricks, as it seems to me-" I fO, bore making any remarks did not wish to disturb the association ofthe morning. We crossed the streau by bridge, walked mp through tn, broad, smooth, turfy meadows upon tht other side, and on reaching my inn, pressed him to come in and take tea witt me. l did SO. in part from interest ir h;m, and in part because he had men toned, when l aI o!cg zeI fo' using his time in so long walk, that h's o;ly ia- maining daughter was gore out to tea, and Ee did not care to go home and be alone. So we took tea together, after which he proposed waiting upon me 10 the Church of the Holy Cross, where evening services were then commencing The interior of the church was plain; it's age and it's connection with Shakespeare it's only interest to me. l feel greatly obliged to the venerable old man, whose heart seemed guileless, and whose mind was simple. This only acquaintance that l have made in Strattord takes nothing away from the romantic interest of m experience here.
 Monday, Aug. 5, 1950.-As I was sitting this morning after breakfast wri- ting busily, my venerable friend T- came in to bid me good morning, and to bring me relic, a piece of the mulberry tree which stood in Shakspeare's garden but which was cut down by its after own CT, he being much annoyed by relic-hun> ters, and finally he destroyed the house itself. The old man also gave me a snuff box which had been made years and years ago, either from the wood of this same tree, or from one taken rom it.
 One or tVo hours later.-Alas I've Leen out, and among other inquiries, have asked for my old friend T.. ] ind him to be living in the poor-h house At first confess to a little shame al intimacy with pauper, but in moment felt twice as much ashamed that for a moment I had felt the slightest repug- nance toward the old man on this account. l rather believe his story of the tree and tue box to be true-at any rate, have amulberry snuff box which I procured ln Stratford on Avon.
 Among the many things which de, termined to see and near in England were the classic birds, and especially the thrush, the nightingale and the lark after these, l desired to see cuckoos, star liDgs and rocks. While in Birmingham gong about one of the manufactures, was inquiling where might see some ol the frst.named, when the young man who escorted me pointed across the way to cage hanging from 9 second story window, and said, "there's lark p'-- Sure enough--in 8 little cage and stand~ ing upon handful of green grass stood the little fellow, apparently with russet brown wings and lighter col1rcd breast, ash-color. singing away to his own great comfort and mlne. Tie song reminded me, in many of its notes. of the canary bird. In my boyhood, I had innocently supposed that the lark of which l read, when first beginning to read in English books. was our meadow lark; and I often watched in vain to see them rise sing ing into the air ]! And as for singing just beneath '.heaven's gate or the sun, set that down for pure fancy of the poets.
 But q bird in . cage is not half bird i; md determined to hear lark at Strat> ford-upon- Avon, if one could be scared up. Ard 80. early this morning I awoke according to a predetermination, and sallied out through the fields to a beaul- ful range of grounds called Welcome." I watched for birds and saw birds but no lalks. The reapers were already in the wheat fields, and brought to mind tho fable of the lark who had reared her young there. Far over toward the corn, 1 could see black specks of crows walk, ing about, and picking up morsel here and there in the grass, l listened to one very sweet song from a tree near a farm, house, but it was unfamiliar to my ear, and no one was near from whom might inquire. Besides the plain labor- ing people know little about ornithology, and would have told me that < it is some sort of a singing bird,'a if I thought it were goose; and so I said to myself, I've had my labor for my pains Well, ] will enjoy the clouds and the ribbon strips of blue that inte lace them. I must revoke my judgement of the Ea> glish trees. for as 1 stood looking over upon the masses of foliage, and tho sin gle trees dotted in here and there, could see every shade of green, and all of them most beautiful, and as refresh ing to me as an old friend. After stand ing while to take last view from this high ground. of Stratford sons -Avon, and Ihe beautiful slopes around it, and the meadows of Avon, l began to wax home> ward. when l heard such an outb,eak be- hind me, as wheeled me about quick enough; there he flew, singing as he rose, and rising gradually, not directly l up, but with a gentle slope. there was tee free singing lark, not half so happy to |