The Trinity times., 1855-05-05


singularly sweet, with something of plain
tive tone, that heightened their effect.
| The first morning that he was heard, was
a joyous one among the young folks of my
household. The long, death like sleep Of
winter was at an end; nature was onee more
awakening; they now promised themselves
the immediate appearance of buds and bios
SONS. | was reminded of the tempest-tossed
crew of Columbus, when. after their long du-
bious voyage, the field-birds came singing
round the ship, though still far at sea, re-
| ioicing them with the belief of the mmedi
ate proximity of land. A sharp return of
winter almost silenced my little songster, and
dashed the hilarity of the household; yet still
he poured forth, now and then, few plain
tive notes, between the frosty pipings Of the
breeze, like gleaps Of sunshine between win
try clouds
/ have consulted my books Of ornithology
in vain, to find out the name of this kindly
little bird, who certainly deserves honor and
favor far beyond his modest pretensions. He
comes like the owly violet, the most unpre-
tending, but welcomest of flowers, breathing
the sweet promise of the early year.
Another Of our feathered visitors, who fol-
low close upon the steps Of winter, is the Pc
wit or Pe-wee, or Ph0be-bir for he is
called by each of these names from fancied
resemblance to the sound Of his monotonous
note lie is q socabe little being, and seeks
the habitation of man. pair of them have
built beneath my porch, and have reared Sc
veral broods there, for two years past, their
nest being never disturbed. They arrive
early in the spring, just when the crccrs and
the snow-drop begin to peep forth. Their
first chirp spreads gadness through the
house. The Phoebe-birds have comel' is
heard on oil sides; they are welcomed back
like members Of the family; and sPeculations
are made upon where they have been, and
! what countries they have seen, during their
long absence Their arrival is the more
cheering, as it is pronounced, by the old
weather-wse people of the country, the sure
sign that the severe frosts are at an end, and
that the gardener may resume his labors with
confidence.
About this time, too, arrives the blue-bird,
so POLITICALLY yet truly described by Wilson.
lls appearance gladdens the whole landscape
You hear his soft warble in every field. lie
sociably approaches your habitation, and takes
up his residence in your vicinity.
The happiest bird Of our spring, however,
and one that rivals the European lark in my
estimation, is the Boblncon, or Boblink, as he
is commonly called. He arrives at that choice
portion of our year, which, in this latitude,
answers to the description of the month of
May, so often given by the poets. With us,
it begins about the middle Of May, and lasts
until nearly the middle of June. Earlier
than this, winter is apt to return on its traces,
and to blight the opening beauties of the
year; and later Than this, begin the parching
and painting, and dissolving heats Of sEmmer
But in this genial interval, nature is in all her
freshness and fragrance: the rains are over
and gone, the flowers appear upon the earth,
the time of the singing Of birds is come, and
the voice Of the turtle is heard in the land
| The trees are now in their fullest foliage and
brightest veydure; the woods are gay with
the clustering flowers of the laurel: the air is
| perfumed by the sweet-briep and the wild
rose; the meadows are enameled with clover
blossoms; while the young apple, the peach,
and the plum, begin to swell, and the cherry
to glow, among the green leaves.
| This is the chosen season Of revelry Of the
! Boblnk. He comes amidst the pomp and
! fragrance Of the season; his life seems all
sensbility and enjoyment, all song and sun
shine. lie is to be found in the soft bosoms
of the freshest and sweetest meadows; and is
most in song, when the clover is in blossom.
| lie perches on the topmost twig o. tree, or
| on some long flaming weed, and as he rises
| and sinks with the breeze, pours forth a sue
cession of rich, tnkling notes; crowding one
upon another like the outpourng melody of
the skylark, and possessing the same raptu-
rous character. Sometimes he pitches from
the summit of a tree, begins his song as soon
as he gets upon the wing, and futters trem-
ulously down 10 the earth, as if overcome
with ecstacy at his own music. Sometimes
| he is in pursuit Of his paramonr; always in
! full song, as if he weuld win her by his mel
ody; and always with the same appearance of
intoxication and delight
OF all the birds Of our groves and meadows,
the Bobnk was the envy of my boyhood.- -
lie crossed my path in the sweetest weather,
and the sweetest season of the year, when all
nature called to the fields, and the rural feel
ing throbbed in every bosom; but when !,
luckless urchinl was doomed to be mewed up.
! during the liyelong day, in that purgatory Of
boyhood, a school-room. 1t seemed as if the
| little varlet Knocked at me, as he flew by in
full song, and sought to taunt me with his
happier lot Oh, how | envied himl No
1 ISoSVhSs HO tlHh' HO Idttlul SCHOOL: DOlillnQ
but holiday, frolic, green fields, and fine wea-
ther. Had been then more versed in poet
ry. | might have addressed him in the words
Of Logan to the cuckoo:
Sweet bird thy bower is ever green.
Thy sky is ever clear;
Thou hast no sorrow in thy note,
No winter in Thy year.
Oh! could | fly, I'd fly with thee;
We'd make, on Joyful wing,
Our annual visit round the globe,
Companions Of the spring!
Further observation and experience have
| gwen me different idea Of this little feath-
cred voluptuary, which will venture, to im-
part, for the benefit Of my school boy readers.
who may regard him with the same unqualj-
he'd envy and admiration which once in
duleed. have shown him only as saw him
at frst in what may call the poetica part
OF his career, when he in a manner devoted
himself to elegant pursuits and enjoyments,
and was a bird OF music, and song, and taste.
and sensibillty, and refinement. while this