New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-28
Weh 0rlsans Bully Gresttnt.
Lulu's Bird.
BY THE AUTHOR OF" Ng1GHBoR lakewood

Y THE AUTHOR OF" NgIGHBoR lakewood"
All, would knew what grove fir,
Or odorous wood distilling myrrh,
Gave birth to Lulu's messenger
One dewy dawn, when spring was sweet,
hysteriously from its retreat
It flew, and f1uttered at her feet.
Methinks, arising to unwrap
Her luminous limbs, by some mishap
Aurora shook it from her lap:
And her caresses had impressed
Into the plumage Of its breast
The flame-tints of her gorgeous vest.
It wore a ribbon thin and blue
And Lulu found, attached thereto
An arrow, ring and billet-doux.
She opened the missive in the light,
And read upon the tablet white,
Love" traced in golden letters bright.
Her pulse leaped with sweet surprise,
Her dewy lips breathed happy signs,
And modest lashes yelled her eyes.
She kissed the birdlings glossy crest
1t Good and trembled on her breast
Her breathing rocked it into rest.
1t waked-it few-she thrilled to see
Its glad wings glancing, swift and free.
From flower to flower, from tree to tree.
And Lulus ear had never heard
Such warbled joy as that which stirred
The burning bosom of the bird.
AT eve it sought no distant nest,
But with its Graded wings caressed
The snowy pillows of her breast.
Yet when its throbbing throat had crept
Close to her heart, and Lulu slept
She drpamd twas U0ne and wakinp went.
She leashed it with silken chain,
And when at morn it sought the plain
She gently drew it back again.
And in their white and dainty vice,
I saw her fingers twice or thrice
So press that Bird of Paradise,
That pierced with pain it seemed to cringe,
And sickly grew the rosy tinge.
That dyed its bosom's downy fringe.
Then, fearfully, its silver-tipped
And rainbow.colored wings she clipped,
Till drops of blood distilled and dripped.
And still suspicious Of its fight,
She Gagged it close from others sight,
And kept it prisoner day and night.
But when, one morn, CHANGED to pass
That way, l saw the bird, alas
Lie dead upon the dewy grass.
will not stain this snowy page
To picture with what jealous rage
She shook it from the fatal cage;
Or with what frantic grief she viewed
Its filmy eyes, its leaden hued
And RULED feathers, blood imbued.
Yet, when with passionate hand she spurned
The faded thing-its life returned .
Its pinions grew-its bosom burned,
And through her fingers, when she skipped
To stay its flight, its silver.tipped
And rainbow-tinted plumage slipped.
She beat her breast she sent no lack
Of signs and cries upon its track
But all in vain, it came not back.
1t left her evermore distressed,
And flew to find a kindlier nest,
And made a lovlier lady blest.
Fair reader, whosoeer thou art,
prithee let this tale impart
Its simple lesson to thy heart.
If ever, in a happy hour,
The bird of love should seek thy bower,
And place its being in thy power
Oh! use it gently and forbear
To set thy hands with jealous care
To cage or clip its pinions rare.
But joyously from tree to tree
Still let it range, and thou shalt see
Twill evermore fly home to thee.
And day and night its spirit bright
Shall cheer thee, and its heavenward fight
Shall lift thee up on wings of light.
For love leaves heaven that we may learn
Angelic natures to discern
And follow-when it doth return.