The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-08-05


ration.
My mother, said he, cannot remem-
ber. She died a year after my birth. and
my father six years later, leaving me an
orphan in the care of strangers. The lot
of an orphan was to me q hard one, but
mainly because was unlike all my play
mates ! had no father TO instruct me
no mother to press me to her maternal
breast. This privation rendered my heart
necessarily sore. Silently ] wept over
my woes, and short as had been my past
life, expatialed in it with inexprcssible
delight, as if it had been a PARADISE
Every feeling in my soul was transformed
into sad and soothing tenderness.
BY those who knew me | was neither
loved or hated. was lonely, and settin 9
little value upon those who surrounded
me, | was considered an unsocial dream
er. In the summer | wished for winter,
because its solitude appeared more con
genial to my melancholy. In the winter
| longed for spring in order to find com
panions.
When ! had completed the twelfth year
ot my age, and on the identical morning
of my birthday, | was reclined under the
high pear-tree III my fathers garden,
where | lay in half-slumbering state,
Once more was my heart tortured with
longing dreams Tears pressed them
selves through my closed eyelids. l
gazed upwards, and through my gush
ing tears, and through the green wilder
ness of branches | looked into the blue
heavens above.
g Alasl" sighed l, in the whole
wide world am all alone. No one knows
me, and no one loves me And yet |
fceithat am not wicked. Am |, then,
relaiad TO nothing. Has nothing ever
yet loved me 30
Again | closed my eyes. The cold
tears poured over my hot cheeks. Ny
ardent desire was to die. AT this instant
| perceived that little bird had perched
on my chin, and with tender playfulncss
was pecking against my lips with its bill.
was startled, and as opened my eyes,
the little creature took to flight. imme-
dialely rose up. The birS>sat in the tree
above me, and appeared as if it watched
me with the greatest attention. | would
have given any thing to make him mine,
and vainly did | endeavor to allure and
enlice him. He did not fly any farther
off, but neither did he approach any near
err | scattered about for him all the
crumbs | could collect in my pockets.-
He then alighted timidly down and pick
ed up few, whiis ho regarded me as il
he wished to give me thanks. But when
| made the slightest movement he flew
away.
"Oh, little bird, dear little bird - ex-
exclaimed |, as weeping | stretched my
arms upwards to the tree where he had
flown, q am not cruel, that you need
fear me | will truly love you and feed
you, and no one shall do you any injury"
So did | say, though too sensibly was
[ conscious the little creature could not
understand my prayer. Yet he gazed
upon me as il he eemprehended my Ian
guage, and hoppe3from one branch to
another-he looked intently upon me
he fitted down from the tree to me he
perched upon my arm ! In what words
could | express my delight? 1t was in
describable! Our joys are greater than
our pains for the first make us forget
ourselves, while the last always leave us
enough selfshness to bemoan and won
der at our fate. Therefore is our recol-
lection SO short for our joys, and our
wemory so long for our sorrows.
showed all the household my beauti-
full captive, though captive, indeed, |
could not call him, for voluntarily had
the little creature given himself to me.
l carried it to my own room. There |
kissed it a thousand times-there | fed il
there | let it freely fly about wherever
it would. | seemed to be in heaven. |
was more studious in school, more amia-
BILE at home, more joyful among my com
panions. They all came to view my
bird, to wonder at its tameness, to admire
its fearlessness, and witness its love and
fidelity to myself.
Every morning my little friend awak'
ened me with his song. l then left my
bed, and he flew to me, and picked the
bird seed gave him from my hand
When | sat down TO prepare my lessons
for school, he hoped sociably on my
table, on my shoulder and about my
chamber Notwithstanding the open
window, he remained faithful to me-
Sometimes he would fly out, but soon
returned chirping back.
Do not smile at the great pleasure
take in narrating these trifiing incidents.
They belong to the most beautiful dreams
of my youth, and are the delightful
scenes which the God of dreams often re-
news before my sleeping vision.
The little creature died after year and
a half of friendship and devotion. A few
days previous to his death, he lost his
sprightliness and his desire for enjoy
ment. 1t tluttered about the room nc
longer, but sat sorrowfully in its place,
or by great exertion attained my should,
er. AT last it became SO weak that il
could not reach that. l held il in my
hand-I fondled it in my bosom. When
wept and held it lovingly before me, il
regarded me with its litle eyes, as if il
was sensible that our separation was near
at hand, and as if it wished to thank me