The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-10-24

birds, the hum OF the early busy bee, the dis
tant cock-crow, the pleasant air laden with the
perfume Of the honeysuckle, the glad water, the
bright sunbeam, the gentle motion Of the boat
full health, the pleasant eyes of my trusty old
servant and friend beaming with delight, the
quick yelp of the schoolboy's rabbit dog, the
lowing cattle, the green moss the dark foliage,
the skim and dip of the quick-wingcd swallow,
the straght-fying crow, the screaming fish-hawk
poised high in the air, the mournful but sweet
sound from the lofty pine yielding her sigh to
the breeze the happy little green frog sitting
cunningly on his tussock, all and everything
around conspire to render me happy, and TO
/ thank kind Providence for the anglers pleasure
and contentment
A man once said that an angler was rod with
afool at one end and worm at the other. Had
that man been with me, with heart to be thank
ful for the good gifts of God to us, and the eye
to admire Natures beauty, and an car to appre-
cate its music, he never could have uttered a
sentiment to which Cotton, Walton, Wilson,
Davy, Webster, and ten thousand others have
given the lie The tiny sparrow can see no
pleasure in the upward soar Of the king eagle,
who bathcs his plumes in sunbcams-away up
above and beyond the vision OF earth. The
heavy ploddng matter-offact man, with the soul
Of a picayune, sneers at the poets glance ''lrom
earth to Heaven" or goes to sleep under the ell
oquence of the orator, whose soul-stirring elo-
quence and enthusiasm siirs, enchants, enchans,
and conyinccs. The best man is he who can
see, and hear, and feel the beauties of Nature,
and who sincerely thanks bis God that he has
given his kind mercies, and with them capac-
ity TO perceive and enjoy them. Bah ye creep
ing, crawling pestlences.
But slowly we make headway. tbs our plan
in angling to take all things quietly, gently, and
without noise. We pass by tall stump-the
remnant of lofty cypress-reposing with its
moss-green covering on the water and which
some rude blast had, years ago, blown down.
We well remember some two years ago little
incdeut connected with il.
1t was on Saturday. Business had called
us to the neighborhood of the pond, and by way
of ''killing two birds with one stone" we took
our servant and rod to fish as soon as we had
completed our business. We had poor luck"
The pond was filled with school-boys, factory
hands, laborers, and free negroes, for Saturday
in the South is sort Of idle day. We were
just behind a boat in which We're three boys, ono
of whom had gun. On the top Of this stump
was a male blackbird, with shining dark plu-
mage and red epaulees, calling out in his pecu-
liar note when wanting his mate The gun is
raised, and at the report the bird lies dead upon
the water. The echo Of The report had scarcely
died away, before ;lic mate, with an insect in her
beak, perched on the same stump, ard in 4 mo-
mc..t she TOO was IN tie st,iinoss oi dgaCn. The
two barrels had left the little ones to PERISH
The Toys padded up, took their birds, and glec-
fully let the pond Curiosity induced nc TO
go to the stump, and there we found two little
fellows with open mouths, but snug and com
Portable, awaiting their parents tender care.
Now, what shall we do with them? five leave
them here they will perish. If we Try to take
them home they will de, they are so young, and
how if we could, shall We raise them? Let us
see, Poor little ones you have to die anyhow.
SO we, to relieve their sulerngs quickly, took
one of the little orphans and somehow, almost
without thought, and we know without premed-
itation, tied him on our hook, his wings, scarce
ly pin-fcathcred, expanded on the wavclets rising
to a gentle breeze. 4 jack of good size happen
ed to be sauntcring along, and being cndued
with the murderous sport Of the schoolboys,
took it into his head TO take into his mouth the
orphan bird. Whereupon after pretty smart
resistance on his part, we, by way of releasing
him from the pain of the work, took him into
the boat from thence into the basket, from
whence he was taken into the frying-pan.
Feeling it would be an act of cruelty to let
the other little fellow remain without father,
mother, sister, or brother with "none topity or
to save" we placed him tenderly in the same
situation as that of his little brother. II is true
I'VE tell the fact,) his little chirp, as with out
stretched wings he attempted to avoid his fate,
was fast going to my heart, and one more mo-
ment would have found him in nay bosom TO
warm off the chill he must have received from
the water, when the wcll-known wave, the quick
plunge, and the electric jar stirred up the
anglers mettle for conflict of skill and fight Of
rapture, down went the rod and my arm to the
elbow, under the boat dashed my adversary,
breaking the rod. We catch it as il passes the
other side. Straight out was the line and fish,
A sudden jerk, and we thought all was over.
But no. The tackle was strong, and an o.
Shaugnessy Limerick hook was well lashcd on
''Paddle up, old man, paddle up"
1t is done in an instant The fish struggles
and pulls and lashes the water. The scales and
drops of water that fall glisten like diamonds in
sunbeam: He can get no relief lie fights
calamity for his life, so calamity, that if we
could have found il in our heart to DO SO, we
would have rejoiced in his escape; and now,
without effort, the tip is raised, and on the sur
face floats glorious sight-a fish that an angler
gloats over-plump, fat, beautiful, strong, and
I large-large "a ninc-Pounder. A joyful mon
osyllabic escapes my good old servant, as with
/ the same care that he would the infant smiling
in innocent dreaming, he lays him down in the
boat by the side of the jack.
These things bring warning to all, that re-
tribuiive justice follows those who cruelty use