New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-01
The Death-Bed Of : Lion.

Every one may not be scientific; but every one
may at least be close observer of nature animate
and nature inanimate. II plain people, with good
eyes and open hearts, would but keep note book
for their original observations, and iot down in few
words the simple facts of life among Gods lower
creatures, the great men OF the day would always
have good store Of fine materials to dehi with:
The philosopher would stand at ease on tile grand
platform or truth, and build with stones readily
hewn to his hand, instead of having to send his
thoughts wide over the land in search 6f straw
wherewith to make bricks for the house Of his wis
dom, or perhaps to gather OILERS for the wattled
wigwam of nomadic theory. ss.5 ~
q Do animals understand what death is Do
they recognize its coming signss !, asks Ehe amin
acquaintance, .you never see animals apprehend-
ing the meaning Of DEATH Very well, then here
ia a fact:
The writer once strayed into q menageFie in the
north of England, which had camped for a day or
two in a little mountain metropolis. A large
elderly lion was making an involuntary tour Of the
country in company with his wife and aihe family
of young people. Whatan insult to put the desert
| monarch into such vulgar, clap-trap travelling
| carriage as this! The name caravan may sound
fine enough out the painless sands but here it
| and red and yellow paint. No group Of palm-trees
here ; yet the caravan stops, and the camp ID
| pitched in the form of hollow square, amidst
much desert talk, loud r0ars of satisfaction growl
ing comment, or shrill protest.
One does not know what it all mean$-forefgH
tongues all of them. But one may guess at tho
subjects under remark; for great numbering bones
are sorely aching with jolting over rough roads;
| long limbs are tired of being eramped ID narrow
cells; soft sides are bruised with humping over the
stones of civilized travel; the Bajazets of the
/ wilderness are chatting within their bars strength
and ferocty are fermenting for want of space; and
the dinner.hour has long ago passed away without
the dinner True, there are strong signs of supper
in one of the carriages, whose little pipe Of chin.
ney has been smoking all day, but which i fierce
now. There is an aggravating aifiatus OF frying
bacon pervading the place; and women in jackets,
short ounced dresses, and laced leather boots are
clattering amongst tea-cups; whilst bold children,
with unkempt hair, are talking low travelled wit to
the gaping boys and girls who surround the step
ladder which acts as stair case to the loffy door
/ platform is now thrown out from the front Of
the square; prodigious portraits Of impossible
monsters are unrolled and affixed; and As il stimu-
i lated by the unheard-ot dangers with which they
threaten society, crowds are daring enough to
mount the steps. We slip, with vague feeling Of
awe, behind the arras, and look around. An ele-
phant, with hill Of dun colored forehead, and
with legs like pillars of Hercules, is sWaying hi
significant trunk this way and that overs stoekads
of bars. But what is the matter with that grani
old lion? He is in pain; surely he y in pain. Hi
breathing is short, and is drawn with effort; hi
nostrils are spread wide, lips drawn back, and thu
great shaggy chest heayes uneasily. Tie is suffer
the keen air of the north. He is coa4chaist bu
, now he lifts his head high, and looks round an
round the show into the hundred faces Of that ul
feeling crowd as if searching for sympathy.
< But no tlley chun0t redu HIS eye W mutt ai
$ peal j; he is nothing to them but Q great, taMnl
. lion, with ashaggy name and tufted tall Sudtleni|
he himself up to his full stature throws naca
:. = his grand head, utters tremendous fesers Ioar
" and falls down heavily on his side-daad peaa
1t but with an imperial gesture such - essss aae
,e he fell. s -.
Q and stately turns up and down the dsa-a ven
Inno in her gate and In her temper, to- But sht
" stons. looks nquiringy at the presefate figure
= draws nearer bends her head with an ANXIOUS, be
70 yrdered look and them as at last Feeeiyins III
le raaf idea she throws herself down nNen the dea
u monarch with great abandonment. Presently ~
comes the heir; crown prince be was-he Is tn
!, Young king now. He stops short, in fercs
u brusque attitude, spreads his nostrils flashes h
le eyes and snorts aloud. That was p long an
searching gaze, truly, But at last Die, too, fling
% himself down, with great sounding IoR, upon U
!, dead body Of the old lion. Up comes the costs
u looking Keeper, and fogs away the widow and u
t. son. But they watch their opportunity, and sta
e forward again, and throw themselves dowR IN 4
, same attitude Of grief. Again the hatssNl viii
: and again they spring to the further end of {
20 room, with q short, impatient roar Three I'm
did this take place, and three times dl they reu
I'd to the same position, abandoning mselyes 10
s same eloquent symbols of grief. Net many 9
- say that they have been present at the death.
sT, Of a lion; and never can The scene, so taaehi
le, and yet SO grand, be fcsgolten BY the writer