The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-01-07
THE FLIGHT OF THE OLD GRAY
EAGLE


FABLE, BY JOHN H. YATES.
A seHooL-BoY read in his reader new
OF the wonderful things the eagles do:
How they circle around in the azure sky
Until lost to view by the naked eve.
Then fall like fash on the helpless prey
And bear the struggling victim away
To their hungry young in the rock bound nest
O'erhanging the foam OF the oceans breast.
The eagle he knew was a national bird
That patriots heart was deeply stirred
When he saw but gilded eagle stand
Ger the stars and stripes of his native land.
The school-boy read and pondered long
On the wonderful bird with wings strong;
He read till bright light shone in his eye,
And a wish sprang up in his boyish heart
To cage this bird Of the bouadess sky
And thus small menagerie start.
Then he sighed when he thought this could not
be:
For far from his home the cliffs so grand
Where the eagles nest hung over the sea
An hundred feet from the wave-washed sand
Snowman came TO the town one day
With all his cages in grand array;
He pitched his tent on the village green,
Which soon presented lively scene.
The bows came ont like q swarm Of bees
They covered the fences and filed the trees;
They played at tag round the Snowman 9
tent,
And-strange TO say it-soIne of them went
Under the canvas and took seat,
And sat with countenance bland and sweet
As though they had paid quarter or more
To enter the tent by the canvas door.
Our hero came to the village green
To see what the Snowman had to be seen;
He paid his money-an honest boy
And entered the show with boundless JOY.
Past cage after cage he strolled along,
From nimble monkeys TO lioa strong.
Until he arrived and made a stop
At what they had named - Curiosity Shop"
There his eyes beheld some wonderful things,
Among them pair of eagles wings.
A sudden de sire possessed his heart
To purchase the wings ere he should depart;
And buy them he did, at not great price,
And started for home, feeling wonderful nice.
Now his good mother owned an old gray goose
She had seen her share of the worlds abuse;
For the boys from school would stone her with
And the neighboring women would thrash her
bones.
And cry in a rage of what Earthly use
Is old Mother Hui Yards old gray goose,''
When John got home with his eagles wings
He stole TO the drawer and stole some strings
And ball of his mothers good strong yarn;
Then catching the goose near the old red barn,
He mounted the ridge, and holding tight,
He bound on the monster wings OF flight.
OH beautiful sight that met mis- eyes!
Above his head were the azure skies,
And far to the westward the waters bright
OF the mill-pond fell on his e'sddened sight.
" Ha! hal cried John, "rve an eagle nowi
Thro' the waves Of the azure sea she II pow;
Now I'll see what ism I in my new book
transit Of Venus on my own hook
Thus saving he swung his arms on high
To start his bird for the boundess sky;
But, oh alas with heavy thud,
She struck below in the barn ward mud;
And John slid down and into the house,
With his mothers yarn as sly rs mouse,
Concluding il isn't Of any use,
An eagles an eagle-a goose, goose.
If you have a son with good strong arm
Whom God hath fitted to till farm
Who loveth the fields and the sweet fresh air
That IL found in the country everywhere,
Don't say in the pride OF your hearts, that he
doctor, lawyer or priest shall be.
There are thousands of boys who are studying,
now,
In offices dingy, with pallid brow,
Who are off from the track and should be made
To soil their hands with an honest trade.
The land is flooded with blatant quacks.
VINO should be carrying the pedders packs;
And lawyers there are who can rise no higher
Than a copying-clerk, near good, warm ire;
And preachers there are who are preaching to-
day
Not TO better the world but to block the way:
These, all, to the world are of no more use
Than the fight from the barn Of the old gray
goose.
He whe made the eagle with wings TO soar
Far above the foam on the ocean shore,
Made also the smallest birds that sing
From busL to bush in the early spring
If God. all-wlse, madv You mol To stand
In the higher places that grace the land;
If He, in His love and wisdom, meant
That you should shine in place below,
Toll on!-toil ever in sweet content,
And thou shall peace and happiness know.
Rochester (N. y Euening Erpress.