The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-03-12

hEMAN DENlO OE NlChSCUkG.
From out Il snug and emerald bower
A bird was taken, ere the hour
Had come for it to leave the nest
Protected by its parents breast,
Aud in a cage by cruel hand
Twas jailed, within its native land
Never to perch on silvery spray
And trill Its heart effulgent lay.
Months passed, and while its playmates flew
About the mornings gemm'd with dew,
" NnGcrod there with useless wing
And learned Il tuneful note to sing.
The autumn and the winter cold
Bianched and bit the beechen wOld:
And like II smiling maiden came
With dewy eyes and cheeks aflame,
And budding breast the Sprngtime sweet
Shattering garands around her feet;
With voice so full of melody
You could not but entranced be.
The Oriole, the Linnet made
Their cozy nests in fragrant shade.
The Thrush and Red bird danced and sung
The weeping willow boughs among.
And all without was glad and gay
From roseatc morn to twilight gray.
In window high, of lovely dome
Hung the young captive's narrow home,
While softly, sweetly stealing there
The sunshine came, and balmy air
So favored from the spiry bowers;
And the cag'd Mock-bird woke the hours
With widest notes e'er breathed in song
To thrill the breeze with tale of wrong
There on that breeze that stopped SO oft
To steal a kiss of sweetness, soft
From bushing rosebud in the glade
1t saw its mates in rapture flayed
There ON that breeze that stopped to press
The lily's snow-white lovliness
Which swayed beside the CLASSY stream
All dimpling in the suns bright beam,
The merry sOngters rose and sung
Till all the place with music rung!
There on that breeze that woke sigh
In yonder livetree, swooplng by
Its playmates scared with pinions free
And wakened magic melody
There In that sunshine soft descending
On leaf and fowerette sweetly blending,
Its playmates gay were seen pursuing
The fond capricfousness off woOing
Or else industrious, seen to take
Straws to bower nest to make.
How wild then would have been its flight
Abroad when all was green and bright
How sweet then would have been its song,
If freed to join the forest throng!
How coyly would it WOO mate
We're it not Gagged SO desolate !
List to the cadence of each note
Echong from out its little throat,
Too wildly sweet to ever flow
From heart that was not wrung with woe
The Springtime passed, the summer came
With lengthy days and lips of flame,
And out in the cool forest shade
The ,new,,-hedged birdlings hopp'd and
played;
And learned to spread their wings and fly |
Up toward the arch-way of the sky
And yet in iron cage IL hung |
And sadly lived and sadlier sung.
OFT had it beat its beak and wing
Against the bars-po0r captive thing
And sighed and sung to float the air
That moved II as prisoner there |
The autumn came and with the flush
or Indian summer came hush |
Upon the fields; and soft and low
The Mock-bird sang its song of woe.
At last one morning drear and cold |
The wind of coming winter told;
And rising on the widest note
The song died in the songsters throat.
II dropped full low its gentle head,
For with its song its life had fed.
Oh cruel Fate oh cruel hand
That Gagged thee in thy sunny land,
And left thee where thine eyes could see |
rhe raptures found in liberty
How better 'twould have been with thee |
ro've left thee in thy native tree,
Else to have shut at least think eyes
From those fair fields and smiling skies
All could word the tale of wrong
It breathed in that departing song
And give each pang it felt name
How wonld IL crimson o'er with shame
rhe cheeks of him who Gagged thee here
That its sad notes might please his ear.
Then would sing as never yet
" ere words in 'wildering music set,
By Poet in olyppian shade
Dr. Israel in Jutiea's glade
And wiring from out the future years
4 jeweled crown ofpearly tears
And never would again be head
rhe sad notes Of Captive Bird!
]. NJ. GIBSON. JR.