The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-12-13

cry, and awakened in us a sensation of
awe nearly allied to sublimity. We
continued to marvel about the cause of
it until, while watching the birds as they
circled around in the air, we saw one of
them perform this musical circumgyra-
ton. This was one of the simple ad-
ventures of my life which can never pass
from my memory; and whenever at
this late period of my life listen again
to the sound, it awakens the same sem
sations of mystery aud awe which felt
when to my young imagination it SEEM
ed like the voice of spirit. / consider
this booming of the night-hawk as one
of the most peculiar sounds in nature.
The right-hawk and whippoorwill are
not entirely dissimilar. They resemble
one another, and both place their eggs
on an elevated ground, their nests be-
ing nothing more than a slight depres-
sion of the surface. The eggs of the
two species are very similar, being
whitish, with blotches of pale brown,
equal at both ends, and always two in
number. The night-hawK, however,
does not, like the whippoorwill, confine
its nesting to the woods. Its eggs have
been frequently found on the fiat roofs
of high warehouses in our Northern
cities. Probably the height of these
buildings creates an artificial solitude,
which the birds may easily mistake for
that of nature.
NorE.-The following lines were
printed last autumn in little volume
entitled ssThe City and the Sea-" pub
lished in aid of the "Hospital Fair" in
Cambridge. The measure of the poem
is dactyllic, and was used to harmonic
with the word 'whippoorwil." 1 have
mixed no other meter with the piece,
and have repeated no rhymes. I believe
this is the only purely dactyllic compo-
sition in our language. This meter has
probably been neglected on account of
the difficulty of writing it. Bishop
Heber's epiphany Hymn" which in
strength and beauty of versification is
unequaled in the works of any author,
is dactyllic except in the examinations OF
the lines.
THE wHIPPoRwILL-
Hidden in twilight, far of in the woody fell.
Waking the echoes from high rock and cita-
When the clear waters in moonlight are SHIN
mering,
Round the horizon empurpled and vapory.
From his high Sr6Sr 8t evergreen nd dr9ReTs
Singing his hymn to the solitude eheerily--
Hear the loud Ehippoorwih' whippoorWln
whippoorwi1, whippoorwin, whippoorwin
Sylvan, lyrical, musical whIppoorwiui
Whippoorwill, whippoorwfll, whippoorwinr
whippoorwill.
Lone sereuader, awaling the stiIly night,
From his green bowery hailing the lunar
When the dor-beetle is wandering airiiy.
When the small owlet is foraging charity,
Hosts Of gay creatures in all the wide lati-
| Quietly sleeping in silent beatitude,
Perehed on his mOss-covered bastlement all
Calling aloud in his musical monotone
Hear the lone whippoorwill, whippoorwil
whippooFwfii, whippoorwin. whippoorwin
Eremise, Isolate, wandering whippoorwin.
whippoorwin. whippoorwill, whippoorwin
whippoorwiIl.
Oft have Ioitered at eve in the solitude,
Tracing his haunts in the naples and holly
wood,
When the Ieud din of the village was quieted
Merry birds sleeping where lately they rioted
Olnfnous darkness pervading the wilderness,
| All the sweet solitude silent and echoless;
ON the weird shadows that greeted my won-
Charmed With the whippoorwIn. whippoor-
whippoorwill, whippOorwill. whlppoorwiIl,
whippoorwill,
| Sibyline mythical ominous whippoorwili,
! whippoorwiIl, whippoorwin, whippoorSin,
whippoorwill.
Bird of the wilderness dearer than Philomel
Echoes are telling thy notes from the hill and
\ dell.
Lovers and mourners delighted are listening,
When the first star in the dew drop Is glisten-
| ing;
Waiting the call of the SYLVAN chorister-
| Lonely, nocturnal and eremite FORSTER;
Prophet of gladness, but never foreboding i'll
CaroIling cheerily from his green domicile,
Uttering whippoor,yiIl, whippoorwill, whip
poorwill,
| whippoorwiI, whippoorwill, whippoorwin,
whippoorwill,
President, vigilant, auguring whippoorwill,
Whippoorwill, whippoorwin, whippoorwill,
whippoorwill.
.-Hflson F7aag. in Boston Transcript.