The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-09-20
LISTEN TO THE LION.
Ills !MPETUOUS NATURE IS HELD
III CHECK BY IRON BARS.

Calm I!6datn He KDdulGes In RETROSPECT
tIon--ConGuemcnt in u Den Is Irkso,ne.
but He Has to Stand 1t.
Aye, look at met Crowd about and
stare, you opened mouthel, hard breath
ing mass Of poor humanity! Note well
the tawny beauty Of my lithe,form: the
delicate flneness of my treuuiojla whisk-
eTS the languid draop Of my long sleek
tail. Mark the powerful case Of my
stride and leap to the shelf, where can
lie 1t all my indoleHt length. and see you
far better than you can me. Crowd and
crush about my cage'--
"Ah! I heard yo+l. little girl Icaught
the sorv0wfui. half whisper, Poor beast,
he does not like TO be shut up Point
With tho rosy finger. half shy. half afraid
Of the big, strange animal. You are a
tender morsel, you dimpied darling; but
l heard tho divine pity Of your tone, lit
tie one, and | would not harm you even
if the tiny hand hay on my rebellious
neck. have had prey almost es dainty.
l have seen the young fawn pant ami
struggle and die in my Ieientless grasp
havo tasted the hot blood that flowed
from its dappled, wounded side, and,
licking my chops with satisfied tongue,
| have crouohed in my deep forest lair
and slept content
Lying snug on wIn+sy ptgtlt when oil
The world was wrapped III snow and Bit
er. piercing cold, have heard the
mountains shudder and complain in
their icy winding sheet and the streams
gurgle and battle choking]y under their
heavy frozen fctters. have seen the
stars in the violet sky shine out like
great globes OF fire, almost within reach,
burning in the glorious arch with full
soft luster tho dwellers in these lower
places can never know. havo watched
the small denizens of the hills steal by
on fearful fee& to tho nir hole In the
water course below and because of my
great content have let them 90 unharmed
ndown the perllous slopes. And now, to
lie Oh Il shelf and be- stared at Bahl I
hate you slL Gu-F-r-r-r.
You needn't jump. can't get out; but
# could, Oh! II couldl how you would
scatter before lao like spray before the
wind! Do you think would stay here
In this hot, sitting, curious eyed cityS
All. 10. know better place than this,
far away in the path of the setting sun.
A canyon SO cool, SO deep and dark that
tapping at midday from tho turbulent
mountain stream have seen mirrored
therein the silver stars in the noontide
sky. All! that is tho place for mel Steep
and dark arc its sides, murmurous with
fhn tI-I, c.NnPir1cr ne lln f,o
grant with balsaInio smells, and alive
with stealthy. gliding forms and whir-
ring wings. There are messy caverns
and flashing waterfalls, Q soundless car
pet of pine needles and-freedom!
Sometimes | See tho glcam of Your
lake through my prison bars. do not
care for it. I know another, not SO vast,
but thrice as lovely. Bluer than yours,
too, and cool and calm and clear, fed by
silent springs that steal through the gold
veined heart of the mountain; enco4n-
passed by wooded slopes that hide many
of my kin in their tangled depths.
swan 1t once.
There Is fors thoro, but needed
not. plunged into the pure wave in
tent only on reaching the opposite shore,
but some one saw i4e, and then what a
fuss they made, They woke the sleep
Ing echoes-many tongues in that land
with their clumsy firing, The echoes
were frightened. From peak to peak
they called and murmured and reiterated
the startling news, I did not care.
Down under the blue wave for q moment
or two, and then rose far beyond their
guns and shouts.
There were fishers on tho lake. 4 boat
with three children for crew. Hardy
ncstlings of tho great cyrie of tho west,
they knew not fear, and the bare legged
boys only shouted as l rose beyond them,
and tie tousiod, curly head and brave
blue eyes Of the littlo girl turned and
stared in wonder at the great cat swim
ming the lake
Doubtless they were gathered close
to the maternal bosom when tho advcn-
ture was recounted and duly told what
q fearsome thing am to meet-at home
in my own mountains. But here, bah!
SYMPATHY FOR OTHER CAPTivES.
II am told there are two Polar bears
in as dire imprisonment us myself.
Cooped in rocky cage fenced in with
iron bars, they who have known the
wide, white silenccs of the frozen sea
have no hint of their lost homo save
Tiny stream that dashes its puny spray
over the palhd cXiiea
"As they sit motionless do they muse
i'll desperation on the far off icy north,
that wOndrOus region that defes the en-
trance of man; that holds In its vast
bosom most OF those who dared try
to unlock its mysteries and assail it in
its might? Do they dream and long for
the sullen roll of the Icy sea, tho crash
and grinding of the great white floss.
the pale phantoms Of towering berg, and
the wondrous radiance of the Polar
lights?
Docs a loaf of bread tossed and crum-
bling on the sweltering stones compen-
safe for juicy seal caught mapping or q
white ileshed fish drawn from tho greas
refrigerator Of tho universeY
Il know there is an eagle here, foT once
/ heard him cry; just once. but Is was u
strange, sad sound, sti6ed with captivity.
| have seen and beard him In our western
home. when with outspread wings and
curving neck he dropped straight from
tho imperial vault Of tho mountain sly
to his eyrie Oh some baAd. SCARED crag
and feeding there tho brood OF callow
eaglets. gave voice again and again to his
triumphant sense OF power and freedom.
II hear It all again at times IN my