Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-04-15

oeen my duty, madam, to attend
you, but knew not of your purpose;
and the falconer being bent to fiy
the cast OF lanerets which Colonel
Talbot lately sent TO my Lord, would
/ have me witness the trial, and 80 ]
} came with Master Benedict 70 see
this sport"
Nay, Albert" replied the lady,
you should not have been of my
company even II you had sought per-
} mission. come today on no idle
errand which might allow your loi-
tering PAGES and customary delays
10 gaxs 90 headlands and meadows .,
whereby you are won't 10 interrupt
the course OF your journey. The
J matter OF our present meeting has
need of stirring feet, which go tii-
rect to their work. yours are nos
such. Still, Master Albert, you
shall not be useless to-day:-here Ia
occupation to your hand Blanche In
in much want OF q penman, and as
you are OF the writing craft. she
would gladly enlist you in her SER
vice-that is, II you have not been
already marshalled and sworn un-
der her colors."
Master Albert, our dear lady
does but jest" said Blache. ''Sh o
knows had st first no need of bet.
ter penman than myself, and now
have need OF noue.-for, In truth,
my work was finished ere she came.
But your service | may command In
a better task. You did promise to
bring me some device for my flower
stands.
The joiner will have them here
to day, replied the Secretary. Il
have not failed to spur bis industry
as well as my own invention to do
your wish"
Then all is done but the render
Ing OF thanks, said Blanche, which
yet / am not in :he humor to do,
having matter Of quarrel with you
for that following Of the poor heron
which, but now, we saw the hawk
strike down, whilst you were a
looker-on, and as we suspect, an en-
courager OF the act Il was q cruel
thing TO assail tha innocent fowl.
which, being native here, has ever
found friends in our house;-yes,
and has daily fed upon the fat be.
low the garden. These herons
scarce fly when | walk by them on
the beach. / wish the falconer had
sought his quarry elsewhere than
amongst my harmless birds. You
should have controlled him."
Il am deeply Rrieved," replied
the Secretary. Indeed, | knew
not OF the bird nor whence he came:
nor thought OF it, 10 truth. A feath-
er OF bis wing should not have come
TO harm had | been aware that he
bad ever pleased your eye. ! am
all unskilled in these out door sports,
and have scarce worn out the CON-
plexion OF my school at Antwerp,
where worldly pastimes were a for
hidden thought. A poor scholar of
the cloister might go free of blame
II, IN this sunny and gallant world,
the transport OF noble game should
rob him OF his circumspection. I
thought OF naught but the glorious
circling OF the hawk and his swift
and imperious assault. Icrave your
pardon for my inconsiderate error. +"
You speak more like a practised
cavalier than a scholar OF the clois-
ter, said the sister of the Proprie-
tary; you have a cavaliers love
OF the sport. Albert"
does not beseem me, madam" "
was the Secretary's reply Ito affect
a pastime which belongs neither TO
my rank nor humble means; but, in
truth, dear lady, do love hawk,
and hound, and steed. And when
in my sequestered studv-where,
being. as | thought, destined 10 the
service Of the altar. | read mostly OF
holy men and holy things, little
dreaming that should ever see tn @
world--it sometimes chanced, in nv
stray reading. | fell upon a lay
wherein deeds OF chivalry were
told; and then | was conscious OF q
wish, | am now almost ashamed 10
confess. that fortune might some
day bring me better acquainted with
that world TO which such deeds be-
longed. Oh! il has befallen now:
that isl mean to say" con-
| tinued the Secretary, checking him
self, as his flashing eye fell TO the
floor and blush fitted across his
: brow-"it has pleased Heaven TO
give me kind master in my good
F; Lord, who does not deny me to look
= on when these sports are aield."
And il we did strike down the
,, heron, Blanche Warden" said
Benedict Leonard, saucilv accosting
the maiden. and showing the hawk
, that was bound TO his wrist-'what
is heron good for but TO be brought
, DOWN. Herons were made for
hawks-yes. and for the hawks Of
the Proprietary above all others;
for have heard say that every
heron on the Chesapeake, within nv
fathers boundary. is his own bird:
so Derrick has said hundred times.
And there Is my uncle Talbot, who
fies hawk better than arv other
in the province-I don I care IL Der
rick hears me-and has the best
mevs,-he says that these firearms
have broken up hawking ia the old
country; and he told me must not
, let IL fall through when ! come 70
TO the province; for my father, be
thinks, doesn't care much for il. I
promise you in my time we shall
have hawking enough-chide as you