his still form, watching with sinew-strung bow amidst pathless solitudes. When it had donned the blanched insignia of Eagle-hood, and on steadier wings with swifter rushing flight, spread its white tail and threw its white head far back to utter resounding war-cries, then, with a shock, upsprung in answer, the sharp ring of the rifle, and the hissing bullet told that a more fearful foe had come! And now it became more wary and learned to fear for its wild empire; for from afar the gradual hum of an approaching civilization swelled upon the ancient silence, until the belching roar of a Steamboat roused the startled echoes to reverberate on distant hills as it passed up the quiet-gliding river! Then in fire, in thunder, and in smoke, the mysterious and terrible Advent was announced to all the creatures of a wilderness which was henceforth to own a new dominion, and with sullen flappings the Eagle passed away towards the West, above falling forests and uprising cities, to find the unviolated solitudes.

There again the same sights and sounds would follow it apace, until at last the Steam Horse, snorting flames, came tearing through the bowels of the old solemn hills, to fill the wide valleys beyond with the iron clangor of its hurtling speed, and then the astounded guardian of Earth's Primeval sleep whirled away on hurried wings, deeper yet deeper towards the West! Still the inexorable pursuers came upon its track, and still it passed on before, in shortening flights, until at last its earliest foe no longer answered with the warwhoop to its scream, and the forests seemed oppressed with the silence of a pause, as if it but awaited, breathlessly, the terrible coming!

And here the swift-winged bird first felt that it was weary! The steel-hinged pinions that had "sheared the subtile ayre" so long, seemed to have lost their free, triumphing spring, and it went heavily upon its way. Now its savage pride becomes reconciled in a degree to the tumults and strange sounds from which it fled at first in fiercest wrath, because

it finds the lambs, pigs, geese and turkeys of the farm-yard to be easier prey to its decaying powers than the wild creatures it had proudly conquered in the earlier lustrums of the century it is living to a close.

Now the Royal Eagle sinks into a petty plunderer, and the final decadence of its grandeur is, when, from the last patch of its forest-home it launches out on stiffened wings above the villages on some "Independence morning," and hears, as it wheels slowly over the gathered crowds, wild shouts of patriotic recognition as the youthful Orator points aloft to the omen of Liberty!-Shouts that but frighten the superannuated Cloud-King, which rushes on to the nearest covert to hide, until the warty barnacles of age overtake it, and its rusty plumes no longer lift it to the clouds!

18

CHAPTER XII.

MY WIFE'S STORY OF HER PET CAT-BIRD,

GENERAL BEM."

Two years ago we were residing in C. We had very few friends near us, and sometimes the days seemed very dreary and long to us, for our pet Brownie had been dead many months, and we had said we could never have another such pet; to lose him had grieved us too much, and we would not have our hearts so nearly broken again.

Still we could not but admire the taste of our new acquaintance, W, who kept his bachelor establishment solely for the accommodation of pet song-birds, and that his own love and genius for music might be nourished by this association of all our most charming songsters. We spent many an hour in his "bird rooms," listening to the gay mimicry of mocking birds, the clear, musical piping of his English black birds, and the loud, enchanting whistle of the cardinal birds, carrying us dreamily deep into the shadow of wildwoods, where other sounds faded from the ear, and all our senses merged towards one centre, where gleamed the glowing breast of the cardinal bird, lifted above the bare branches, which stood gauntly out from the green, embosoming leaves which would have shut him from the sunlight had he descended.

The lark leaping upward, chaunted his song with a saddened tone that made us weep, while we felt how even the presence of those gay companions was no compensation for the clear sky, which had filled his eye with such liquid light,

which had sunk into his soul, and so filled it with melody as he beat the still air with his gentle wings.

Then hid away among the bushes which filled one corner, we could sometimes catch a glimpse of Bob White, as he called his "wife" back from her inquisitive peering at us, and the little shore larks who were so shy and gliding, looking ever as if some still wave from the sea was chasing them higher on the sands, and as if they must in a moment take wing, while we gaze steadily to distinguish their rapid quivering flight in the sunshine, from the dash of glittering spray.

And

But what have we here? What a lovely figure-what perfect plumage! What do you call this gentleman who seems to be protector general of all that crowd of canaries? See! the scamp has pounced upon that large mocking bird, and has sent him screaming in rage across the room. how cool he is; he evidently does not consider that a great feat. What a knowing air he has!-how, he determines to make our acquaintance-to retort to our questionings. We beg the honor of an introduction to this extremely nonchalant gentleman. No! do not tell me he is called simple "Master Cat-Bird"-let me confer upon him his rightful title. Henceforth we shall know him as "General Bem "-the brave general-the magnanimous, the impulsive though calm, the handsome, our favorite General Bem. Come here, and take this berry in proof that your honors are ary, as the world too often makes them. art Bem! Great Bem-we take thee to our heart and-may we be permitted to take him to our home!

real, not visionHenceforth thou

Well, General Bem went home with us at once, and was immediately given his liberty, which he made use of by peering into every closet, examining and dragging everything from its proper place, which he could manage, pecking and squalling, dashing hither and thither, until at night he quietly went into his cage as if he was nearly or quite positive that he must commence a new career on the morrow; it was evi dent that he had to begin the world over again, yet, as he

was not superannuated, and was, withal, ambitious, his case was still not a desperate one, although we had assured him most positively, that we would not fall in love with him—we had only invited him there to help us pass the time.

Bem looked wise at the assertion, but said nothing. The next morning we gave him water for a bath, which he immediately used, and then sprang upon my head very much to my surprise; then he darted to the window, then back to my head, screaming all the time most vociferously, until finally I went to the window, for peace sake, and stood in the sunshine while Bem composedly dressed his feathers, standing on my head first on one foot, then on the other, evidently using my scalp as a sort of foot-stove, and my head for a movable pedestal for his impudent generalship to perch on when he felt disposed to be comfortably elevated; and had clearly come to the conclusion-as I was so fond of transporting him from his native land—that I should serve as a convenient craft to bear him where his moods commanded. In a word, he had determined to turn tyrant; if I had had the deliberate purpose of using him as a mere toy, he had at least the coolness to make me available, and from that time I became the victim of the most unequalled tyranny. Did I neglect his morning bath beyond the instant, my ears were assailed with screams and cries till I was forced to my duty; I must bear him into the sunshine or my hair was pulled; 1 must bring him his breakfast or he pecked my cheeks and lips; in fine, I was compelled to become his constant attendant, while, in the meantime, he most diligently assailed my heart by endearing confidences. He would sit upon my arm and sleep, he would get into my work-box, and while I watched that he did not pilfer a little, he would quietly seat himself on its edge, and in a low, sweet voice, lull my suspicions by such tender melodies, that finally I could no longer say "I will not love you, Bem !"-but gave him the satisfactory assurance that he was not quite so much of a tease as I had tried to think him; and he now received my