XX.—THE BOBOLINK.—Continued.
1. Farther observation and experience have given me a different idea of this little feathered voluptuary,[169]which I will venture to impart, for the benefit of my school-boy readers, who may regard him with the same unqualified envy and admiration which I once indulged.
2. I have shown him only as I saw him at first, in what I may call the poetical part of his career, when he, in a manner, devoted himself to elegant pursuits and enjoyments, and was a bird of music, and song,and taste, and sensibility, and refinement. While this lasted, he was sacred from injury; the very school-boy would not fling a stone at him, and the merest rustic[170]would pause to listen to his strain.
3. But mark the difference. As the year advances, as the clover-blossoms disappear, and the spring fades into summer, his notes cease to vibrate[171]on the ear. He gradually gives up his elegant tastes and habits, doffs his poetical and professional suit of black, assumes a russet,[172]or rather a dusky garb, and enters into the gross enjoyments of common, vulgar birds.
4. He becomes abon vivant, a mere gormand;[173]thinking of nothing but good cheer, and gormandizing on the seeds of the long grasses, on which he lately swung and chanted so musically. He begins to think there is nothing like “the joys of the table,” if I may be allowed to apply that convivial[174]phrase to his indulgences. He now grows discontented with plain, every-day fare, and sets out on a gastronomical[175]tour, in search of foreign luxuries.[176]
5. He is to be found in myriads[177]among the reeds of the Delaware, banquetting[178]on their seeds; grows corpulent[179]with good feeding, and soon acquires the unlucky renown of the Ortolan.[180]Wherever he goes,pop! pop! pop!the rusty firelocks of the country are cracking on every side; he sees his companions falling by thousands around him; he is thereed-bird, the much-sought for tit-bit of the Pennsylvanian epicure.[181]
6. Does he take warning and reform? Not he! He wings his flight still farther south in search of other luxuries. We hear of him gorging[182]himself in the rice swamps; filling himself with rice almost to bursting; he can hardly fly for corpulency. Laststage of his career, we hear of him spitted by dozens, and served up on the table of the gormand, the most vaunted[183]of southern dainties, therice-birdof the Carolinas.
7. Such is the story of the once musical and admired, but finally sensual[184]and persecuted[185]Bobolink. It contains amoral, worthy the attention of all little birds and little boys, warning them to keep to those refined and intellectual[186]pursuits, which raised him to such a pitch of popularity, during the early part of his career; but to eschew[187]all tendency to that gross and dissipated[188]indulgence, which brought this mistaken little bird to an untimely end.
[169]Vo-lupˊ-tu-a-ry, one given to pleasure.[170]Rusˊ-tic, dweller in the country.[171]Viˊ-brate, quiver.[172]Rusˊ-set, reddish brown.[173]Gorˊ-mand, glutton.[174]Con-vivˊ-i-al, festal; social.[175]Gas-tro-nomˊ-ic-al, pertaining to good eating.[176]Luxˊ-u-ries, dainties.[177]Myrˊ-i-ads, tens of thousands.[178]Banˊ-quet-ting, feasting.[179]Corˊ-pu-lent, fleshy; fat.[180]Orˊ-to-lan, delicate, small bird.[181]Epˊ-i-cure, one given to luxury.[182]Gorgˊ-ing, swallowing greedily.[183]Vauntˊ-ed, boasted.[184]Sensˊ-u-al, luxurious.[185]Perˊ-se-cu-ted, harassed; vexed.[186]In-tel-lectˊ-u-al, mental.[187]Es-chewˊ, avoid; shun.[188]Disˊ-si-pa-ted, loose; abandoned.
[169]Vo-lupˊ-tu-a-ry, one given to pleasure.
[169]Vo-lupˊ-tu-a-ry, one given to pleasure.
[170]Rusˊ-tic, dweller in the country.
[170]Rusˊ-tic, dweller in the country.
[171]Viˊ-brate, quiver.
[171]Viˊ-brate, quiver.
[172]Rusˊ-set, reddish brown.
[172]Rusˊ-set, reddish brown.
[173]Gorˊ-mand, glutton.
[173]Gorˊ-mand, glutton.
[174]Con-vivˊ-i-al, festal; social.
[174]Con-vivˊ-i-al, festal; social.
[175]Gas-tro-nomˊ-ic-al, pertaining to good eating.
[175]Gas-tro-nomˊ-ic-al, pertaining to good eating.
[176]Luxˊ-u-ries, dainties.
[176]Luxˊ-u-ries, dainties.
[177]Myrˊ-i-ads, tens of thousands.
[177]Myrˊ-i-ads, tens of thousands.
[178]Banˊ-quet-ting, feasting.
[178]Banˊ-quet-ting, feasting.
[179]Corˊ-pu-lent, fleshy; fat.
[179]Corˊ-pu-lent, fleshy; fat.
[180]Orˊ-to-lan, delicate, small bird.
[180]Orˊ-to-lan, delicate, small bird.
[181]Epˊ-i-cure, one given to luxury.
[181]Epˊ-i-cure, one given to luxury.
[182]Gorgˊ-ing, swallowing greedily.
[182]Gorgˊ-ing, swallowing greedily.
[183]Vauntˊ-ed, boasted.
[183]Vauntˊ-ed, boasted.
[184]Sensˊ-u-al, luxurious.
[184]Sensˊ-u-al, luxurious.
[185]Perˊ-se-cu-ted, harassed; vexed.
[185]Perˊ-se-cu-ted, harassed; vexed.
[186]In-tel-lectˊ-u-al, mental.
[186]In-tel-lectˊ-u-al, mental.
[187]Es-chewˊ, avoid; shun.
[187]Es-chewˊ, avoid; shun.
[188]Disˊ-si-pa-ted, loose; abandoned.
[188]Disˊ-si-pa-ted, loose; abandoned.