370 



THE SKY-LARK. 



Neither was a walk by the seashore complete without one 

 when parted from Clarinda — 



" Along the solitary shore, 



While flitting sea-fowl round me cry ; 

 Across the rolling, dashing roar 

 I'll toestward turn my wistful eye." 



Or, as he says — 



" Before I saw Clarinda's face 

 My heart was blithe and gay, 

 Free as the wind, or feathered race 

 That hop from spray to spray." 



Even Hope is represented by our bird-poet, for he sings — 



" And Hope has left my aged ken, 

 On forward winy for everjled." 



In "Tarn o' Shanter" howlets arrest his attention, for he 

 says — 



" Kirk Alloway was drawing nigh, 

 Whare ghaists and houlets nightly cry." 



And as for Captain Grose, he swears you'll find him 



*' By some auld. hoivlet-haunted biggin'. 

 Or kirk deserted o ! its riggin', 



Some eildritch part, 

 Wi' deils, they say — Lord save's — colleaguin' 



At some black art." 



And yet, as he was " wae to think on hell, for auld Nickie 

 Ben's sake," so was he vexed for the owl hooting in an 

 auld kirk, for he says — 



'* Nor is thy voice, sad bird, less sweet, 



That sadness tunes it and that grief is there, 

 That Spring's gay notes, unskill'd thou canst repeat, 

 That Sorrow bids thee to the gloom repair." 



And when Willie stole a kiss from sleeping " Blooming 

 Nellie"— 



" As flies the partridge from the brake 

 On fear -inspired wings, 

 So Nellie, starting, half awake, 

 Away affrighted springs." 



In fact the birds were his teachers everywhere, and my only 

 apology for these many haphazard quotations is, I want to show 



