80 THE SPARROW'S NEST 



She looked at it and seemed to fear it, 



Dreading, though wishing, to be near it : 



Such heart was in her, being then 



A little prattler among men. 



The Blessing of my later years 



Was with me when a boy : 



She gave me eyes, she gave me ears ; 



And humble cares ; and delicate fears ; 



A heart, the fountain of sweet tears ; 



And love, and thought, and joy. 20 



W. WORDSWORTH. 



[NOTE. This poem was composed in 1801, when Wordsworth 

 was in his thirty-first year. It is the hedge-sparrow that is 

 referred to. By/ Emmeline ' he means his sister Dorothy : by 

 a similar use of poetical pseudonyms Wordsworth means his 

 daughter Dora, and his son * Johnnie ', by ' Laura ' and 

 * Edward ' respectively. The devotion of Dorothy Wordsworth 

 to her brother is well known to all who are familiar with the 

 poet's history. There is no exaggeration in the description 

 so condensed yet so comprehensive contained in the last six 

 lines.] 



THE KESTREL AND THE SPARROWHAWK 



The WHEN a hawk is casually mentioned, the likelihood 



Kestrel j g ^^ a k es fc re i i s meant, for the kestrel is not only 



our 



commonest the commonest British variety of hawk, but is the 



bird of commonest British bird of prey that flies in the sun. 

 The sparrowhawk, though not uncommon, is not only 

 less abundant, but is much less in evidence, as it flies 

 swift and low among trees and bushes, and with such 



