"GENERAL BEM. " 
279 
purpose of throwing Hm off his guard. At last, Bern was 
on the other side of the room, the thrush had been eyeing 
a dainty morsel which Bern had dropped about two feet from 
him. He looked, Bem was too much engaged to notice him, he 
could easily venture— he would — he did. Bem, whose keen 
eye had seen all, darted like lightning, and before the thrush 
could turn about and seize again the contested treasure, Bem 
had alighted on the centre of the bed — the only place in the 
room where the thrush would not follow him— and there 
quietly tore the grape to pieces and left it. 
But, alas ! we had to send our brave, sagacious Bem home 
again. We were to make a long journey to the South, and 
he must stay behind. Ah, the -poor fellow knew as well as 
we, that we were bidding him adieu. He pecked our fin- 
gers in great distress, and bit our lips till the blood came, in 
the energy of his farewell — while he uttered such sad low 
cries as made us mourn for many a day in the remembrance. 
During our absence we wrote frequently inquiring of Bem, 
and many an injunction to him, to live and die, if need be, 
the same brave general we had known him. We never ex- 
pected to see him again ; but, after a year of wanderings, we 
did return to our old home. At once we went to see the 
general, little dreaming that we should be remembered. 
What was our surprise, then, when we called " Bem ! Bem ! 
General Bem!" to see our dear friend and pet dart down to 
us from his hiding-place, and most evidently recognize us — 
his eye sparkling, his scalp feathers raised, his wings droop- 
ing, and that same low cry which had haunted us so long, 
greeting us again. Our happiness was real — and when we 
offered him the white paper, he instantly darted upon it, and 
tore it asunder to get the well-remembered treasure he had 
always found within. 
Again Bem went home with us— this time to fill our 
hearts with afiection by his quaint impish ways and gentle 
waywardness. Now, he became a privileged character ; my 
paint-box was his especial admiration— he treated it with 
