Autumn Leaves, page 69 by Various Authors
<< Return to Title Details & Download70
the foe it may not flee. But something softly whispers that these wings shall grow to soar-- Heaven grant!--in the cloudless depths of love for evermore. It whispers that again these blinded eyes shall see;
Heaven grant in their yearning gaze the long-sought home may be! It whispers each word and act shall to fruition spring;
Heaven grant they may joy to man, and peace to the spirit bring!
Of the wild and wandering Ostrich, say, have ye never heard? The type of the restless soul of man, the weary, wingless bird.
COWS.
I admire cows in their proper places. They are undoubtedly useful animals; some may think them handsome and graceful: this is, as yet, an unsettled question. They certainly figure pretty extensively in all sketches of rural scenery, and may, therefore, be considered as picturesque objects; but I think that on canvas they take to themselves beauties which they do not possess in actual life. I do not object to see them at a distance, quietly grazing in a meadow by the brink of a winding stream, and all that sort of thing, provided the distance is very great, and a strong fence intervenes. For I would have you know, that I am a delicate young lady of nervous temperament and keen sensibilities, and have a mortal dread of cows. I am not used to the customs of country life, which place this animal on a level with domestic pets, and when my brother asked me to pat the side of one of these great, coarse brutes, I screamed at the mere idea. For I should be extremely unwilling to provoke one of them, because I have been told that, when heated with passion, as these beasts often are, it sometimes happens that the powder-horns on top of their heads explode, and spread ruin and desolation around. People here bestow a vast deal too much consideration on these unpleasant animals, for they are often seen--that is, those of them that are troubled with weak eyes--walking along the streets with boards over their faces, as a protection from the rays of the sun. I don't beli