THE LARK,

AS AN EXAMPLE OF CHEERFULNESS.

ETHEREAL minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!

Dost thou despise the earth, where cares abound?
Or, while thy wings aspire, are heart and eye
Both with thy nest, upon the dewy ground?
Thy nest, which thou canst drop into at will,
Those quivering wings compos'd, and music still!

To the last point of vision, and beyond,

Mount, daring warbler! That love-prompted strain
(Twixt thee and thine a never-failing bond)

Thrills not the less the bosom of the plain;
Yet mightst thou seem, proud privilege! to sing,
All independent of the leafy spring.

Leave to the nightingale the shady wood;-
A privacy of glorious light is thine,
Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood
Of harmony, with rapture more divine :
Type of the wise, who soar-but never roam,
True to the kindred points of heaven and home.
WORDSWORTH.

No one can walk into the fields on a morning in spring without noticing the general air of cheerfulness which marks the face of nature. The bright sun and the blue sky, the pleasant refreshing green of the earth, the trees, and the sparkling streams, are all cheerful objects; but they become much more so when associated with living creatures—with birds and insects, with various useful quadrupeds, and, above all, with the dwellings of man, and the tokens of his industry.

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The rural scene, even in winter, does not altogether lose its cheerful character. Winter has its

bright suns and blue skies; and the verdure of the earth is refreshing to look on even then. Such animals as continue among us are active in providing for their few and simple wants; and they still add greatly to the cheerfulness of the scene.

And even when the rain is pouring, the snow falling, or the wind howling, few persons are so destitute as not to have a cheerful nook by the fireside to retire to, where they can listen to the pelting of the storm without, and be thankful for the many comforts which surround them. The animals retire to holes and nooks, and find safe shelter from the storm, and are ready, when it is over, again to come forth, and minister to the gladness of nature.

It is, indeed, most important to cultivate cheerfulness as a habit of the mind. If we can only secure cheerfulness, we have no need of mirth; indeed, we are much happier without it, for mirth is seldom of long continuance, and it has its fits of depression; while cheerfulness énables us to pass over the little evils and annoyances which may every day occur, and even to meet misfortune with calm resignation and serenity. It has been well observed, that "Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; while cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity."

If we wish to find a pattern of cheerfulness in the animal world, there can be little difficulty in

selecting one that seems especially fitted to our purpose. This is the SKYLARK. "Blithe as a lark" is a common expression, and truly indicates the joyous spirit of that happy bird. Other birds are cheerful, as their glad songs and incessant chirpings testify; but there is something almost sublime in the cheerfulness of the lark, as he rises into the clear blue sky, pouring out his delightful hymns of joy, and soaring upwards, as if to utter, at the very gate of heaven, his morning tribute of praise and thanksgiving. At the peep of day his song commences, so that the diligent husbandman is gladdened with his notes as he goes abroad to his early labour.

Up springs the lark,

Shrill-voiced and loud, the messenger of morn;
Ere yet the shadows fly, he, mounted, sings
Amid the dawning clouds.

The matin-song of the lark was in ancient Greece the signal for the reaper to commence his toils. These were suspended during the heat of the day, when the bird was silent, and resumed when the sun began to verge towards the west, and the lark filled the air anew with its warblings.

In taking this bird for an example, there is the advantage of its being extensively known. Larks are common in every part of our own country, and in most other parts of Europe, from Siberia in the north, to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the south. They are also seen in some parts of Asia and in Northern Africa. In Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the lark is chiefly known as a summer visitor, though it sometimes remains

in those countries throughout the year. This is also the case in some parts of Scotland. Numbers of skylarks are supposed to migrate into this country from the continent. They have been noticed, during several years, on the Suffolk coast, flying off the sea, for hours together on the same day, from five and ten, to forty and fifty in a flock. The lark prefers to live near the dwellings of man, because the seeds and insects best suited to it are found there.

As the lark is thus common, it is an easy matter to become acquainted with its appearance and habits. It is a modest-looking bird, and cannot boast of any brilliancy of plumage.

Plain is his suit of sober brown,
His speckled vest and dusky crown;
Apparel meet for one, whose rest
Is on the open fallow's breast,
Though little apt to win the prize
Of elegance in common eyes.

The feathers on the upper part of the head are dark brown, with pale brown edges. These form a crest, which the bird elevates at pleasure. The wings and tail are varied with three shades of brown, the edge of the feather being the lightest ; the outer tail-feather on each side is white; the throat and upper part of the breast are pale brown, mottled with dark brown spots; the under parts of the body are pale yellowish white, tinged with brown. The beak is dark brown above, and pale yellow beneath. The feet are yellowish brown, darker in the old birds than in the young; the legs, toes, and claws are brown; the middle toe longer than the rest; the claw of the hind toe very long,