THE BIRD OF SORROWS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 92, 19 April 1930, Page 14

THE BIRD OF SORROWS

There was once a>Bird of Sorrows, tormented for the pleasure,of ■ men. He began his life as a little Bird of Greediness, all open beak and clamour, packed snug in a nest of moss and twig';• hearing from his nest, the rustling of tree-tops, the patter of rain, and the wind in the long summer grasses. Then came.'a time when his wings were feathered and he could spread them and could fly, when he' perched on the branches and sang among the leaves, having joy of the high, free air. For a little while only; for a brief,, happy while; till the bird-catcher snared him, for pleasure in his song, and.shut him for a life-time in,prison. Before the bird had been many days in his prison, he had learned the uselessness of beating little wings against bars; but always his heart, his heart beat against them and he cried aloud in longing for the world he had lost—for the high, free air, and the rustle of the treertops, and the patter of rain upon leaves. Then, when they heard him crying, his gaolers would be glad; they would call to each other and smile and say: "Dear little dickie! Isn't it pretty how he sings?" And when he cried to them more piteously, even more piteously, "Give me back my tree-tops and my high, free air! Give me back my wings, my wings!\ —at that they would smile at him all the more and say, "Listen to dickie, the sweet little bird! We wouldn't part with him for anything!" So the months went by, and the seasons and the years: spring, summer, autumn, and the sleep of winter —then spring, summer, autumn again; while he cried in his prison for the world beyond its bars and, from the window where he hung, watched the birds that were not captive; the sparrows as they chattered in road and on roof tree, the blackbirds thrusting yellow bills into the lawn, and the nightly homeward passing; of the rooks. And he cried and cried again: "Why am I not as they?"; , . . While his gaolers smiled at dear little dickie. , j

Then when;months had gone by, and seasons had gone by, there came to him at last his day of mercy; which at first he did not know for mercy, since it came to him with suffering and with fear. Even his lovely complaining was stilled; his feathers were a-stare, his eyes dim arid closing, and his gaolers tempted him with sugar and with green dainties in vain, ~ . . Till in the night, cold and quiet, came Death who is the last lord of all; and the little feathered body of the Bird of Sorrows, fell down from his perch and lay 'stiffening. Then Death, cold and quiet, took the soul of the Bird and carried it up, past sun, moon and stars, to high Heaven, and when he said, "I bring with me a Bird of Sorrows," the gate of high Heaven was made open. And the little child angels, when they saw what Death was bringing, stretched out their.hands for the Bird that they might love him; but Death shook his headland answered them, "Not yet," and went on- to the highest Heaven of all.' And, from 4he dreadful glory that beats about the Throne, there were hands outstretched to take the Bird. And behold, there looked down at him a face that was all gentleness, and there fell on him tears that were like unto rain, the lovely rain of spring-time;"and there spoke to him a voice like the rustling of tree-tops and the wind in long .summer grasses: "Oh, Bird of Sorrows, I also was acquainted with grief!" Then all fear went from the heart of the Bird he forgot the dreadful glory of the Lord Almighty, for the tears of him acquaint with grief. And on the dear hand of God he fluttered out his wings; and from the dear hand of God he flew wide into freedom, high into freedom to sing, Bird of Gladness, in the tree-tops, the tree-tops of Paradise. CICELY HAMILTON. (In "Time and Tide.")