Possible CW era poem - help needed

[kbear]

I've recently acquired a Bible in which the births of my 3rd & 4th great-grandfathers are recorded. Within the Bible was a slip of paper that contained a poem (or portion of one). I know this is quite a stretch but there are so many very knowledgeable people here that I am hoping it will ring a bell with someone or someone may have an idea of where to do further searching. I've done a general google search of some of the phrases and didn't come up with anything. Thanks for any thoughts you might have!

Here it is:

She sent out a pigeon, without spot or speck
With her best reticule tied round his neck;
Full of cards she had written the previous night,
To the select party, he was to invite

A Macaw and Pool Parrot had leave to repair
To the festive scene – 'twas well chosen, I declare
Being under the shade of a large cherry tree,
Whose fruit was quite ripe and delightful to see.

 

[donna]

Can you post the slip of paper? Maybe the type of paper and handwriting would give a clue. Just a thought.

 

[kbear]

Donna - Thanks for your reply. I will get it scanned and try to post it. It is typed so I have a feeling it is fairly "modern", although the paper does appear to have some age. The use of "sent out a pigeon", "reticule", and to some extent "full of cards" (calling cards?) make me think the poem has some age.

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

First thought is that "Pool parrot" should be "Poll parrot".

Polly is a diminutive of Poll "as a female name, and name for a parrot," and Poll, altered from Moll, familiar form of Mary, is the traditional name for any parrot. The earliest quotation the OED gives for Polly as a name or designation for a parrot is from Ben Jonson's "Epigrams," 1616.

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/75551/why-does-polly-want-a-cracker

Andrew Jackson's parrot was named "Poll". US Grant perhaps had a parrot - and Teddy Roosevelt had one while his son owned a macaw.

The poem seems allegorical. One thinks of the obvious meaning of a tryst - a chap invited by a lady to a party where they sit under the fruit of a cherry tree (somewhat suggestive, at a certain angle). OTOH there is the political satire, a la "The Grand old Duke of York". It would be so tempting to think this was an allusion to Jackson's parrot which allegedly broke up his funeral party by excessive swearing!

 

[5fish]

I think the poems comes from the hand that wrote it. I search around, could not find it on the net so I am guessing it is a family orgimal.

 

[kbear]

In looking for the above-mentioned poem in the Bible so that I could scan it, I came across another clipping! I had some luck locating this one which leads me to believe that this 2nd one is from 1851. This appears to have been printed in a paper as there is a "letter to the editor" on the back that may carry over to the front where the poem is. This letter is dated May 1851. It appears that it is from a publication from a Christian organization. This same poem, not this printing however, appears in Youth's Penny Gazette dated Wednesday July 30, 1851. To my very uneducated eyes, the papers of both of these clippings look like they might be of similar vintage. I've attached images of both clippings. The first one has nothing on the back but I've attached all four images. Thanks for all your thoughts!

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

FWIW I feel sure that the printed letter was from Rev. John Scudder, M.D. of New Jersey - this chap:

He was a missionary in Ceylon from 1820 until he was transferred to Madras in 1836. His son, Henry Martyn Scudder, D.D. was also associated with the Madras mission in 1851. He was initially sent out by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions but the Dutch Reformed Church took over from them at some point.

That first poem line "without spot or speck" reminds one of the sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish. I did wonder if this was published in the NY Christian Advocate and Journal, which had a propensity to publish poems as well as hymns.

 

[donna]

After seeing the above post, looked up Rev. John Scudder. There is a lot on him.

kbear are you related to Scudder family? Maybe there is some other connection with that family to your family. It sounds like something I would be checking into. Any time I find a name connected to my ancestors I have to search to see if I am related. Have found many ancestors because of my curiosity It is great you have this old Bible.

 

[kbear]

MajGenlMeade - Thank you so much for the Scudder info as it confirms the "conclusion" that I had came up with. Great to have that! I think its possible that the NY Christian Advocate was where poem #2 was published as Scudder's letter refers to the Advocate. Of course, there were a few others so titled from what I've found. Interesting twist on the "spot or speck" reference in poem#1. I don't know that the two clippings are tied together but I think its possible. This is quite a stretch but could the poem be talking about missionaries to country's represented by the macaw and pool (poll) parrot? Is the large cherry tree a reference to the US via George Washington?? Oh, my! Now my mind is spinning more .

Donna - I don't believe I have any connection to this line and I think it was just by chance that it was on the other side of the poem. I think it does put a timeframe on when the clipping was published which is awesome! Yes, I am so excited to have this Bible. I don't know too much about where its been the last 200 yrs as a woman bought it at an estate sale and got in contact with my father based on names in it. She then sent it to him and he gave it to me for Christmas. Its mind-boggling to think about where it may have been!