Of Tolling Bell I ask the cause — Decoy

Of Tolling Bell I ask the cause? ¹
"A Soul has gone to Heaven"
I'm answered in a lonesome tone－
Is Heaven then a Prison?

That Bells should ring till all should know ⁵
A Soul had gone to Heaven
Would seem to me the more the way
A Good News should be given.

(F.933/J.947)

[1] Tolling:: decoying, attracting wild animals for capturing. Bell:: the bell of an animal trap.
[2] "A Soul has gone to Heaven":: an animal has died.
[3] lonesome tone:: the one who replied pitied the animal.
[4] Heaven, Prison:: animals knew not the meaning of heaven; it's a prison to them.
[5] Bells:: church bells.
[6] A Soul had:: the soul of the animal had already in heaven, not in the trap anymore.
[7] more the way:: the trap bell should be treated as a church bell.
[8] Good News:: for the animal in heaven, not in the trap.

"There is a singular device practised too, by sportsmen, for shooting the canvass back, as well as the ether ducks, denominated drift fowl, in the Potomac,－the red head and black head shoveler, and also the swan, from the banks; it is called tolling them in, and there can be no question of the fact, that each of this description of water fowl are often brought within gun shot, by an artifice practised on some propensity with them, not easily accounted for. It is sometimes done by means of a dog, trained for the purpose, and sometimes by moving or shaking in a particular way, the branch of a tree with the dried leaves yet attached, a colored handkerchief or some similar thing" ─ A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia (1835)