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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds 6 des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque ie document est trop grand pour 6tre rdproduit en ur. seul clich6, il est film«f< A partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes tuivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 ,-'«^ GILES AND MEY; T«B KlNB^i m CANAlJIAN TALE. FKANK JOHNSOK. C/ EdUiburgh, University JOHN liOtltl^^^l^i*, GILES k.m JANEY ; OB THE KINDLY GENTLEMAN: A CANADIAN TALE. BT FRANK JOHNSON, Of E dinbur gh University . JOHN LOVELL, PRINTER, ST. NIOilOLAS STREET. 1867. To proi Imi by i and remc whoi DEDICATION. To such of tho Traders and Dealers of Canada as are too wise and too proud to take advantage of tho greenness of a raw, an inexperienced Immigrant, the foUowing poem is, with the sincerest respect, addressed by its author. The author begs to add, that in the characters of Mr. Smoothlcj and Giles Homespun no particular parties are, either directly or remotely, aimed at. As to Smoothley, the cap is for one and for all whom it may fit : No honest man need be at the trouble of trying ,t on. GILES AND JANEY- OR THE KINDLY GENTLEMAN A CINADIAN TALH. By Frank Johnson, of Edinhurgh Umversity. I went into a store, a poor— a humble man : " Can you help me, sir," I said-" God's blessing if you can ■ I'm very much in want, sir-if you have it in your power- ' If only a few trifles, sir-in trust Uke for the hour." " Well-r-wait awhile, my man," the gentlemrn replied, Mr. Smoothley of the store-a magistrate beside ; - I'm-r-busy-for the present, but-if_r_Lere again by one, Or-r-earlier, perhaps, we'11-r-see what can be done : My partner, as it happens, being not in the way Puts everything on me, somewhat pressingly to day : Your name, though, by-the-bye ? " » Giles Homespun, sir," I said. " 0-h, Homespun, by the bridge-your father lately dead ? " " The same, air."-And now it was beautiful to see, When he knew I was Homespun, the odds it made to me; 6 He owned, at once, to knowing me — he'd heard too of my wife, And he'd never lost, he would say, by a Homespun, in his life ; He bade me to be seated — I understood that : So I whistled, as I waited, till he'd done what he was at ; And then the kindly gentleman, for such indeed he seemed, More generous by far than ever I had dreamed. Came, smilingly, assenting to all that I desired, Nay, pressing my acceptance of things not then required, Assuring me I needn't give a thought about the pay. Till fortune, in a manner, flung some good chance in my way ; He'd never been a loser by a Homespun, as he'd aaid, And he couldn't think, in my case, there was anything to dread. My present wants supplied, I thanked him for his aid, And homeward to my wife a joyful journey made. " How kindly is the man — how Christian like," I said; " What a gentleman will do, if only thorough bred ! Were fortune's fav'rites all but half as good as he, How happy, Jane, throughout, this little world might be." ' A thousand times we blessed him, and when the night time came My Jane and I together knelt — together did the same ; And never prayer from mortal heart sincerer went to heaven, That if ihe man had still his faults, those faults might be forgiven. And, ah, we yet had got to learn the kindnesses in store. He wasn't one of those whose hearts warm once and never more. Next day at noon a messenger from the goodly man arrived. To speak about a little job he kindly had contrived. And anything my wife or I were wanting at the store — So thoughtful ! — we were welcome to, as freely as before. Too pleased was I to show, at once, that Giles was not the man To readily forget the day when better times began ; " If anything," said I to Jane, " our gratitude can show. 'Tis cow occasion calls on us to do all we can do." So I went to work, and worked as I never did before, I toiled unto my utmost strength, perhaps a little more, Nor unobserved my earnest aim, it heartened me to see. In many a gracious sunny smile the good man flung on me ; And rarely came the resting hour but I was kindly told, " Whatever might be wanting I had only to make bold ;" Bat having laid some special plans for time to bring about, I drew for nothing on the store that care %puld do without. Which wrought a balance; bit by bit, I fondly hoped would buy A footing on a little farm that we were living nigh. Nor anxious less were both, believe, t' increase our stock on hand, That something might be ours to show when going on the land. For Jane and I had nothing then to boast of as our own, Save some few sheep, and one small cow, that kept the road grass down. So time ran on, the kindly man and I from day to day Exchanging help, till he, in turn, some pounds had got to pay. When Janey more than gave a hint she thought it time to settle — Perhaps I thought as Janey did, but hadn't got the mettle. I couldn't bear to press the man 't had been so good and kind, As even he I heard at times a little was behind ; But still a something whispering that Janey was aright, I mustered all my courage up, as folks do when they fight. And somewhat, to the counting house, less cowardly, I stole : " A little, sir, will do me now — I don't, sir, want the whole ? " " The whole, my friend ! — you strangely err — the whole's the other way : I'm sadly out if you have not a pound or two to pay." 'Twas all in sorrow, not in shame, i ,ave a sudden start When first I saw the kindly man waa hollow in his heart. " A pound or two to pay, sir ! that never can be true ; If figures, sir, mean anything, the pay must lie withyow." " My simple sir," he smiling said, " you do not understand, You're in the Eastern Towuships now — noi in your native land j All things are here quite different — with fruitless words dispense : A pound is sixteen shillings here, a shilling fifteen pence ; In some, indeed in many ways, black almost rules for wh;.;e ; It takef , I know, a year or two to see things in that light : Be seated, Giles, time presses — still — a few mere moments wait, I'll— r — look into the little thing — and — r — set the matter straight." A bigly book, from leaf to \e&9', with studious face he turned. When clear I saw at every leaf how less and less I'd earned ; There was int'rest in the first place, there was int'rest in the second, And int'rest on the interest, Lord knows how often reckoned ; A something hard in every way — a famine price_for flour- To settle up all the somethings took nearly up an hour , For I was sorely tasked t' unfold his figurifios. One might as well at once keep counts in hieroglyphics. Not that unschooled, he scribbled thus, more art than ignorance there, Many a baffled brain, he judged, would back out in despair. It saddened me to note the names, with mine, in such sharp quarters, It made me think, and more than ouce, of Fox's Book of Martyrs, How any man, it staggered me, could trust himself to slumber With such a shaming record of dealings — without^nuraber. Dishonesty and meanness disfigured every leaf; " If this," said I, " be lawful trade, let trader stand for thief." Nothing that I had done throughout was entered at the rate Agreed upon between us, or rightly as to date ; And every thing delivered •y&s posted at a price That pointed to a memory anything but overnice. In vain did I remonstrate, my temper scarce retained : The hook alone knew anything — the book alone explained. A hint at its authority seemed tantamont to libel • i We must go by thn hook, Giles — as if he meant the Bible. A second self-same looking thing lay close beside the other, It puzzled me to note how this so, somzliow, backed its brother, And always on the one board — I needn't mention which : T' have caught it on the other lack had passed for something rich, ** And now, my man," he said, " you'll see precisely how we stand," And then a paper, folded twice, he pu*j into my hand. "Just fifteen dollars, Giles to us — some few cen*s more or less ; Short, by five dollars, Giles, of what I'd put it, at a guess : I'm glad, indeed, I'm very glad you've given us a call. We do — 30— want — those — little things — all — settled up this fall ; It struck me — your account — but — r — let it — let it — stand. There always will be something that slips the head or hand ; You'll — r — not, Giles, kick at that, eh ! " and here the generous man Gave one of these especial smiles that only such men can. I know not whether on my face was what was in my mind — The looks of injured honest men are seldom far behind ; I did my best to hide it, but my brain was on the burst, And terribly I struggled to speak civilly at first : " Pray, when do you expect," I said, " this balance to be paid ; I've nothing dow in hand, sir, and, for sometime, I'm afraid." — " I'm sorry I'm obliged," said he, " to seem a little hard ; But things — with us — of late — in fact — a good deal off our guard, But still. — we're never pressing, — if cash — is scarce— with you Perhapa — we're not particular — the cow — perhaps — might da — A tolerable milker, Giles ? — though as to that — of course, A pig, Giles, in a poke, for better or for worse ; At all events— we'll — r — take htr — t' ohlige you — by-the-bjyo. Now, I lecall, — our own — must be — I think,— yes, — nearly dry ; — I'll look up in a day or so, and, Giles, should you be out. Just whisper to your wife the business we're about." 10 i i >* I I To this I made no answer, but simply hung my head, It seemed as if a something had struck me almost dead, " Come, come, my friend," said he, "an honest man need never Be out of heart — the store's as free to you as ever ; If any little thing — for yourself — or for your wife — I never was — to say—particular — in my life." No answer still ; he near'd me, put his hand upon my shoulder, And talked — as if a father, — or something e\en older ; But I could see beneath the guise that craft was putting on, And I waited for a moment till the wicked man had done. " I'm but a lowly man, sir, and little of a scholar, And, possibly, I do not know the interest on a dollar ; But take thou heed, that when to thee thy last account is given, The interest thou wilt have to pay don't shut thee out of heaven." Ah, why, when hieing homeward, on the roadway did I linger V Why loiter at my door with the latch still on my finger ? Too well I knew the trouble I was bearing to my wife ; Ah, then it was I tagtcd of the bitterness of life. By the half tear in my eye, by the heaving of my breast. That something there was wrong my Janey quickly guessed : She took mc in her arms, she looked me in the face — " Full well I know, my Giles, thou art not in disgrace." And when I told her all the gentleman had done, She kissed mo on the brow and looked an angel one : ' " And will they come and take thee " — she could not say the word. But in the look she gave nic 't was plainly to be heard, " Ah, no, my Jane," I said, " but much I fear the cou) Will go to pay a debt we never owed till now ; There is a way of lawing him, but then the fees I grudge. And I hear too that he is first cousin to the judge." " First cousin, Giles, to something else," my angered wife replied, !It; 11 When wc sat down to our scanty meal, and bitterly we cried. And ere the running moon was round the dreaded man appeared. Oh, when I saw him coming how I trembled as he neared : " Lord, help us, Jane," I said, " he's bent upon the cow." — " What a gentleman can do, Giles — another picture now." — " We'll have to let her go, Jane — there's nothing got by law ; With our smal^ means to face him might but distress us more." — '' Say something to him first, Giles — a word sometimes will do." — I might as well have prated to the passing wind that blew : To nothing would he listen — not a moment would he wait ; With a heavy, heavy brow I followed to the gate. It was a trying moment — man is not made of clay, But my heart was in my home, so — the dark thought went away. I leaned upon the gate till the man was out of sight, « And glad was I when came the coming on of night ; When, by the very bed where Jane and I had knelt / And blessed the kindly man, I spoke out as I felt; / • There may liave been a c c, or something in that way, (May God forrivc me if I knew not how to pray.) My heart was full of anger : I couldn't bear to sec . > The mi" ;ry about us, and the tear in Janey's e'e ; But — the God of all is goodly : — upon that very night I slept a sleep as sound as had everything been right ; And when the morrow came, unconscious of sin, A peaf^o of mind came o'er me, like a comforter within ; I went unto my Janey, who was sorrowing alone. And I tried to make licr bosom as tranquil as my own : * I'll still do for thee, Jane, the very best I can, And leave to ti-^le and time that kindly gentleman."