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WILKINSON PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BV WILLIAM BRIGGS TORONTO 1899 uu I L y )N So r^j dPi, 714G6 ''"'' eilThTudr'er ""1 '' ''; "'"'""^"^ °' ^^"^''*' '" ^»>« ^ear one thousand eight hundred and n.nety-n.ne, by John Ric.iARDHON Wilkinson at the Department of Agriculture. ""'^aoH, ai ine J PKEFACE. In submitting " Canadian Battlefields and Other Poems " to a discerning public, I realize it may be marred by many errors ; the harp may not always be in tune — some chords may jar upon the fastidious ear. Rhythm and harmony may not always present that mysterious appeal to the soul that approves, and proves the worth of all. Yet, withal, I feel that some thoughts and emotions of patriotism, love of home, the song of nature, the mys- tery of creation, and the impenetrable depths of infinitude, may be found and approved. The subtle voice of nature, the voices of love, home, and country, have ever appealed to me, and impelled me to sing my humble song. And thus, in doubt and uncer- tainty, I cast it out on the world — the reading, critical public — asking that the pure, white veil of charity may conceal its rough edges and inequalities. Seek but to benefit thy fellowman ; Let smiles, not frowns, his rugged path assail ; Better with blinded eyes his faults to scan Than let the sin of wrong and scorn prevail. J. R. WILKINSON. Leamington, 1890. CONTENTS. What Shall I Sing ? ^***^ Speak Now ' ' .„ The Battle of Chateauguay j^ The Deep Mines ,« Laura Secord ; or, The Battle of the Beaver Dams . . . , 18 The Sea and the Soul 21 The Battle of Lundy'a Lane ... 2Q My Wife .'*.*.'.'*.'.* 26 Niagara ' ^^ The Oiibways ' 90 Wrecked .... ' ,.» 47 The Battle of Chrysler's Farm ^g Summer Twilight ri Canadian Homes .... no Think of Me '".!.'.*!.'"""' 63 Dulac des Ormeaux ; or, The Thermopyla, of Canada \ . . 64 Golden Hair „ The Convict -„ The Battle of Lacolle Mills ......,.[' "q The Nineteenth Century Maiden . 'jl Music Waterloo ........'. !? The Dove's Song „_ Blinded Eyes The Veterans' Reunion Q7 Discredited The Battle of Stony Creek . ,no Voices ... ^"^ „ 104. Divided. . . ^"* 106 VI CONTENTS. ! J Paor The Huronn 107 On the Headland 117 Only a Vision 118 The World Wants a Smiling Face 120 The Voice of Tears 122 The Garden 123 The Battle of Queenston Heights 123 A Forest Dream 127 Woman 128 The Jesuit 129 Under the Stars 136 Unexplained 137 Life's Highway 139 The Battle of Abraham's Plains 163 Minnie Lee 158 The Soul 159 The Prodigal Son 160 Autumn Rain 161 The Battle of the Canard River 163 The Taking of Detroit 165 The Dandelion 166 The Death of Summer 168 "Big Mike Fox" 169 Winter Time 173 I Saw Her Face Today 176 The Flight of Time- Chapter I. The Creation 176 11. The Exodus 178 III. Belshazzar's Feast 179 IV. The Star of Bethlehem 180 V. A Night in Old Rome 181 VI. The Gladiators 184 VII. The Fall of Imperial Rome 187 VIII. Antony and Cleopatra 188 IX. Retrospection 189 Paoi 107 117 118 120 122 123 123 127 128 129 136 137 139 163 158 169 160 161 163 165 166 168 169 173 176 176 178 179 180 181 184 187 188 189 CONTENTS. vii Paom 'I'ho Flight of Time (conttHued) — Chapter X. The Flight Through Space 192 •• XI. Mars 196 " XIJ Jupiter 197 ♦• XIII. Saturn 198 •♦ XIV. Uranus 2C0 •• XV. Neptune 201 *• XVI. The Constellations 202 " XVII. Chaos 204 "XVIII. Mother Earth 206 '• XIX. The Fate of Time 207 Lost and Won ; or, Winter and Summer 209 Crandsire 210 Adversity 211 Fullmer'3 Lane 213 Autumn Winds 215 The BaLtla of Batoche 216 Falling Leaves 222 The Sea 224 Only a Faded Leaf 226 Astray 227 A Spectre 229 A Reverie 230 In Meraoriam 232 Only Dreams 234 The Battle of Cut Knife Hill 235 The Silent Voice 238 Forgotten 241 Inner Life 242 Spring-time 243 We Have Missed Thee 244 The Rescue 245 A Prayer 248 The Farewell 249 Farewell to Summer 250 viii CONTENTS. Pagk Remembrance 252 The Worshippers 253 At Midnight 255 Change ..... 256 Thoughts 257 Spring 259 Regret 260 In Memoriam 260 The Parting 261 To the Wanderer 263 Lula by the Sea 265 Tired 266 The Lost Flower 268 Drifting 268 Longing 269 The Last Song 270 The First Snow 271 Peace 273 Armageddon 274 Charity 292 : CANADIAN BATTLEFIELDS AND OTHER POEMS. WHAT SHALL I SING? WiiAT shall I sing, I prithee, O Muse ? For song burns my bosom to-day ; And it flows o'er me like a wave o' the sea, A dream-wrought, subtle melody. Shall 't be of the wondrous present, Tliis scientific, restless age ; Or cull from the field the centuries yield Rich gems from history's page ? Shall it be of stern war and the cause For which millions of men are slain, And heroic days with glory ablaze. Dear freedom and honor to gain ? Shall I sing of the stars of heaven That forever their < rbits keep — Beautiful, serene stars of heaven, Gemming the eternal deep ? Shall it be of the grand old ocean. And its bright isles far away. With life all free as th' unbounded sea, A subtle and golden day ? 10 WHAT SHALL I SING? Shall I tell of the glory of sunset, And the twilight soft on the lea, The murmuring winds, through foliage and vines, And the moon that silvers the sea ? Shall it be a lay of the seasons. That fade like a dream away ? The spring so fair, and the perfumed air, And the songsters that trill so gay ? And the summer robed in splendor, Serene as a spirit dream. Her throbs and sighs and cerulean skies Would I make my soul's bright theme ? Shall 't be of the autumn's fading, And the winds that sob and sigh. And the leaves of gold, drifting fold on fold, And the flowers that droop and die ; The birds that trill us a last farewell. Tenderly, sorrowfully sweet. Saddening the heart, doomed ever to part. And life's work so incomplete ? Shall I tell of the white-robed winter Sweeping down from icy zones. And the frozen streams, and the pale, cold gleams, And its desolate sobs and moans ? Ah ! shall it be of home and mother, And the years that have flown away. And the loved of old, like a tale that's told From childhood's dear happy day ? Shall 't be of the innocent children, Believing of such is heaven ? Their prattle and glee 's a joy unto me, And care from the heart is driven. WHAT SHALL I SING? 11 nd vines, Shall I sing of our loved country, And these bright, fair homes of ours ? So happy and free from sea unto sea, Guard well thy bulwarks and towers. And the grand " Old Flag " floating o'er us, Proudly ruling the boundless sea, Ever unfurled, encircling the world, Hath glory enough for me ! Shall I sing of man's joys and sorrows ? Of woman's undying love ? Of the ransomed that wait at the " pearly gate " Of the '« city of gold " above ? I would sing of all things beautiful. The heroic and the true, With a quenchless flame and a deathless fame To brighten the whole world through. A resurrection and a rising To a grander, nobler life, In brighter spheres, where the golden years Exclude all of storm and strife. «tl ! 1^ SPEAK NOW. SPEAK NOW. Ah, me ! the words unspoken Might have saved a soul to-day — And perhaps a heart was broken, And made hopeless by the way. If we poor blundering creatures But in wisdom would speak now, We should see more smiling features, And less gloom on many a brow. There would be far less of doubting. And far less of weary pain ; If we ceased our cruel scouting ; We should wider friendship gain. Many a way-worn wanderer Would rejoice if he but knew That absence maketh but fonder ; That our hearts are leal and true. Why not speak the word of warning When we know that danger's nigh "? Why stand ye in idle scorning Whilst the heedless ones pass by ? Why not help thy fallen brother To regain his feet once more 1 Do thy duty, let no other For thy help in vain implore. Why not spurn the demon slander That hath slain so many hearts '? Should we listen e'en, or pander Whilst he hurls his venomed darts ? IS SPEAK NOW. 13 Why not speak the words of kindness To those whom we truly love ? Why should we in our dull blindness Wait the summoning from above ? Why not do the deed that's noble, That life may the better be ; And thus scorning the ignoble, Live in blameless purity 1 Such are fearless when the battle Rages on a blood-red field ; Fearing not the cannon's rattle, They but to grim death will yield. Brave hearts like these have nobly died, Fadeless crowns to such be given 3 The good in heart, and purified Shall wear more stars in heaven. Rest not, nor sleep, be brave of soul, Seek the lost to soothe and save ; For life is brief, so near the goal. From our childhood to the grave. 14 THE BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY. THE BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY. Fought October 26tii, 1813. American Force, 3,500; British, 100. Redly the October sun shone that day O'er the golden landscape stretching away To the Laurentian Hills, o'er vale and stream As lovely as ever a poet's drearn. O'er the land of the Maple Leaf so fair Stole the wandering breeze, caressing there With light, soft fingers, and murmuring low- Through the fading foliage, dying slow. 'Twas the pe^ce of nature, touchingly giand. Brooding over this fair Canadian land. But another scene draws our thoughts away To the far-famed field of the Chateauguay. There beside it War's trumpets fiercely blare ; And marshalling foemen are forming there ! The invader dares to pollute our soil ; But brave, true men will his purpose foil. Noble de Salaberry, knowing no fear, Dreads not the foe, who by thousands draw near. Gallantly those Frenchmen stand by his side. Sharpshooters, every one, true and tried ; And they coolly wait the oncoming foe, And the river goes by in gentle flow. •'They come! they come! Voltigeurs, steady ! Aim low, aim low, — be calm now and ready ; Ye fight for your homes, and country so fair — Yield not an inch, nor ever despair." Their rifles they raised, aimed steady and well, Fired low, and hundreds before them fell ! 3-: THE BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY. 15 nsH, 100. The foe now open with thunderous roar ; Shot and shell from their guns they hotly pour. Unflinching, the Voltigeurs firmly stand, Though storm'd at by masses on every hand. Swift volleys they hurl on the assaulting foe, Sure and deadly by the river's flow. Checked in their advance by the Voltigeurs, Who heroically the storm endure ; Patiently, though suflfering loss and pain, Their position they proudly, sternly maintain. By sheer numbers being nearly surrounded, Though the foe are stunned and confounded, 'Tis a critical time at Chateauguay. Will de Salaberry in despair give way ? No ! in sterner mould is the hero cast, And will bar the way of the foe to the last. Ah ! a clever ruse he's adopting now, And a smile flits over his noble brow. ear. 'I .1 He extends his buglers widely in rear, To sound the charge and lustily cheer. 'Twas a clever thought, and a master-stroke ; On the startled ear of the foe it broke, And, frightened, they everywhere give way — Lost is the field, and lost is the day. Breaking into instant, headlong retreat. From humiliating and sore defeat. Over the border they swiftly fly. And the " Red Cross Banner " still floats on high. All hail, de Salaberry ! hail, Voltigeurs ! Thy fame still lives, it forever endures ; Ye sternly barred there the foe that day. By the far-famed stream of the Chateauguay. 16 THE DEEP MINES. And redly the October sun sank low, Flooding the world with its crimsoning glow ; And the shadows fell on the golden scene As beautiful as e'er a poet's dream. And the pale, dead faces were laid away By the murmuring stream of the Chateauguay ! And white-winged peace hovered there once more In the fading light by the river's shore. THE DEEP MINES. Delve down in the deep mines, O restless man ! Wrest from the deep mines the red, red gold ; Seize the diamonds and the precious gems ; In the deep, vast mines lies wealth untold. Win from the deep sea, from the uttermost sea. The hoarded treasures of Neptune's realm. Command thou thine own staunch, dauntless barque ; Hold the chart, and thyself guide the helm. Quaff thou from the deep things of life, O man, The things that make life more broad and great. Revere the good, the noble, and true ; Grasp destiny from the hand of fate ; Chain the elements to thy chariot wheels ; Count all things subservient to thy will — The things that ennoble assimilate. Pure as the cool, sparkling mountain rill. Drink thou of the deep wells of love, O man ! For life is empty without its sway ; The love of friends, and e'en our fellowman, Make darkest night seem bright as the day. THE DEEP MINES. 17 [lore 1 n! i barque ; i > " f ,11, great. <-* Be kind, considerate of thy brother ; Smooth somewhat if thou canst his rugged way ; Beiir each other's burdens, battle side by side — United ye shall surely win the day. Delve deep in thine own bosom, O man ! Pluck gems of thought that dormant lie ; Let thy fiery energy and deathless zeal Move the hearts of men, lift their souls on high. If thou canst not o'er the mountain go, Penetrate it to the vale beyond ; Look upward and onward, brave, pure soul. And Fortune may touch thee with her wand. But if o'ertaken by an adverse fate^ And thy dreams of greatness fade away, Front thou the storm and battle's fiery rage ; Yield but to death — death's lurid, fatal day ! If all thy years should lead by lowly ways, Where wealth and fame ne'er ope their shining wings. Be comforted, do thy humble duty well, In heaven thou mayst be honored more than kings. 2 18 LAURA SECORD. LAURA SECORD; OR, THE BATTLE OF BEAVER DAMS. Fought June 24Tn, 1813. British, 47 Hkgulars and 200 Indians Amukicans, 570, WITH 50 Cavalry and 2 Qunb. She knew, and her lieart beat faster, The foe would march that day ; And resolved, though only a woman. To silently steal away And warn the outpost at Beaver Dams ] Alone, and on foot, to go Through the dim and awesome forest, To evade the vigilant foe. No onr thought of a woman. And she gained a path she knew In the lonesome, stately forest, And over tho dark way flew. On and on with a beating heart, And never a pause for rest ; Twenty miles of dim and distance, And the sun low down the west. Startled sometimes to terror By the blood-curdling cry Of wolves from the faint far distance, And sometimes nearer by ; And hollow sounds and whispers That rose from the forest deep ; Ghostly and phantom voices That caused her nerves to creep. LAURA SECORD. 19 )F Indians But she pauses not, nor falters, But presses along the way ; Noiselessly through the distance, Through the shadows weird and gray. In time must the warning be given, She must not, must not fail ; Though rough is the path and toilsome, Her courage must prevail. I ■9 i ■if *• To arras ! to arms, FitzGibbon ! " Came a woman's thrilling cry ; "Lose not a precious moment — The foe ! the foe is nigh ! " And a woman pale and weary Burst on the startled sight ; Out from the dark awesome forest, Out of the shadowy night. '* They come ! they come, six hundred strong, Stealing upon you here ! But I, a weak woman, tell you, Prepare and have no fear." The handful of British heroes Resolve the outpost to save. With the aid of two hundred Indians, Allies cunning and brave. Still as death the line is waiting The onset of the foe ; And the summer v. :nds make whisper In the foliage soft and low. " Ready !" and each heart beat faster ; "Fire low, and without fear." And they fired a crashing volley, And gave a defiant cheer. fW* 20 LAURA SECOHD. Staggered by the deadly missiles, That like a mighty blow, Fell swift on the line advancing. Fell on the astonished foe. And for two long, desperate hours The furious fight raged there ; Till the foomen, foiled and beaten, Surrendered in despair. Well done, gallant FitzGibbon ! Thy name shall live in story ; Thy daring feat of arms that day Is wreathed with fadeless glory. One other name my song would praise, A patriot soul so brave, That dared the forest's lonely wilds FitzGibbon's post to save. Noble woman ! heroic soul ! We would honor thee to-day ; Thou canst not, shall not be forgot. More lustrous is the ray Time reflects upon thy deed. Thy talismanic name — Canadians, sound it through the land. Perpetuate her fadeless fame ! THE SEA AND THE SOUL. 21 THE SEA AND THE SOUL. On, the sea ! the sea ! how il stirs my soul, As its bright bounding billows onward roll ; Unfettered they toss their crests on high. As if to assault the far vaulted sky. Oh, the sea ! the sea ! when it murmurs sweet, And its silver waves fall down at my feet ; And it flashes and ripples in sunny smiles, Far away by a thousand happy isles. Oh, the sea ! the sea ! when the wild winds roar, And its thunderous waves rush oa the shore ; And the dread tempest sweeps the storm-torn sky. And the world is drown'd in its madden'd cry. Oh, the sea ! the sea ! when the stars' pale light Twinkle afar through the realms of night ; And the silver moon looks down on the tide. O'er its undulating bosom far and wide. Oh, the sea ! the sea ! unchained and free ; A limitless, typical mystery Of eternity ; how it rolls, it rolls, And its awesome voice is warning men's souls ! Oh, the sea ! the sea ! what of the lone graves Of the lov'd and lost in thy unknown caves 1 Where are the ships of a thousand stern years ? Man's buried hopes, and his million tears ? ^( mf ^ "''"i|i«. i\ 11 ! 22 THE BATIXE OF LUNDY's LANE. But the sea ! the sea ! 'tis my glowing theme, And I love to ponder beside it and dream, With the lights and shadows falling between, The weird phantom land of the might have been. Oh, the sea ! the sea ! when I yearn for rest. And the sun falls down in the purple west, I peek thy shadowed and wave-worn shore. And restful repose my bosom steals o'er. THE BATTLE OF LUNDY'S LANE. FouQHT July 25th, 1814. American Force, 5,000 ; British AND Canadians, 2,800. The summer sun down the sky fell low, And soft, cool winds more gently did blow, And the stream swept by with resistless flow On that July eve of the long ago, — A lovely landscape as ever was seen. And nature's serenity crowned the scene. A gold light shimmered o'er hill and stream. And the shadows lengthened softly between. Thus o'er this beautiful Canadian land Fell the hush of nature, soothing and bland. But hark ! on the startled ear there comes The blare of trumpets and roll of drums. And war's dread panoply bursts on the scene. With its rumbling roar and thunder between. As the bannered foe draws proudly nigh. And the outposts before them quickly fly. But Drummond draws up on the famous plain. On the undulations of Lundy's Lane. THE BATTLE OF LUNDY S LANE. 23 On a rise in the centre his guns he placed, Deployed his infantry, and sternly faced The menacing foe in battle-array, As the shades crept out on the dying day. Sixteen hundred dauntless, determined souls The heroic Drummond proudly controls. In contiguous lines the foe now comes. To the blare of trumpet and beat of drums, With supporting columns to reinforce And cheer the lines on their onward course. Drummond's batteries open with deafening roar, Shaking the trembling river and shore ; And hundreds go down in the deadly storm : Torn are their ranks, but again they re-form. Move forward once more with a rush and cry, Confident that Drummond will turn and fly. But he standi fast, and his battery flashes, And his sturdy infantry volleys and crashes On the brave advancing lines of the foe Rushing up from the slope below. Brown's infantry charged to the battery's side. But to capture the guns in vain they tried. They were met with the steel by Drummond's men And hurled confused down the slope again. They tried it again — rushed forward once more. But broke like a wave on a rock-bound shore ! Brown's supports were brought up, and his cannon roared. All along the lines the infantry poured A withering, ceaseless and consuming fire : And the rage of battle grew wilder, higher. The enemy charged and charged again Till their life-blood crimsoned the emerald plain, imF hi . 24 THE BATTLE OF LUNDY S LANE. And the awful din and the carnage there Filled wives' and mothers' hearts with despair. At length the long twilight closed around The smoking cannon and death-strewn ground, And the pitying night drew o'er the scene Of horror a mournful and .sable screen. Still amid the darkness they fighting fell, And the surging ranks bore a fire of hell ! Muzzle to muzzle the hot guns stormed. Rending the ranks that again re-formed, And rushed to the charge again and again Through the infantry's fire and batteries' flame. The guns were won, and retaken again In the revel of death, at Lundy's Lane. m Here Riall came up with twelve hundred more, To the help of Drumraond, bleeding and sore : Twelve hundred Canadians and regulars to stand To the death for this proud Canadian land. The brave foe brought up reinforcements, too, Determined Drummond's lines to pierce through ; And they close in a mad, mad rush again, And the roar of the hot guns shake the plain. Lurid, red flashes illumine the night. Revealing a moment the dreadful sight Of the lines struggling there in the gloom, Where hundreds go down to a gory doom. But Drummond the foemen foiled everywhere. And disheartened, on the verge of despair, At the midnight hour they fled from the field, — Broken and beaten, they were forced to yield. Throwing their baggage in the stream, in fright They fled away in a desperate plight. THE BATTLE OF LUNDY's LANE. 25 The moon had risen o'er the pitiful scene, Her lovely face, all mild and serene. Lighting up the horror of carnage there, Revealing the ghastly and upward stare Of pale, dead faces peering out of the gloom, Just touched by the silvery midnight moon. Lay them away on the hard-fought field Where the musketry volleyed and cannon pealed ! War's tumult shall rouse them again no more, The heroic dead by the river's shore. Slumber on, brave hearts ! ye do battle no more Near Niagara's awesome, eternal roar ! Oh, land of the Maple Leaf so fair, Breathe even to-day a fervent prayer For those intrepid souls who, fighting, fell For home and country they loved so well. Canadians ! tell it — repeat it again — How our fathers stood there at Lundy's Lane, With the regulars fearlessly side by side — Stood there as heroes, conquered and died. To rescue this land from the invader's tread That field was piled with immortal dead. m !• 26 MY WIFE. MY WIFE. I WANT her woman's kisses, I want her love and truth And e'er as kind and gentle As in the days of youth. I want her e'er beside me, Not enslaved, but free ; A help in time of trouble, And a comfort unto me. "We'd share life's joys together, Of its ills bear equal part ; In storm, or sunny weather. Trust each other's faithful heart. I'd have her loving counsel When perplexed with care ; When the clouds are lowering, And threatening everywhere. I'd hear her happy laughter Rippling light and gay ; And list her sweet voice singing Tender songs, that drive away The petty irritations That fret life's every day. And if not quickly banished Turn the bluest skies to gray. I want her with the children To guard their tender feet ; To soothe and ever bless them With her presence fair and sweet. MY WIFE. 'Tis mother's subtle influence That makes or mars us all : By her early lessons given We either rise or fall. And when the skies are smiling O'er all the summer land, And nature is enraptured, I'd clasp her gentle hand. And list the songs that greet us, Hear the wind's plaint and sigh. Wooing the summer's beauty As it softly treadeth by. I'd look when twilight falleth On the world in dreamy rest, And golden rays still linger In glory in the west. In that rapt quiet hour We'd watch the pale moon rise, And in the tender silence Dream of fadeless Paradise. When the shadow-land I enter. And fails life's fleeting breath, I'd cross the stream beside her. The stream that we call death. Life's years of light and shadow, Passed in sweet felicity, Should be but the beginning Of our day, eternity. 27 lill It III 28 NIAGARA. NIAGARA. I WAS rapt in unutterable amaze As I looked upon its awful front, And saw the terrific roll of waters As down the deadly mesmeric gorge they fell In power irresistible, tremendous, As if the wrath of God would rend the world asunder For the sin and wrong that man hath done ! And the earth trembled as one in fear — And the thunderous roar of its awesome voice Made all else seem silent as the dead ! Yet, majestic and supremely beautiful art thou When the god of day pours o'er thy front his wondrous light, Or when the golden stars and dreaming, silvery moon Lighteth up the slumb'rous shadows of the night. Aye, thou art sublime, though terrible, Niagara ! How diminutive are man's works compared to thee ! Thou awe-inspiring, terrific world-wide wonder — Marvellous work of the Deity ! And thou hast rolled and rolled, Niagara ; Adown the ages of the dim, mysterious past Thou hast thundered in derision of the flight of time^ And mocked when nations to the grave were cast ! But the Creator holds thee in the hollow of His hand. And when the sea shall render up its ghastly dead Thou shalt be shorn of thy stupendous power. And bow thy cruel and imperious head. THE OJIBWAYS. 29 THE OJIBWAYS. Along the shores of Point Pelee, Three hundred years age, The summer sun in rapture shone, And pure winds soft did blow. The laughing waters rose and fell In soft caressing lave ; And flashing sea-birds dipt their wings, And white gulls skimmed the wave. The mallard ducks in thousands flew Along the rippling tide, And eagles soared in heaven's blue In freedom far and wide ; And gay kingfishers watched the surf. And divers cleaved the deep. Across the waters far away Stole murmurs strange and sweet. The finny tribes in schools did glide Along the sandy bars ; The splendor of their jewelled sides Flashed up like silver stars. The sturgeon floundered in their glee, Mud pouts and cats at play — A subtle gladness brooded there Throughout the fair sweet day. The warm south winds stole o'er the lake Along the shifting bars ; The bright waves met in dashing foam. Flashing like crystal stars. ^^ m 30 THE OJIBWAYS. And skies serene, divinely blue, Met the enraptured gaze ; On the horizon far away Hung a delicious haze. Ashore ! ashore ! let's leap ashore. And glide 'neath cedar shade, Where pine trees raise their fronded crests O'er many a sylvan glade ; Where juniper in clusters grow, And twining vines wreathe o'er The nooks and winding velvet ways That reach from shore to shore. The walnut and the oak tree, too, Their sturdy forms uprear ; The haunts of squirrel and raccoon. Wild-cat and savage bear, And mink and otter haunt these shades. Their wants are all supplied ; Sleek creatures, how they frisk and play In all their graceful pride ! Oft, too, is heard the howl of wolf. When night-time closes down ; The sylvan glades, lost in the shades. With their fierce cries resound. The bounding deer and graceful fawn Here, too, have made their home ; Untamed, unfettered, and all free, These lovely haunts they roam. Hark to that wave of melody, That here so sweetly thrills ; It flows from all the nooks and glens, And from the sunlit hills ! THE OJIBWAYS. 31 O wrens, and redbirds fair and sweet, Jays, robins, join the song. And bluebirds with the azure wing, A blithe and happy throng ! The whippoorwill, and catbird, too, Whose song steals on the night. The chatter of the festive owl That shouts in weird delight ! A thousand voices join the lay. And rhythmic fluttering wings Of every hue play interlude To the hymn that nature sings. See, the flowers of every hue — Wild roses like a dream — Breathe out their incense on the air. Odorous and serene ! The lily and the violet sweet Peep up on every side, And buttercups and wild bluebells In all their native pride. CHAPTER II. Ah ! Nature with a lavish hand Hath here her treasures strewn. All undisturbed by ruthless man That scathes and mars too soon. Back o'er the silent phantom past. Three hundred years ago. Fair Point Pelee in rapture lay Where laughing waters flow. 'Twas here the red man made his home, Beneath the cedar shade ; The wigwams rose so quaint and queer By quiet nook and glade. 32 THE OJIBWAYS. This, the home of the Ojibways, Fierce, untamed, and free ; They dwelt in peace and plenteouaness Beside this inland sea. And Manitou had blest them so With fish and luscious game ; The hunting grounds were so replete Before the white man came ! Where now are termed the " Indian fields " They grew the Indian corn. And laugh and song with sweet content Roused up the summer morn. Far on the north the marshlands lay, And pond, and wide lagoon ; The home of snipe and mallard ducks, Geese, teal, and lonely loon. Among the reeds, and rushes, too. The muskrats built their homes ; They dotted o'er the wide expanse With quaint, ingenious domes. And Willow Island far away, Stirred by the toying breeze That makes the rice and grass fields wave Like tossing emerald seas. From east to west, from shore to shore. The teeming marshlands lay ; The Narrows, by the western shore, A picturesque causeway. The pass that leads by Sturgeon Creek, And circles Pigeon Bay, By which are reached fair Seacliff Heights, And regions far away ; THE OJIBWAYS. 33 And looking southward, where the sun In gohden splendor smiles On Pelee Island, fitly crowned The queen of Erie's isles. Aye, here it was, the red man's home, Tliree hundred years ago ; And peace and plenty blest his lot By the bright water's flow. He fiEid the teeming forest glades For every kind of game ; And Erie's fulness rendered up Fine fish of every name. He drew on all the wide marshlands For furs both soft and warm ; The bear and wild wolf tribute gave; And when the winter's storm Whitened upon the sleeping hills, Prepared, and safe from harm, The wigwams all with plenty stored, He knew no fell alarm. Ah ! oft these shores resounded To his children's sport so gay, And the songs of Indian maidens, Graceful as fawns at play ; And the shout and free, wild laughter Of youths at game by day ; Or as o'er the laughing waters In canoes they bore away. Sometimes to the distant islands, Or over Pigeon Bay, They went in bold adventure By sun, or star's pale ray. » '!■■', 34 THE OJIBWAYS. But the chiefs and older huntsmen Smoked in serene content ; Manj^ moons had taught them wisdom, Calmness they with pleasure blent. Thus in the summer's rapture Life was a peaceful dream ; And when winter fell upon them The wigwams were serene With warmth, good cheer and comfort : The red man loved his home ; From his kindred and his nation His heart would never roam. He believed in the Great Spirit ; His subtle soul would thrill To the voices heard in nature, That taught the Great Spirit's will. Strange, mysterious people ! Who can thy origin trace ? Are ye one o^ the lost ten tribes Of Israel's wandering race 1 CHAPTER III. Awake ! awake, O jib ways ! To dream in peace no mo.e, For there comes a bold invader From eastward by the shore. Rowing in swift, strong bateaux, With strokes both strong and long, To the cadence of fearless voices In a gay boatman's song, Come full two hundred singers, In boats, a score or more, Far o'er the laughing waters. Skirting the eastern shore, THE OJinWAYS. 35 Who ar(5 they, theso fearloHH strangers, Armed with sword and lanco, With arquebuse and muskctoon 1 They are fiery sons of France, l^xploring the boundless forests, Locating rivers and seas ; Ignoring the red man's title, Coming his rights to seize. Ha ! they spy the eastern outlet That leads to the lagoon, Far across the teeming marshlands, The domain of teal and loon. They enter with eager spirits This strange tract to explore ; And halting not, they discover Point Pelee's western shore. A causeway of cedar and hillock. From lagoon to lake they trace ; And their bateaux quickly transport By way of the Carrying Place. And they gaze on the expansion, And cheerily launch away. And disappear in the distance. Across wide Pigeon Bay. The Ojibways in amazement Saw this strange concourse pass by ; A foreboding premonition Whispered of danger nigh. Mitwaos in council assembled His chiefs and warriors brave ; Many scores of fiery stalwarts, Of countenance stern and brave. 36 THE OJIBWAYS. And calmly they deliberated, Counselling for peace or war ; Should they allow these daring strangers Their sacred rights to mar ? After the chiefs had spoken Of the pending dangers nigh, It was finally decided The strangers might pass by In peace, and unmolested, If they did not interfere With the vast teeming hunting grounds Of the nation, far and near. When three moons had waxed and waned, The voyageurs, returning, came From over the western waters. Lit by the sunset's flame. And they drew up at the Narrows, The Carrying Place again, A " cut " in the cedar hillocks Aglow with autumn's flame. De Orville, their gallant leader, And Pontgrav^ and Le Jeune, Knew their followers were weary. And made decision soon To bivouac near the marshlands For a day of needed rest. And to replenish their commissariat With fish and game the best. The camp-fires were all alighted At the eve's afterglow, And the pines and cedars quivered, And the waves made murmur low. THE OJIBWAYS. 87 The scene was worthy a Rembrandt, So rich the light and shade, And the starry vault above them. And the winds that whisper made. ** A song ! a song ! " de Orville cried, '* The night is rife with glory. Let 's while a merry hour away In singing and in story." " A song ! a song ! " as one they cry, "Life hath enough of sorrow ; Sing while we may with hearts so gay, Care cometh with the morrow." " Le Jeune ! Le Jeune ! lead on, lead on. The stars are laughing o'er us ; Give us thy latest and thy best, And we will join the chorus." Le Jeune had a poetic soul. And voice of wondrous sweetness ; He reached men's better, nobler part. And won them to completeness. And the groups about the camp-fires, A picturesque, gay throng. Heard many a quaint old story, Pun, laugh, and ringing song; And thus 'mid the wilds of nature Passed the joyous hours away. Light-hearted, merry Voyageurs, Ever gallant and gay, Beside the deep glowing embers, Passed the night in calm repose. And in the soft early dawning Refreshened they uprose ; 38 THE OJIBWAYS. And with arquebuse and musketoon, Spear, trap, and fishing-line. They scattered o'er the marshlands And 'neath the haunts of pine. And from the Narrows and the shore, Marshlands and wide lagoons, There burst the crash of arquebuse A) ::l r« .'i of musketoons. And ctil uay long the sport went on ; At eve they counted o'er A tempting hoard of luscious game, Right welcome to their store. CHAPTER IV. The Ojibways from a distance Marked the slaughter of their game. And their untamed fiery spirits With revenge were all aflame. And Mitwaos, their brave leader, Summoned his chiefs once more ; Their souls were . :"?ly chafing. And their sa% • ' earts were sore. And as bursts a pe. ^ ,ip torrent They pronounce for instant war Not one dissenting chieftain The unity to mar. The runners go swiftly forward The braves to summon now ; And there's hurried preparation, And sternness on each brow. The young and fearless warriors Meet in the cedar shade The tender Indian maiden, And farewells are quickly made. i THE OJiSWAYS. m And the stern, unbending chieftain Clasps his true-hearted wife, And kisses his dear papooses. And girds him for the strife. Their dauntless leader, Mitwaos, Who to death will do his part, Seeks his wife, the Singing Kedbird, And folds her to his heart. Ah ! those heathen souls are tender For children, wife, or mother. Their nation, and a father's love, For sister and for brother. To the south of the Indian Fields Their rendezvous is made. Where the vines and the cedara cluster, And deeper glooms the shade. Here gather fast the Ojibways, Just at the twilight's close. To await the dawn's pale glimmer To fall upon their foes. Now all girted up with wampum, With scalping-knife and spear, With tomahawk, bow and arrows. The foe they do not fear. And each chief hath his allotment Of braves to do his will ; And woll they know how to attack With cunning and with skill. Directed all by Mitwaos, Whose plans are now complete, Each one his post of duty knows. And how the foe to meet. !»v !!::! ilS5!^ 40 THE OJIBWAVs. Then at the lonesome midnight hour, When the world 's wrapped in sleep, The Ojibways form for battle, And on the foeman creep. Proud Mitwaos in the centre, The whole at his command ; Leaping Panther with the right wing, Who like a rock will stand ; And Lone Wolf with the left wing, The red men love him well, And many an act of daring His nation of him tell. The signal, an owl hoot, given, And stealthily through the gloom They move forward in position To victory or their doom. Aye, noiselessly gliding onward Through darkness dense and still. By the signal of the hooting owl Or the cry of whippoorwill. CHAPTER V. Thus gain they the dark hillocks By the Carrying Place, And like phantoms take position The waiting foe to face. Aye, waiting were the Voyageurs, In silence, but prepared ; Not as Mitwaos expected, To be surprised and snared. Da Orville became suspicious Of the distant, sullen mood Of the Ojibways, and took counsel And the usual course pursued ; THE OJIBWAYS. 41 Facing the impending danger, Placed sentries on the rounds, Alert to the slightest movement. Awake to the faintest sounds. The fires were allowed to smoulder, And, fearing no alarms, Their appointments in good order, In ranks they lay on their arms. But Le Jeune, whose tour of duty Was at the midnight drear. Was disturbed by sounds peculiar That fell weirdly on the ear. The hoot of the owl repeated. The cry of whippoorwill, Nearer, and ever nearer. Through darkness dense and still. Then swiftly rousing de Orville, They learn the foe is nigh, And quietly rouse the voyageurs. Prepared to win or die. So coolly they wait the onset, And just at the dawn's pale light Comes a flight of hissing arrows, And on the fading night Bursts a yell all fierce and hideous, As, opening the afi'ray. By a wild rush to overwhelm They hope to win the day. But bursts the crash of arquebuse And roar of musketoon, And the fatal stroke of halberd, And swords that deal death's doom. limn i^' 42 THE OJIBVVAYS. And the O jib ways reel backward With many a brave laid low, Close beside the silver waters, With their gentle ebb and flow. But the Ojibways, though repelled, Are firm and undismayed ; And fiercely they rush down again From the dense cedar shade. Preceded by a hail of arrows. With tomahawk, spear, and knife. They spring to deadly encounter. Hand to hand, and life for life ! But again out-crash the arquebuse. And roar the musketoons ; Delivered is the scathing fire By sections and platoons. The brave Ojibways are falling fast, But they fiercely press the foe, And shouts and cries are ringing As they stagger to and fro. And stern Mitwaos, unflinching, A lofty soul so brave, Calmly and proudly directing, Death-dealing strokes he gave. And on the right. Leaping Panther, Gallantly leading the way. By example to his warriors Must surely win the day. Lone Wolf on the left is foremost, An avalanche in the storm Of battle, sternly raging there On that September morn ! THE OJIBWAYS. 43 Again they are driven backward, With ranks bloody and torn ; But they rally, and chaige again, Though of many red braves shorn. Once more for their homes and nation- They'll leap on the foe once more. And wrest from him the victory, Or die by Pelee's shore. Again rose their shout of defiance. Their bosoms were aflame ; And those fearless, dusky heroes Rushed to the carnage again. De Orville had not been idle, But detached the brave Le Jeune To turn their ilank by the marshlands, And, in the onset, soon To fall on the rear of Mitwaos With the deadly musketoons — Two score of valiant Frenchmen, With volleys by platoons. The shouts of the enraged combatants. As on each other they fell. And the roar of the musketoons Seemed as a blast from hell ! The air was hissing with arrows. As they closed in the strife ; Spear, tomahawk, knife, and warclub Drank many a Frenchman's life. But the lance, the sword, and halberd Do well their deadly work ; Not once do those gallant Frenchmen The fiery ordeal shirk. 44 THE OJIBWAYS. :iS 'nV; Ha ! see, where the fight grows deadly, Meet de Orville and Mitwaos — Proudly seeking each other, Their deadly weapons cross. And as the red lightning's flash They come to the fierce assault, And mighty blows fall fast like hail ; They spring like panthers, and vault, To thrust, to guard, and to ward The crushing blow of the brands, Followed swift by skilful strokes Delivered by master hands. De Orville is cool and collected, With sinews strong as steel ; Mitwaos he hath sorely wounded — Ah ! see the totter and reel Of the unyielding chieftain. Who sinks, aye, sinks and dies ! And the O jib ways' hearts are broken ; List to their mournful cries ! Just then from the south came crashing The fire of brave Le Jeune ; And the red men fell thick and fast To the roar of musketoon. Assailed from the front and the rear, And their brave chieftain dead, A panic seized upon them, And they turned by the shore and fled ! Fled southward, beyond the hillocks, Leaving their wounded and slain — Never again to know freedom. But degradation and pain ! II, il lHi: •! !!!ii THE OJIBWAYS. 45 There v/as mourning in the wigwams For the braves that came no more — Gone to be with Manitou — And the nation's heart is sore. And many an Indian maiden Pined in the cedar shade, And the tender Singing Redbird Soon in her grave was laid ; And many an Indian mother, Once joyous as the day, Mourned for her sons death-silenced, And forever hid away. And the old men sit in silence Beside the sobbing, ^hore ; Hushed is the song and laughter, It resoundeth nevermore Through cedar and pine glades ever Rustling to and fro. Just as the winds caressed them Three hundred years ago ! CHAPTER VI. The stern victors, too, are mourning Over their dauntless slain ; Full twoscore of death-stilled heroes, Relieved of life's care and pain, After the battle was over. Lone Wolf and good Pontgrave Were found in the grasp of each other, And were laid in one grave away. Then in the cut through the Narrows The slain were buried deep, And a requiem mass sung o'er them. And forever there they sleep. \i m 46 THE OJIBWAYS. The Frenchmen then turned eastward, Over the wide lagoon, By the domes of busy muskrat And affrighted mallard and loon, And disappeared in the distance, By the eastern shore afar ; While a truce for a space is given To exterminating war. But a hundred years of despoiling Ruined the Ojibways, And dwindled away the nation, And miserable grew their days. piiffi'i JlPIl! Their rights were all unregarded When the dominant white man came ; Then the red man grew degenerate. And his sun went down in shame. To-day by the Narrows dreaming, No vestige or relic we trace Of the once proud Indian nation, Save their bones at the Carrying Place.* Uncovered by the storms of centuries. That drift the sands away. White and ghastly they are mouldering Remorselessly to decay. But beyond the northern marshlands, In regions far away. Wander two quaint, lonely relics, Poor Joe and Bill Chippewa. * Indian tradition poes to show that a fierce battle occurred at the Carrying I Place between the Ojibways and Voyageurs. Proof of this seems to be furnished ] in the fact that the " cut" there is full of human bones. • h. Iliii ■I WRECKED. To-day, where the south winds murmur By Pelee's lovely shores, I pause in sad meditation, And the mind in fancy soars Backward through time's dim corridors ; Dreamily thoughts will flow To the palmy days of the Ojibways Three hundred years ago. 47 WRECKED. All along the sea-lines dreary, Dark and threatening the storm arose ; And shadows appalling crept o'er us. Disturbed was the ocean's repose ! And madly it leaped upon us, Engulfed in a deadly gloom, As the sea's tumultuous fury Hurled our ship on to certain doom ! Wrecked on the vastness of ocean, Cast up on an isle remote, Storm-worn by the roll of centuries. By the billows savagely smote — An interminable expansion Of stern dreariness all around, Indescribable deso/ation, And a weird solitude profound ! And this forever before me. Wearing my spirit away ; God's hand seems heavy upon me, And I'm very weary to-day. fi 48 WRECKED. And ever a fair face haunts me, White hands that put coldly away — Are ye beckoning over the ocean 1 Is regret in thy bosom to-day 1 And through the weirdness of night-time I hear the moaning, incessant roar Of the waves, that ever repeateth, Sobbingly, *• Lanore, nevermore ! " Thus through my feverish dreaming It evermore seemeth to me That ' r name forever is murmured B > lonesome voice of the sea. And thus I'm wearily waiting The rescue, that never comes, Alone on this desolate islet The mariner distantly shuns ; Straining my worn eyes out ever O'er the dreary wastes of the sea ; But no ship — no ship e'er cometh, And pleading hope dieth in mo. Aye, nothing but sky and ocean. Encircling me everywhere. And the boom and swash of the billows. And the sun's incessant glare ! This only by day and by day. This for the years on years, Alone, in the wilds of the ocean. Worn out with despair and tears. THE BATTLE OF CHRYSLER'S FARM. 49 THE BATTLE OF CHRYSLER'S FARM. KouoiiT NovKMnKK llTii. 1813. Amkrican Fouck, 2,000; HitiTian AND Canadians, 800. With his right resting on the St. Lawrence, His left by a sheltering wood, Morrison deployed his eight hundred And in the clear field firmly stood ; Eight hundred firm British and Canadians, Determinedly biding there. With the Red Cross Banner above them, Flaunting proudly in the crisp, cool air. Well they knew that Boyd was advancing With two thousand to crush their line ; But they stood like a wall, and as silent, In that trying, momentous time. Aye, for the moment before the battle Far more dreadfully tries men's souls Than when thousands are falling about them, And its madd'ning din round them rolls ! Then, too, it was an event momentous For this fair Canada of ours — So much on the stern issue depended, So much on two desperate hours. Nigh and nigher, wilder and higher, To blaring trump and rolling drum, Covering their front with a skirmish line, On in war's wild clamor they come ! " Fire not a shot till the word is given ! Let the proud foe draw very near ; Then, like an avalanche, sweep their blue ranks — Remain steady, and have no fear ! " 4 rr/"*** lU m-- 50 THE BATTLE OF CHRYSLER'S FARM. Thus Morrison cried to his thin red line, Silently awaiting the word ; Though the foe had opened with clamorous roar, Not a man in that firm line stirred. At last the British the signal receive, And a mighty blow is given ; A devastating rush of iron hail Through the foeman's ranks is driven. And, oh ! how that red line volleyed and flamed Cool and steady, they fired low, And crash after crash, in tumultuous din, Fell on the suffering foe ! And for two consuming and fatal hours. They struggled 'mid smoke and flame, Till the earth was strewn with the gallant dead, Where Boyd hurled his thousands in vain. Then ruined and beaten, and punished sore. He fled from defeat away ; Victory perched on our banners once more On that ever-remembered day. Canadian and British valor prevailed. And down through the annals of time Their heroic deeds we commemorate. In hist'ry as jewels to shine. O sunny land of the dear Maple Leaf, In union abiding and free Under the Old Flag of a thousand years, Floating o'er us from sea to sea ! SUMMER TWILIGHT. 51 SUMMER. TWILIGHT. T SIT at the dear twilight hour Where the lilies and roses sleep, And the thoughts that come unto me Are oh ! so calm and so sweet. I list the sound of a footfall I know will come unto rae At the golden gloA' of sunset, When shadows steal o'er the sea, All restful and soul refreshing As dew to the drooping flower, Inwardly invigorating. Imparting new life and power. And thus, removed from the turmoil Of day, with its din and strife, I listen in calm contentment To the hum of insect life. The songs I hear in the branches, Just stirred by the wandering breeze, A concert of matchless music, Fill my heart with gladsome ease. The silvery, mystic moonlight Enfoldeth the earth and the sea. And the summer night is throbbing In nature's full harmony. sun, and sea, and shadow ! O eve with thy dreamy light ! 1 revel amid thy splendor, Enrapt in a subtle delight ! Aleene ! I await thy coming, And the clasp of thy gentle hand, To wander in blissful dreaming Near heaven's own borderland ! ^frntim i :,i 52 CANADIAN HOMES. CANADIAN HOMES. Canadian homes ! Canadian homes ! Ye dot this wide Dominion o'er, From the Atlantic's ebb and flow To the far, far Pacific's shore ! Nestling by a thousand streams, Crowning a thousand lofty hills, A thousand valleys own thy sway. The patriot e'er with rapture thrills. A hundred rivers wend their way By fertile plains toward the sea, Bearing rich products of the soil In undisturbed security ; And the great chain of inland seas, Teeming with commerce and with trade — The land is proud of her true sons, And the real progress they have made. Thy mountains tower to the skies, And free, wild winds roam o'er thy plains ; And he who seeks this great, broad land His freedom and a good home gains. Thy mountain sides and wide foothills Yield up rich ores of every name ; Exhaustless is thy hidden store, Millions of wealth the seekers gain. The matchless fisheries on our coasts. Our seas and rivers, lakes and streams, Assure to all a rich reward — They so plenteously do teem. f rade — ide. plains ; ind CANADIAN HOMES. Our railroads span the continent, A vast expanse from shore to shore ; From north to south, from east to west. They stretch this grand Dominion o'er. A system of canals have we Unequalled— search the world so wide — Connecting all our waterways By lake and stream to ocean's side. They come and go, the white-winged ships. Bearing rich burdens to and fro ; We have enough, aye and to spare ; Our hearts with gratitude do glow. Our kine are on a thousand hills ; Our wheat and corn lands, rich and rare, Yield golden grain abundantly ; With the whole world do we compare. The luscious grape here is produced, The vines are purple with its glow ; The apple, peach, and pear, and plum, In plenty and perfection grow. Invigorating our atmosphere — With skies of the intensest blue — Pnxlucing an indomitable race. With brave, true hearts to dare and do. Here woman is as beautiful As e'er this great wide world hath seen. And in her dear Canadian home She reigns an honored queen. Our famous schools dot o'er the land. Free as the winds that roam our plains, And ignorance doth flee away ; Happily, intelligence reigns. Ot I iiiii iji! '"■"if If 54 CANADIAN HOMES. Noble colleges and institutes Throughout this goodly land abound; Within the easy reach of all Is education to be found. Thus blest, the Canadian lifts his head, And all things dares in manly pride. For man to man, the wide world o'er, He's equal, proved and tried. Remember it, doubting cynic. History proves his sterling worth. And in arms he is co-equal With the bravest ones of earth. And in the world's wide, busy marts. In science, trade, and cultured art, In the front rank he e'er is found, Bearing no menial second part. Contending with the bravest there, He holds the fierce, disputed way — Persistence and efficiency Are sure to win the sternest day. Religious tolerance have we, A people chaste by Christian love ; Thousands of church-spires point the way To the celestial courts above. Thus blest, we dwell in freedom's light. Defenders of our country's cause, Loving our dear Canadian homes, Respecting and keeping her laws. These free and fair Canadian homes Acadia's vales do beautify ; Her cities gleam like diadems, Her towers mount upward to the sky. CANADIAN HOMES. 55 1, And where New Brunswick lifts her head In vigorous, friendly rivalry, They shine like jewels in a crown, An anchor to our unity. Prince Edward's Island by the sea Is safely, sternly girded round. Taught by all nature to be free ; Influenced by her voice profound They build, secure in freedom's light, A fabric safe, enduring, grand, Proud of their dear island home, And of this fair Dominion land. Our provinces beside the sea Send out their ships to every land ; Alert to every enterprise. The world's esteem they do command. Aye, they are known on every sea ; In every clime, and isle remote. The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear, Protectingly o'er them doth float. Quebec ! Quebec ! thou dowered queen Of beauty ! for thee nature smiles ; A vista wide of hill and vale, A river with a thousand isles. Above whose calm, majestic breast Frowns an impregnable citadel, A safeguard to our entrance-gate, Where Wolfe and Montcalm fearless fell. Historic and heroic days Those stern deflant cliflPs have known, The thunder of the battle strife, Wild cheer, defeat, and dying moan. iliii Hi ' liiiM! :(iii;i;.: 56 CANADIAN HOMES. Beautiful und historic stream, Flow on, flow on, toward the sea — The outlet to our wide domain — Flow on in calm tranquillity ! Heroes of old ascended thee, Brave men that would not be denied ; They pierced the wilds beyond the flood, And death and danger they defied. From Saguenay to Ottawa, Across the blue Laurentian hills. Are homes of the French habitant, And love for thee his warm heart thrills. With habits all so queer and quaint. Their social life we plainly trace ; E'er faithful to their usages, A happy and contented race. And they have stood by Britain's side When war was rife on every hand — De Salaberry at Chateauguay Dealt a good blow for this fair land. Ontario speaketh to our heart — More blest, and more diversified Are the rich blessings of her soil — We greet her e'er with love and pride. Numerous cities dot her o'er, Hamlets and town by hundreds rise, A rigorous and enduring growth, Throbbing with trade and enterprise. Pastoral scenes so fair and sweet Meet the glad, enraptured gaze ; By verdured hill and lovely vale, And a thousand broad highways, CANADIAN HOMES. 67 By lake and stream and riverside, The children's laugh and mothers* song Float out along the summer air, — A busy, bright, and happy throng. O happy homes and loving hearts, By rural scenes, or city's ways ! Pinched not by poverty and wrong, Blest in the fulness of your days ! The busy days pass swiftly by. The evening brings good cheer along ; Canadian homes are bright and gay, And purified by love and song. Manitoba bursts on our view. The prairies stretching far away. Where thousands make their happy homes, Blessing the auspicious day They sought and found this " great lone land. And still they come from every shore, Seeking out free Canadian homes, — And there is room for millions more. Here towns are rising everywhere, A vigorous growth on every hand ; Industry's ceaseless, cheerful din Is heard throughout this goodly land. Then, Manitobans, thrice three cheers Ring out ! ring out, in swelling tones, A shout for this Dominion wide, And for these new Canadian homes ! The prairie province opes the way To these far vast and fertile plains ; The wheatlands of the world lie here — This Canada to all proclaims. m¥'i\ 58 CANADIAN HOMES. And on and on we wend our way, O'er areas vast our steps are drawn ; We flit by hill and lake and stream, Beyond the great Saskatchewan. We gain Alberta's grazing lands, Lovely with vales and streams and hills — And countless kine are herded here. Stretching away to the foothills Are undulations, emerald sweeps Of sunny plains in beauty drest. With mountains towering to view — ■ This is Canada's "great wild west." We pierce the Rockies in our flight ; The steely way is swift and sure. Our land's necessity and pride, Long as our union shall endure. But on and on we safely glide, By mountains vast and stern and hoary ; Our pen but faintly can portray The scenes of panoramic glory. Here lovely valleys meet the eye, All rife with summer's winsome gladness ; The summits of those gray cold peaks Are wrapt in winter's sternest sadness, Defying the elements' rage Through mystic and untold ages. God's hand hath builded them in might To commemorate His pages. Below is verdant leaf and flower, Flora and fauna everywhere ; The peaks are wrapt in perpetual snow And lit by the sun's fierce glare. CANADIAN HOMES. 59 Below is the sigh of soft winds And the ripple of cooling streams ; Aloft is the bitterest air, Where the frost eternally gleams. The sides of the mountains ever Are great waves of emerald green ; While the streams, from summits falling White as snow, are foaming between ; The cedar and pine trees ever Tossing aloft their fronded plumes, Where the winds forever whisper Nature's subtle and mournful runes. And through and beyond the Selkirks, Down the Fraser we calmly glide — All hail, fair British Columbia, Thou rich gem by the ocean's side ! Lovely land of mountain and stream, We greet thee with bosom aflame ; A crown of laurel awaits thee. We sing of thy greatness and fame. The fleets of the world come to thee ; Thy cities are growing apace ; Thou art vigorously gaining. And everywhere we may trace Prosperity and refinement In those far west Canadian homes ; The field and the mine contribute. And we hail thee in heartiest tones. Out o'er a measure of ocean, Of ripple and bright sunny smile, The sea accords us a welcome To Vancouver's fair sea-girt isle — 60 CANADIAN HOMES. I" m i Last link in the chain of our union, A bright gem in the Western sea, Imbued with loyal devotion, Prosperous and happy and free. We breathe the ozone of ocean, Where our mammoth ships sail away To the land of the Celestials, And the Japs, at the break of day. And southward unto Australia, And the distant isles of the sea, Our commerce is fast extending. Reaching out vigorously. Northward, by Behring and Polar seas, E'er fearlessly our good ships go. Undeterred by storms of the deep. Or perpetual frost and snow ; Seeking and finding seal and whale, Faithful hearts that know no fear, Venturing all in the enterprise For their home and loved ones dear. Returning by our " golden north," Penetrating the Arctic zone, Bordering on the frozen deep. All so desolate and so lone; Flitting by Great Slave and Bear Lakes, " The fur country," winning our way By Rupert's Land, lonesome and strange. Leading downward by Hudson Bay. Gaining the stormy Atlantic, And wafted, by headland and shore. Past the homes of our brave fishers On e'er desolate Labrador, CANADIAN HOMES. 61 Thus we have circled the Dominion, A vast and wonderful domain ; Exhaustless in her resources, The world shall yet ring with her fame. Then up in your might, Canadians ! No matter what your creed may be. And stand for country and the right. E'er steadfast in our unity. The half a continent is ours, Then let our hearts be all aflame ; The field 's sufficient for us all, Where all may win both wealth and fame. We love this fair Canadian land, O'erstrewn with mountain, plain and lake ; And we would even dare to die For our dear homes and country's sake. Remember it? Aye, remember — They burn within our thoughts to-day — Queenston Heights, famed Lundy's Lane, Stony Creek, Quebec, Chateauguay. There, side by side with the regulars, Our fathers faced the invading foe. And swept them from our sacred shores By stern-delivered blow on blow. And should they dare to come again Where the old flag in freedom waves, We'll meet them firm, unyielding still, And strew these peaceful shores with graves. Hurrah ! hurrah for Canada ! For the land that is great and free ; " The flag that's braved a thousand years," Ever that grand old flag for me. ii! 62 CANADIAN HOMES. m *: Touch not its daring crimson folds — Tt bears no cringing coward stain ; No traitor hand shall pull it down, Nor mar its glorious fame. It floats to-day o'er every sea ; In every clime, in every zone, That daring flag defiantly Is to the free wild winds out-thrown. The sun may rise and set again, But not on Britain's grand domain — The Empire dots the wide world o'er. And Britain's heart is all aflame. Hurrah ! hurrah for Canada ! And the Empire that rules the sea ! In union with the Motherland We are ever safe and free. Thus, moving on from year to year, All time shall sing our brave story — A united empire rolling on To an immortal glory. 1 THINK OF ME. 68 THINK OF ME. List when the wind in summertime is sighing, And a wealth of verdant bloom ia on the lea ; Seek the path our feet together used to wander, And think of me. Watch when the sunset's tender glow of evening Fades into twilight's dreamy ecstasy, And thy soul is soothed by nature's subtle fulness, And think of me. And when the shadowy arras of night enfoldeth The hills, and darken o'er the throbbing sea ; Steal tenderly out beneath the stars' pale beaming. And think of me. Go when the autumn leaves are sadly falling, And the melancholy winds appeal to thee, And stillness broods where grass and flowers arc dying, And think of me. And when thy soul to music's touch is thrilling. And thy voice repeats in tenderest melody The songs we loved when you and I were dreaming, And think of me. Weep when the dreary autumn rain is falling, And sobbing winds are strewing o'er the lea A wealth of golden leaves and pale dead flowers, And think of me. And when thy day of life is slowly waning Into the mystic light of the eternity. Call back the dreamy years of life's glad morning, And think of me. ?.1 ¥n*^^fit^iF 64 DULAC DES ORMEAUX. IV' mh DULAC DES ORMEAUX ; OR, THE THER- MOPYLAE OF CANADA. Destruction menaced fair Mount Royal, And the bravest cheek grew pale When from the shadowy, awesome forest Came the blood-curdling tale That the unsparing, ferocious Iroquois Would encompass them once more ; Twelve hundred plumed and painted warriors Would in fury on them pour. Palisaded around and bastioned, But war-worn and wasted so. With the pale shadow of doom upon them, How shall they foil the dread foe 1 Often, when life and its cares seem darkest, Doth aid and guidance appear. And the storm and the threatened danger On the horizon disappear. Thus saved was the lovely Mount Royal By as heroic a deed As e'er blazon'd the page of history ; And it came in their sore need. Noble, self-sacrificing des Ormeaux, And sixteen fair youths so brave, Resolved on a desperate rescue, Thoir homes and country to save. Aye, resolved though to a man they perish, The rescue should be complete ; And prepared for the awful issue — 'Twas death, but never defeat. DULAC DES ORMEAUX. 65 Making their wills, and solemn confes < '> In war's panoply arrayed They received the holy sacrament, And solemnly knelt and prayed. And bidding their well-beloved friends iarewell, As men who to death march away — (Aye, and so were they, for all, all were slain In the merciless aflfray). And stemming the current of swift St. Anne, They fearlessly launch away O'er the sparkling Lake of Two Mountains, Onward, by night and by day. And by the pass of the Long Sault Rapid, In a redoubt deserted, old — A mere breastwork of logs and abatis. Covered by moss and mould — There, with forty Hurons and Algonquins, They took their intrepid stand. And waited the approach of the Iroquois, Who were very near at hand. The French and their red allies strengthened Their frail post with earth and sod. Leaving twenty loopholes for musketoons ; And, commending all to God, They took post, prepared now and watchful Under the All-seeing Eye, To light heroically for their homes. And, if need, for them to die. " Hist ! hist !" Dulac des Ormeaux whispered, " Make ready the musketoons ; Hear the signal hoot of the boding owl. And the cry of lonely loons ! 66 DULAC DES ORMEAUX. 1 1 i- i ''^^P 'Tis the stealthy approach of the Iroquois, Signaling their reptile advance ; Mon braves, let's teach them what Frenchmen can do For love and glory of France ! " Let them come, let them come, now, very near, Then level the musketoons ; Answer thus the hoot of the boding owl, And the cry of the lonely loons ! Hand to hand, use the halberd, sword and lance. Make these reptiles bite the grass. And strike as the Spartans did of old. When Leonidas kept the pass ! " See ! through the dim and shadowy forests, They like deadly serpents creep — Mark the cruel light in their devilish eyes, As our frail defence they sweep ! Steady, brothers ; comrades, aim low and sure. Let every good missile tell ! Rain sure on the malignant Iroquois A consuming fire of hell ! " And they opened then with crash and flamt And wild, savage cries of pain Pierced through the roar of the musketoons ; Swift again, and yet again, Sure volleys burst, hurling death, dismay, The old gray redoubt around. And the withering fire from that brave band Struck many a red fiend down. For five long days the Iroquois Swarmed around that frail redoubt. Repulsed again, aye, and yet again. Worn hj hunger, thirst «^nd doubt, ^^H 1 DULAC DES ORMEAUX. 67 And want of sleep, the Frenchmen praypd, And fought with valiant might Through long, frightful days of carnage And the horrors of the night. Iroquois reinforcements now arrived And the Hurons, in dismay At the dreadful, inevitable result, In desertion fled away. For three days longer seven hundred foes Beleaguered that frail redoubt. Defied by the score of dauntless youths, Still barring the red fiends out By a ceaseless fire of the musketoons ; Keeping their post night and day With the unyielding courage of despair, Holding the red scourge at bay. And, reeling in uttermost weariness, Realizing their doom is sealed, They can but die in the unequal strife, But must not — no, must not yield ! The Iroquois, covered by wooden shields, Rushed up to the palisades ; Up swift from the river's concealing banks, And sheltering forest glades. Crouching below the fire of musketoons, They furiously cut away Post after post of the frail palisades That h^d them so long at bay. Firing through the loops on their pent-up foes, Teai'ing a breach in the walls. They swarm within with ferocious joy ; But many a red fiend falls 68 DULAC DES ORMEAUX. By desperate sweep of the Frenchmen's steel, Deliv'ring lightning blows ; Asking no quarter, and receiving none, From cruel, insatiate foes. Thus selling their lives in a noble cause, Not one of the French are spared ; But hundreds of unsparing Iroquois Their gory death-bed shared. Thus checked was the advance of the Iroquois And Canada was saved By as heroic an act of devotion As war's annals ever gave. And the defence of the Long Sault passage Shall nevermore fade away ; All time shall honor the heroic defence — Canada's Thermopylae ! Pause, Canadians ! pause by this spot — Seek the Long Sault's rapid flow — Call back the famed scene enacted here Two hundred long years ago. GOLDEN HAIR. 69 ilOlS GOLDEN HAIR. A HEAD of golden hair, With many a silken fold ; A face as beautiful as e'er Was wrought in human mould ; An eye as blue as ever Italia's skies can be, That shone as stars of heaven In soul-lit purity ; A form that tranced the vision ; A matchless, perfect grace Of a life all pure and God-like Lighting the sweet, fair face ; A voice as low and silv'ry As flutes at eventime. Or trill of harps ^olian, Tender and so divine ; f A head of golden hair. Haunting my soul alway, In the silent hours of dreamland, Or blaze of noontide day. Yet vain are all thy dreamings, O heart ! A year ago We laid that head so golden Under the daisies low. 70 THE CONVICT. THE CONVICT. Frenzied by the destroying curse of drink, In fury uncontrolled I struck him down ; The insult was bitter, and I went mad — insane — And with one fell blow slew him, and fled the town. In a momeni I was sobered, and realized The awful deed my savage hand had done, And a dreadful terror on my senses fell ; Before arrest, stern punishment had begun. Oh ! the horror of that moment when I realized That I my fellowman, once friend, had slain ; That I was lost forever and for evermore, And my brow burned deep by the damning brand of Cain. " Lost ! lost ! " I cried in agony to heaven. Demoniac laughter on my pained ear fell — The answer to my prayer came not from heaven ; It seemed to rise from lurid voids of hell. Pursued, arrested, and for life condemned — Caged as a wild beast behind bolts and bars — The iron door closed out the world so fair, The panoply of heaven, sun, moon, and stars ; Closed out home, mother, father, sister, brother. And one that was so fair, and loved me so ; Broken are their hearts, because I was so dear In the sinless happy days of long ago. Once only was I lured by the red wine, And joined the revel in the maddening bowl. 'THE CONVICT. n 'Twas fatal ! In that appalling direful hour Lost was all the world, and ruined was my soul ; Forgotten was my mother's warning, and I saw not the pit made for unwary feet, But past the portal and the dividing line, My awful ruin was complete. Stunned, and almost crazed by agony And remorse, I wept such bitter burning tears As come from those, all lost to earth and heaven, Who, hopeless, brood o'er past and following years. I prayed with awful fervency to heaven To forgive and heal my weary, broken heart, Appealing for the lowliest place in paradise, That I might with the angels bear some humble part. I know not, but sometimes it seems to me A pitying God will my fell deed forgive ; Will lift the grievous burden from my weary soul, And let the suffering, forsaken sinner live. And thus I wait behind the bars and iron door. In gloomy corridor or stifling cell, Suffering the nameless horrors of the damned In this relentless, dreary, earthly hell. 72 THE BATTLE Ol" LACOLLE MILLS. THE BATTLE OF LACOLLE MILLS. Fought March 30th, 1814. American Force, 4,000 ; British AND Canadian, 340. Ten miles inland they ventured To the « Stone Mills " at Lacolle ; Four thousand rough invaders, Our country to control. Canadians e'er rally quickly When dangers thicken round, And to duty's call immediate Give no uncertain sound. The call was swiftly given. And the " Stone Mills " occupied, Loopholed and greatly strengthened, And the enemy defied. Of stern British and Canadians The little force formed round ; Resolved at every hazard To hold their vantage ground. The foe moved up on every side, And made their grand attack ; The old walls blazed in fierce return, And drove the proud foe back. Three guns were now brought forward The mill to batter down ; The " Old Stone Mill," the good old mill. In defiance still did frown. tHL BATtLE OF LACOLLE MILLS. 73 ThB gunners fell beside their guns, So hot, so fierce the fire The British poured upon them To prevent them drawing nigher. For two long hours the cannonade Stormed at the old mill walls — The good old mill, the brave old mill, That totters not nor falls. " Ho, Voltigeurs, and brave regulars ! Form quickly side by side, And charge the foe's battering guns," The gallant Handcock cried. And they swept across the open Up to the cannon's side — Those grand soldiers' hearts were burning, As an army they defied. Swiftly through the infantry's fire, Up to the cannon's flame, So fearlessly they struggled, Charged and charged again. Those gallant men could do no more, And they fell back fighting still. Gaining once again the safety Of the sheltering mill. ■'V The fire was now redoubled. The old mill blazed and roared ; A deadly hail from all the loops Upon the foe was poured. 'Twas all too hot for Wilkinson At Lacolle Mills that day, And he turned about in utter rout And swiftly fled away. 74 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY MAIDEN. Heroic Handcock ! heroic men ! Thy luem'ry shall not die — Canadians, join with me to-day, And shout it to the sky ! Weave, then, a fadeless laurel wreath For those who nobly gave E'en life for British liberty. And this fair land to save. THE NINETKENTH CENTURY MAIDEN. O RADIANT maiden ! thou art so fair, With thy azure eyes and thy golden hair ; The bloom of the lily and rose on thy face, Thy sunny smile and thy exquisite grace. The joyous light of thy innocent eyes, Deep wells of the soul and clear as the skies ; And pure as the snow the sheen on thy brow — O mayst thou e'er be as stainless as now. Thy voice is as soft as the summer wind, Thrilling, pathetic, a music divine ; And wonder! ul is thy power to-day, And thy influence and thy gentle sway. The world does homage to-day at thy feet, A captive at will to slavery sweet. Man battles amain the vast wide world o'er ; He delves in the mines for their j-recious store; For the gems of the sea, searclies iar and wide, Through the rage of the storm and the I'ushing tide. Aye, in every clime, and in every zone. He si luggles with might for thee an