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E ntered according to A ct of Parliamen t o f Canada, in th e yearone th ousand nine h undred and th ree , b y CA RRO L L RY A N
,in th e
ofice of th e M inister of A griculture and S tatistics at O ttawa .
MY S O N G .
To understand the song I sing
Y ou must know grief l ike mine,
And out of love’
s immortal spring
Drink l i fe ’ s divinest wine .
Ah,you must love
,and lo se , and learn
What these alone can tell,
When thought s of flame transcendent burn ,
Like bolt s,when angels fell .
0,you must know what ’ti s to stand
Alone ’mid boundles s night,
To search in darkness for a hand
To guide your way aright,
Yet find it not ; to hear no sound ,
No promise in th e gloom
A spiri t in a void profound
The univers e a tomb .
MY S O N LJ .
I f,having swooned upon the shore
Of time,and tasted death
,
You wander back to l i fe once more
And feel returning breath,
Whil e memory recall s the strain,
Triumphant,sweet and s trong .
That came with death,that ended pain
,
You ’l l understand my song .
THE CONVE NT PORTE R .
He was an ancient,bearded man ,
Within the archway seated ,
Who through the summer,l one and long,
H i s Rosary repeated .
H e rang the bell for Matin prayers,
At noontide for the reapers,
And,when the evening shadows fell
He rang it for the keeper s ;
And , sometimes , too , he toll ed a knell
For everlasting sl eeper s .
From day to day he said his beads,
Within the archway staying ;
The sun aris ing found him there,
A nd, setting, l eft him praying .
THE CONVENT PORTER .
On him would li ttl e hands attend ,
And little footfal l s pattered
Around him ; where the fig trees bend
Where purple treasures scattered ;
The Whisp’
ring cypre ss was hi s friend ,
For him the ivychattered .
But seldom at that Convent gate
A travell er di smounted ;
The outer world of love and hate
Pas sed by it unaccounted,
Monotonous,and quaint
,and calm
,
The prayerful seasons glided,
The vesper hymn and morning psalm
The days alone divided,
That hy t he dial , near the palm ,
Were left but undecided .
S o years went by,until one day
The night cloud westward roll ing,
Came round the Friar ’ s dim retreat
Without the Vesper tolling.
6
THE C O N V EN T P O RTER .
THE CONVENT PORTER .
The birds stil l sang on ivy sprays ,
The children s til l were playing ,
The Porter,as in former days
,
S eemed Rosar i es s til l saying ;
But D eath had found hi s quiet ways ,
And took the old man praying .
STRADA SA N GIOVANNI .
’Tis a quiet l ittl e by- way,
S teep and rugged as Parnas sus ,
Leading from the noisy highway
Fil led with Carbonari as ses .
Lo fty houses lean above it ,
Whi spering like neighbors canny ;
S till in memory I love it
D ingy S trada San Giovanni .
Shrined in niches on the corners ,
S aint s and martyrs smil e down grimly
On the unbel ieving scorners
S talking through the twilight dimly,
Going no one knoweth wh ither,
By the Casa Frangipani
Wh ere the votive flowers wither
In old S trada San Giovanni .
8
STRA D A SA N GIOVA NNI .
When the summer days were weary
Wi th the breathings of S irocco ,
B lowing with persi stence dreary ,
Red and sultry from Morocco ,
Pleasant was that shady all ey ,
When there were not passers many ,
Like an ancient cl iff - wall ed valley
Lonely S trada San Giovanni .
With her cushion,making laces
,
Deftly working like a fairy,
Fairest of the i sland graces ,
Little Anna Camelleri
Sat upon her doorstep singing ,
Giving l ittle heed to any ;
To and fro her bobbins fl inging
In old S trada S an Giovanni .
Gentl e,dark—eyed littl e maiden
D ream of unforgott en pleasure
With her tres se s,coin o
’
erladen,
All her dowry and her treasure .
9
STRA DA SA N GIOVA N NI .
Long ago l—While multiplying
Shadows gather thick and many ,
S t il l a sunbeam,time - defying
,
Shines in S trada San Giovanni .
IO
CA PRIA N W'
INE .
Bring me a cup o f the vintage of Capri ,
Odors of viol ets flooding it s b rim ;
H ere,in the cold north
,I would be happy ,
Calling up memories mi sty and dim .
Memories carried,l ike Orient treasure
,
Over the seas to the homes o f theWest ,
Gathered by hearts palpitating with pleasure .
Locked in th e casket of l ove in my breast .
Voice s that sound like the wind in the cedars ,
Come with th e odors of Capri to me,
With hands that were faithful and tireles s weeders ,
In gardens of l if e reaching down to the sea .
Thirst of my spirit thi s vintage can slaken ,
Time,sorrow and distance
,l ike cl ouds
,di sappear .
Long sil ent s ingers their strain s re- awaken,
The brave and the noble who peri shed are here .
I I
CA PRIA N VVIN E
Up from the beaker,as up from the ocean
Vi sions aris e l ike the beauti ful dead ;
Coming in dreams,with a l iving emotion ,
And pale fingers part ing the curtains of dread .
Rosy cheeks nestl ing adown in white pillows ,
Fanned by the wings that are not for our gaze ,
Hoary heads sinking fast under the billows ,
Driven by tempests for many long day s .
Lost in the past,l ike the victim s who peri shed
,
Hurled from the cliff by the tyrant of old ;
Who has their names or their memories ch eri shed ,
Who has th e tale of their mystery tol d !
V i ol ets bloom where th e loving are lying,
They breathe in the odor and sm i l e in the vine ;
! i ss,rosy lips
,separation defying
,
I bl es s thee for giving thi s Caprian Wine .
MY MOUNTAIN HOME .
The trees have grown so stout and tall
Around my dear old mountain home .
The Pine,the Oak
,the Maple—al l
That answer to the winds that roam .
About the ivied hall .
Among their shadows long ago
My youth,all pas sionate and wild
,
Chased phantoms I have l earned to know
Could only haunt a dreaming chi ld
Unreconciled to woe .
Wi th wonder through their branches high,
I l ooked on each mysterious star,
And thought , if I were then to die ,
My soul would r i s e and soar afar
Untrammeled through the sky .
I3
MY MOUNTA IN HOME
Here was my father ’ s fav ’
rite seat
And there was oft my mother’s place
The path i s worn by many feet,
But she will nevermore retraceM i
Her way to this retreat .
Time roll s along its c easeles s wave,
And years on weary years have past
S ince through tho s e trees , so tall and brave ,
The red O ctober ’s blighting blast
S trewed leaves upon her grave .
Now others share her lowly sl eep
Who then were dear—the old,th e young
S til l I must toil along the deep,
With heart by many sorrows wrung,
And watch , and wait , and weep .
I4
THE E L M TREE .
But there i s one within my father’
s dwell ing,
Who from his window gazes out on thee .
He knows,Old Tree
,the tale that thou art tell ing ,
H e hears and sees what none el se hear or see .
Thou hast a secret Old E lm, worth the ke eping ,
We children knew it not in early days ;
But they who far beyond thy shade are sleeping
Reveal ed it to us ere th ey went their ways .
G od pity us who sadly wait with shrinking,
Like one sweet spiri t for the fal ling lea f.
O,Brother
,m ine ! in darknes s I am thinking
Of severed branches and a scattered sheaf .
Down the long road that dips into the vall ey
The love - crowned vi sions of our youth have fl ed ;
While l ike los t mariners we keep a tally
Of the sad years in desolation sped .
I6
THE E L M TREE .
THE E L M TREE.
But O,remember
,in thes e doubtful maze s
There i s a fountain by the elm tree bl est
And the wei rd presence in it s branche s gazes
Through hope ’s bright portal in the happy west .
I7
AN OLD TORONTO BOY .
Take care,Old Man !! “
I thank you , s ir .“What street i s th i s I
’
m on
King - street . ! “And can you tel l me where
I ’l l find the Hel icon ! !
There’s no such place . But if you are
A stranger,you can go
To the Ros sin , i t i s not far .“Acros s the street ! ! “
Just so .
King street—a stranger—let me think
Rise up,ye stones
,and tell
The memories that sweetly l ink
Crocus with asphodel.
The faces look Toronto - l ike.
I feel my mother earth.
S t . James’
clock ! I hear i t strike.
This i s my place of birth.
‘18
A N OLD TORONTO BOY
But Oh,how changed ! I look alo ng
The old famil iar street .
The bellman,yes
,I hear hi s song
,
And the tramp of vanished fee t .
Toronto ! I could fal l and ki ss
The very ground I tread .
O,Mother ! Father ! S i sters ! thi s
I s speak ing with th e dead .
’Twas here that I first l earned to be,
To read , to write , to row,
’Twas here I learned my A B C,
S ome sixty years ago .
’Twas here that I became a man
Firs t knew of love the j oy .
’
Twas here the strange,wild race began
Of an Old Toronto Boy .
I9
ISLE OF MEMORY.
L’
p ltimo , lasso, d-
e miei giorni al legri,
Che pochi no visto in ! uesto, v -iver breve .
Petrarca, S onetto CCL ! ! ! IV .
O,most dear to memory
I s that I sland in the sea,
Where the wild purple pass ion - flower bloom s ;
There the breezes sink to sl eep
On the bosom of the deep,
Mad-e drowsy with the weight of sweet perfumes .
There the towers darkly frown
H igh above the subj ect town,
Where the banner of the Master floats no more ;
And the sound of convent bell s
From the vall ey upward swell s,
And the Lotus - eaters dream upon the shore.
'
z o
SENTE NCED TO DEATH .
I mus t die on Friday the first .
I have three weeks more to repent .
Thank heaven ! I now know the wors t
Of the law that will never relent .
But why should I grieve or b e sad !
What is there in death that i s worth
A thought to a spirit who had
More reason for terror in birth !
But I ’m not alone in my doom,
Though fixed are my moments of' breath ;
I walk on the path to the tomb
With millions—all sentenced to death !
What i s li fe ! When hunger i s fed,
Curiosity all satisfied,
We wearily turn on our bed
And sleep a long sleep undenied .
22
S E N TE N CE D TO DEA TH .
They talk of the mercy of God ,
Of Jesu s who died for my sins ,
A tos s—up among rascal s who nod
Approval when wors t rascal wins !
Well,l et them go on with their game ;
I,at least
,am no hypocrite vil e
In the depths o f my sorrow and shame
I can turn from their gods with a smil e .
I f the mercy of God were l ike their s,
Could words it s mal ignancy te l l !
Hang the wretch ! He’
s a fel low who dares
To think,and then send him to hel l !
The villain who robbed me of all
That gave satis faction to breath,
I sl ew as a s erpent in coi l
I s entenced and sent him to death .
Civil ization and progres s—all cant,
Hypocri sy , subterfuge , sham !
Rel igion that runs into rant
E xpires whil e muttering Damn !
23
S E N T‘
E N CE D TO DEA TH .
Condemn me to death ! Very good !
What care I for rop e or for kni fe ;
I stand where all martyrs have stood ;
Y ou cannot condemn me to l ife !
But th e God who i s Lord over all
Wil l look into my heart,and He knows
The agony,wormwood and gall
,
The insults,the lashes
,the blows .
He has hidden and He wil l reveal '
’Tis mine to pas s under the rod .
From the sentence of man I appeal
To the j u stice eternal of God.
A DRE AM - SONG .
A lov e - song died on my heart in a dream
That I dreamed in the long ago ,
But an echo of that sweet song would seem
Thro ’ my being ever to flow .
I never can catch the word s or the tune ,
Though o ften and often I try ,
The syllabl e s fai l,l ike an ancient rune
,
The melody breaks in a sigh .
And sometimes I pause when I hear the note
Of a bird,or the laugh of a chil d ;
Then into my spiri t there seems to float
A part of th e song that beguil ed .
The winds in the pines have an echo sweet
Of th e memory deep and strong,
And even the voices up from the street
Have sounds l ike my beauti ful song .
25
A DREA M SONG .
But the chords will break and the words wil l fail ,
For my thought has a thousand wings ;
And in place of my song I hear the wail
The lost to my memory br ings .
I know that I never shall hear my song,
All sung as it was long ago,
Till the shadows of l i fe are dark and long,
And my footsteps gentl e and slow .
When the sounds of the stri fe grow faint and far
And the thought of the storm,between
The ri se of the glorious morning star
And the setting that i s not s een,
Have faded all from my Spirit away,
While sorrow and pain wil l but seem,
The song that di ed on my heart that day
Wi ll return and restore my dream .
26
THE PARTING GUE ST .
Oh,s igh no more for the days that are gone
Dim shadows of ghos t s that are dumb
What if thi s sunset b e lurid or wan ,
There ’s a glorious sunrise to come .
What if the fri ends you have cheri shed dead !
The woman you loved b e untrue !
They are the losers o f heavenly bread,
And wine of good l iving—not you .
Have you not supped with th e gods in your
Wi th Psyche to gladden th e night !
Tasted the rapture of love in it s prime
Along with the children of l ight !
27
THE PA RTING GUEST .
Unbidden a guest at the banquet of l ife
All naked you came and were clad
Hungry we fed you—we gave you a wife ,And thirsty
,our wine made you glad .
Riches we gave you—our gems and our gold
We loved you,and made you our king
Taught you our wis dom—the secret we told
Of serpent,of ro se, and of ring .
Now a last favor,we open the gate
,
That you may pass out and away ;
Here , i t i s ordered , must ev’
ryone wait,
But none i s permitted to stay .
28
HERE A N D NOW .
A nobl e thing to nobler leads ,
The great succeeds the small ,
To glorious thoughts,and words , deeds ,
We all are heirs of al l .
All things the good and wise have taught
Through ages dark and long
The victor ies for which they fought
To us by right b elong .
We are the heirs o f God - l ike sires
The children of the Sun
Who in our souls retain the fires
That once Prometheus won .
From day to day , from year to year ,’Ti s ours to th ink and do ;
To know no creed that teaches fear,
But only seek the true .
30
HERE A N D NOW .
To be at peace with al l mank ind,
Do good whene ’er we can ,
And with a common bles sing b ind
The brotherhood of man .
31
IN E ! ILE .
An angel with a flaming sword
Ha s shut me out of Paradis e,
For I have sinned before the Lord,
And exil e i s my sacrifice .
Yet I am brother to the stars
I know the path that they must tread,
S ince , fighting in angeli c wars
The lightnings circl e round my head .
No bolt can kill thi s l iving soul,
Though chaos black blo t out the day,
A nd heaven,l ike a shrivel l ed scroll
,
Burn up,di ssolve
,and pas s away .
1 2L ]
IN E ! ILE
Before the birth of mother night ,
From whom came all created things ,
My spirit came on endl es s fl ight ,
The past and future are its wings .
S on of the Morning, in my hand
I bear a torch from other spheres '
I ts l ight will spread o ’er every land,
And shine thro ’ al l the coming years .
For y e shall know me by a sign,
When fire i s kindl ed at my breath,
And comes a messenger divine,
Whose form i s l ife,whose shadow death !
33
AT PEACE
O,footsteps sounding in the night
Along the empty city street,
Go ye,l ike me
,in laggard fl ight ,
Your doom to meet !
Or go ye to a region blest
S ome place of quiet—call it home,
Where you may ease your toil and rest,
While I must roam !
O voices,calling through the gloom
,
Speak ye but to my heart alone
O f hope that ris es o ’er th e doom
Which I bemoan !
34
A T PEA CE .
Or are ye echoes of the past,
When love was young and li fe was
When nothing could a shadow cast,
Or make me sad !
O,music falling from the stars
,
A promis e o f the things to be
When,passed beyond thes e mortal
I will b e free ,
Art thou the spiri t of the sphere
Where dwell s the love I thought was dead !
Spirit of beauty ! thou art near ;
I hear thy tread !
O,foot step s
,voices , music , all
I ever knew to love,behold
I ’ve drawn the curtain,spread the
My hearth is cold !
35
A T PEA CE .
All silent now,I hear no sound
,
And soon the throbbing heart must cease
A mighty presence wraps me round .
I am at peace .
36
THE GIFTS OF W ISDOM .
To that extent of failure I must share
The company of other s l ike myself .
But there I will b e sati sfied,becaus e
I know with kindred spirit s I would be ,
A nd‘
go on striving, as I did on earth ,
To ri se to higher things .
For wisdom I
Have prayed and,l ike th e sage of ancient days ,
I found that wisdom i s increa se of sorrow .
But in that sorrow was a secret balm,
L aid on my heart in one swi ft flash of l ight
When I stood face to fac e with God alone .
For one ecstatic moment,Lo ! the veil
,
Which hides the mystery of l ife was drawn,
And the great deep to it s remotest bound
Was al l revealed .
My sorrow is no more ;
I have no fear . I know,for I have seen
The orb ineffable,and am content .
38
THE GIFTS or W ISDOM .
M i s fortune now may come , the tempest rage ,
Pain,sorrow
,suffering
,the scorn of men
,
Hunger and poverty,aye
,Death itself
,
O’
erwhelm th i s mortal . I can bear them all ,
Because I know their meaning and their end .
And when the time for my departure comes,
I’
ll cast away thi s robe of flesh,and ri se
Triumphant in th e love that gave to m e
The gift of wi sdom ere I l ef t the earth .
39
VE RA .
Dear child,I know not if thy poor old father,
Who mourns ‘
for thee in s il ence and alone ,
M ay in a long neglected garden gather
Sweet blos soms in forgotten beauty grown .
But I will go where thy dear hands have planted
True thoughts that blo ssom into deeds of love,
There I wil l pray and,i f my prayer be granted ,
’Twill not be long before we m eet above .
Creatures beloved with sad beseeching eyes ,
The fields,the trees
,th e hill s
,the distant lake
,
-’A re bles sed for their many memori es
Of thee,and glorified for thy dear sake .
40
VERA .
Not thou,but I
,should have been snatched from life,
I had my day,but thou was ’t fair and young,
For I am old and weary of the strife ,
While thy sweet p salm of l ife was all unsung.
But thi s i s not the whole of l i fe . In dreaming
I oft behold thee coming from afar ,
Wi th high immortal love and beauty beaming ,
A m es s enger from some more happy star .
The few short years of time that we have reckon’
d
Were but the fragments of an endle s s sph ere '
Thy mission finish ed,higher duties b eckon
’
d
Not thy beginning,nor thy ending here .
The pure and good,who bles s the earth
,must die
Wrong reigns triumphant—love i s void of breath
Whil e flaunting vice in heal th robust goes by ,
Lean wretchednes s in vain implores for death .
41
VERA .
Ah,surely
, God ! to us so poor and lonely ,
Might have been left this flow’r of winter years ;
We had so littl e ! Of our treasure only
Remains a memory embalmed in tears .
But Oh,for death I thank Thee God
,my Father !
I have no terrors . I will not despair .
Thy will be done ! In death no shadows gather.
I could not keep h er here,nor lose her there .
42
THE RAINBOW .
I chased a ra inbow in my youth
To seek a pot of gold ;
I found i t not,but find a truth
Now I am growing old .
The rainbow arched th e tearful skies ,
The sunlight shining through,
And where i t touched the earth a prize
Must surely be,I knew .
H igh hill s,l ow vales I travell ed o ’er
,
O’er ocean
,too
,I sped ;
The golden treasure stil l before,
And stil l the rainbow fl ed .
Meantime th e years were gl iding by,
And I was growing old ;
Y et stil l the rainbow fi ll ed my eye,
My heart the pot of gold .
43
THE RA INBOW .
At last the sun began to set
B eyond th e outer rim
Where sea and sky commingling met
Then all around grew dim .
My rainbow faded,and I cr i ed
,
For I was weak and old ;
O,I had lo st my Iri s guide
,
And mi s sed my pot of gold .
Then darknes s hemmed me all about
The sea and sky were black
My farther way was one of doubt
Ii forward,or if back .
Then to my li stening soul a thought
Came with a hope divine“ Beyond th e stars the treasure sought
,
The beauty shall be th ine .
!
Now,though I wander all alone
,
No Iri s in my sky,
The glory that for me has shone
In Spirit cannot die .
44
MYSTIC FAITH .
The dream of life,th e mystery of death
,
The hope of heaven and the fear of h el l,
L'ose al l their terrors with the failing breath
God must do right,and , there fore , all i s wel l .
Thus far I ’ve come,not knowing whence
Through stormy years the upward path
At last I know that,whil e I cannot die ,
The path of sorrow is the way to God .
The love that sacrifices all i s mine ;
Thi s l ife i s but the childhood of my soul ;
I brought from other spheres a spark divine !
I know a part and yet wil l know the whol e .
Conscience within unlock s the book of fate ;
E ternal Must subdues th e mortal W i ll .
Thi s i s the secret ! S tanding at the gate
Of death I learn it . Peace , O soul , be stil l !
46
THE PILGRIM .
O,tree of l if e ! the storms of year s are shaking
Thy fruit to earth,while comes autumnal night,
And one by one the t ie s of tim e are breaking,
Whil e one by one my loves are taking fl ight .
Behold , the high resolves of youth are ended ;
No more I chase the phantom of my quest .
M y work i s now complete . I have a scended
The la st high peak to view the land of re st .
The sunbeams thro ’ the mountains backward slanting
Tel l me the night i s near,th e goal b elO W ‘
I hear inviting voices welcomes chanting
Give me my robe and staff,and let me go .
47
THE PILGRIM
Love,fame
,ambition
,all the phantom glories
That lured me hither,leave me now alone ;
The woeful moral of forgotten stories
I wri te,forgetting , on this ways ide stone .
I see the footprints others made before me,
And I‘
will follow them into the gloom,
While these poor flow ’
rs that I have gathered gore
me
Wi th thorns that fittingly may deck a tomb .
Farewel l to all I love ! Beyond the river
Are white—robed vi sions of immortal birth .
Behold,th e hand that taketh was th e giver .
Farewel l to all my dreams ! Farewell to ea rth !
48
FE BRUARY 3, 1899.
Just s ixty years ago to - day,
Into thi s wicked world
A littl e,helple ss baby boy
Was all unconsciou s hurl ed .
H e went to school,he went to sea
,
H e went t o war al so ;
But why or what for,never he
Could unders tand or know .
O,sometimes he would hungry be
,
And sometimes he was cold ;
He knew the p inch of poverty
The luxury o f gold .
49
FEBRUA RY 3, 1899.
But ever,as he went along,
H e struggled with a doubt
What i s the meaning of it all !
What i s it all about !
He trod the busy market place
Where traders cheat and li e,
And saw in every sordid face
Why many starve and die.
The money - changers,as of old ,
Were gloating on their gains ;
And love was bought,and j ustice
In palaces and lanes .
Then looking back he saw the world
Was ever such as these,
And thought—If thi s b e right,O God !
All l ife i s but di sease .
50
FEBRUA RY 3, 1899 .
A flame from heaven touched hi s lip s ;
H e sang with pas sion strong ;
And those who heard in pass ing ships
Could ne ’er forget h is song .
In lowest valley he reposed,
Where flows the sacred rill ;
He passed the desert plain and stood
Upon the highest hill .
H e ques t ioned sun , and moon , and
The works and book s of men ;
He sat with pri soners under bars,
With tigers in their den .
And women loved him,children sought
H i s bles sing,but ala s !
He gave them all h e had to give,
Then passed as shadows pass .
5 1
FEBRUA RY 3 , 1899.
Now old and worn he ask s himsel f
What have I for my years !
Have I gained happines s,or pelf
,
Or solace in my tears !
I s there a thought,a line
,a word
Of wisdom I can show !
I only know I fear no Lord.
And that all I know !
52
A POET’
S LOVE .
The noble may have wealth and pri de,
A high and titl ed name,
But what are all he has beside
A P-oct’s l iving fame !
H i s m ight i s bounded by those hil l s,
Mine like the ocean roll s ,
A thousand hands work when he will s,
I sway ten thousand soul s !
A faithful heart in him may live,
And all it s love be thine,
But O ! th e Poet ’s heart can give
A passion more divine .
H i s l ove will fade away with years,
And end with death at last,
But mine wil l l ive in smile s and tears
When centurie s have pas s’
d .
54
I ONLY S ING FOR THOSE I LOVE .
I only sing for those I love ,
Nor care for prai se or blame
From those whose sm i l ings only prove
Them heart l es s , cold , or tam e .
But those who love and suffer may
Find solace in my songs,
For only unto such as th ey
My wild , sad strain belongs .
I will not curb my spiri t down
To earth , or earthly eyes ,
Nor hang upon the smile or frown
Of those I do not pr ize .
I have a kingdom of my own
The world and men above,
Which i s my home,s o I alone
Wi l l s ing for those I love .
55
AFTE R MANY YEARS .
After many years and long,
Once again I hear the song
the wildbirds in the branche s singing free ,
A nd tho ’ old,and bent
,and gray ,
M y glad heart responds to - day
I turn to thoughts of youth , o f love , of thee.
I have cros sed the great divide ,
I am on the sunset s ide,
L ooking down into th e vall ey o f the dead ;
B ut beyond the utmost r im
O f the far horizon dim
A'
light , a s from an open door,i s spread
.
56
A FTER MA NY YEA RS .
I t may lead I know not where ,
But I trust and pray that there
Our spirit s wil l attain a high er b irth ;
That th e hopes we cheri sh ed here
Will within a brighter sphere
Find fruition that they cannot find on earth .
When the shadows pas s away
In the glory of that day,
No love,l ike ours pure , wil l ever cease .
Let u s hail that coming time,
In a dream of hope sublime
Hand in hand forever on the Path of Peace .
57
S E PARATE D .
What matter s the tramp of the crowd on the high
way
When hi s step will never more come to the gate !
Oh,what do I care now how many come my way,
When he never comes to me early or late !
H e gave me hi s dear love,all others forsaking
H i s hand and hi s home with his love he gave me ;
But what of it all to a heart that i s breaking
To clasp him again,whom I never shal l see.
In the morn when I r i se I fl ing open my casement ,
S til l thinking to hear hi s light step on the mould ,
Tho’ I know in my heart that no greater amazem ent
Could be than the sight of my lover of old .
58
SEPA RA TED .
I strive to be stil l while I wait for his coming,
I tidy his room,put his chair in it s place ,
I gather my work,and hi s fav ’
rite air s humming,
I gaze on the picture that shows me hi s face .
The day pas ses on , til l the shadows returning
Inform my sad heart I have waited in vain,
But the lamp of my love in the window is burning
Oh,surely
,he ’l l see it
,and come back again !
O , would we were dead , and the agony over !
I can picture two soul s meeting naked above
The lone one at home and the sad one a rover
Could meet unashamed in the l ight o f their love.
The footsteps are many,tho few that come my way
,
I sit and I weep whil e I pati ently wait.
What matters the tramp of the crowd on the highway,
When hi s step will never more come to the gate !
59
SOLITUDE FOR TWO .
’Ti s sweet to rove upon the hil ls
Among the trees and flowers
Or sit beside the laughing ril l s
That glide near sunny bowers ;
To muse alone and gentl e thought
Delightedly to woo
But sweeter were that sol itude
I f sol itude for two .
To li sten to the wild b i rd s sing,
To gaze upon the sky,
Where giants o f the fores t fl ing
Their long arms wild and high
S uch things I know are very sweet
In scenes we love to view ,
But O ! their !oy i s more complete
In soli tude fo r two !
60
SWE E T ROSE .
I saw thee ’mid the great and fair ,
Of all the lovely lovel ie st ,
And none who looked upon thee there
But felt within thy presence bl est,
While I could only stand afar
And in thy smile my heart r epose,
Or murmur as unto a star,
The love I bore for thee, Sweet Rose .
But oft I thought—What can I do
To win a smile from those dear eyes !
Of all who won I felt how few
Were worthy of so bright a prize
For I would do some glorious deed
That would my depth of love di sclose,
Then thou would ’st in the effort read
The love I bore for thee , Sweet Rose .
62
SWEET ROSE.
Ah,stil l within my heart I hold
The'
memory of that bright hour
As tender hands thro ’ winter cold
Protect th e summer ’s fragile flow ’
r .
I t tel l s of golden moments gone,
And promise in the future shows,
S o will I ever think upon
The love I bore for thee, Sweet Rose .
HE RE WOULD I PLACE A S IN A SHRINE .
Here would I place,as in a shr ine
,
The treasures of my heart,
To make their richness stil l b e thine
When we are far apart ;
And bear sweet thoughts in after years ,
When tearful eyes will trace
Recorded hopes,unwritt en f ear s
,
That here have found a place .
But Oh ! Sweet Rose , my gentl e fri end ,
I t oft has been my lot
To write , as now I write , and lend
A name to be forgot .
Thou,too , perhaps in after days ,
Wilt smile upon the page,
Nor let so fa int a spel l the rays
O f memory engage .
64
HERE WOULD I PLA CE A S IN A SHRINE
S o l et i t b e—and in that cold
Obl ivion shall l i e
A tale that never yet was told
By mortal l ip or eye .
And I will pray that thou'
l t be bles t
In friendship and in love ;
May every hope that fi l l s thy brea st
A bright fruition prove !
Sweet dreams and gentle thoughts be thine ,
Glad days o f happy hours,
Like fairies,may the moments twine
For thee their sweetes t flow ’
rs ;
Be beauti ful,and kind
,and dear
,
Sweet Rose,as now thou art ;
S o from the past thou wil t appear
To one unhappy heart !
I was dr i fting away last night , in a dream
On the bosom broad of a m ighty stream ,
The voice of the waters that bore me along
S eemed singing the dul l refrain
Of an old,familiar
,sorrowful song
S oothing but tel l ing of pain .
My face was upturned to the moonless sky,
And stars that sil ently rose on high
S eemed spirit s I wooed in my youth
E re the heart that worshipped th e good and
Had wakened from visions to find despai r
Was wedded forever to truth .
And still I was drifting along that shore
The hil l s and the val leys about it bore
The semblance of places I’d s een before
66
A DREA M
Anon I discovered that s il ently
Others were dri fting away with me
Away to the ocean o f mystery .
I turned to look on the face s near
And my soul was fi l l ed with a terribl e fear,
For they were the faces of beings d ear,
Dearer to me than my l ife
E yes that had lovingly looked on me
Now fixed in a ghastly vacancy ,
And some had the look of a misery,
That ended its angui sh in stri fe .
And there was a form that b efore my d r eam
I clasped to my bosom with !oy supreme
Deeming it al l mine own .
Her long dark hair was against my cheek
I strove,O God ! how I strove to speak
But my l ip s were as carved in stone .
She was robed in black , a s the day we met ,
But her lip s were pale , and her brow was wet
And dank with th e river spray .
67
A DRE A M
Then methought I drifted upon the shore ,
But I clung to the lovely prey,
That the sullen waves of that river bore,
And strove to upbear i t away .
But she sank from my arm s, l ike a weight of l ead ,
Down in the stream of the gravel es s dead,
And I rose from my dream with a start,
While memory sadl—y recall ed to my view
The dream of the night,and I knew it was true
By the load that I fel t on my heart.
68
THE ENCHA NTED ISLE
Along the val l eys river s glide
Beneath the wall s of castl e s grand ,
That are not homes for human pride,
Nor were they buil t by human hand .
The marble steps and pillared walls
Were planned in ages long ago,
When old magicians in these hal ls
Ruled genii from the world below .
But they have long since passed away
And other beings take their place,
Defying death and eke decay,
Perennial in their youth and grace .
And there are gardens fil l ed with flow ’
rs,
Where palpitating odors move,
And groves that clu ster into bow ’rs
O ’er l eafy couches made for l ove .
70
THE ENCHA NTED ISLE
Ah,human heart s ! how we ll i t were ,
I f ye could meet in place l ike thi s
Whene ’er your deepest fountains stir,
Responsive to the cl inging ki ss .
And there are forest s dark and high
Of tree s that tell the strangest tal es
That e ’er were told beneath the sky,
Or li stened to by heedle ss gal es .
The caverns deep,in mountain s old
,
Are fi l l ed with treasures , rare and vast,EA nd diamonds heaped on floors of gold
By gnomes in th e forgotten past .
A castle s tands up on a hil l ,
Whose lofty rooms contain a store
O f volumes,where I learn ! at will
The mysterie s o f magic lore .
7 1
THE ENCHA NTED ISLE
And there,upon a lofty seat,
I s placed the Queen of al l thi s i sl e
A sweet enchantres s , at whose feet
I rest,and l ive within her smil e .
The sad misfortune of my birth
Compel s me oft to leave her s ide,
Because I am a thing of earth,
And to the sons of men allied .
For me she sings the sweetest songs
On me their happiness conife rs
Whatever el se to earth belongs,
The world of l ove and dreams i s hers .
72
THE SE CRET OF THE SPRING .
Sweet and stil l th e moonlight l ies
Along the path we know so wel l ;
S oftly in the di stance die s
The echo of the evening bel l .
Here I stand beside the spring,
Placid in it s deep s below
Empty heart to it I bring
To fil l with thoughts of long ago .
Gently dreaming here I think
That I would find De Leon ’s quest ;
B ending o ’er th e spring to drink
A fabl ed draught to make me bl e st .
73
THE S E CRET OF THE S PRING
Pain and sorrow now are fl ed,
Joy and peace again are m ine ;
Hopes,no longer with the dead
,
Return and make the wor ld divine .
Fear of parting never more ,
O h ! fountain of eternal youth ,
Shall destroy the happy lore
That comes to one who knows the truth .
Here I have the precious prize
The Spaniard sought o’er land
All the glowing hilltops ri se
Resplendent in their mystery .
Glorified the song of l i fe
Shal l ri s e from val e to mountain peak,
Men forgetting all their stri fe
Will here a glad contentment seek .
74
THE SE CRET OF THE S PRING
Like an answer to their prayer
This spot they ’ l l hail as i f t’
were home,
E arth and sky will shine more fair ;
No farther will they wish to roam .
S tricken hearts with sorrow bowed
May here their burden haply bring,
And . parting from the heedl es s crowd ,
Shal l l earn the S ecret of the Spring .
75
MALE NE .
I looked on thee in former days,
And thought thee wondrous fair ;’Twas rapture then to fondly gaze
,
And feel thy presence there .
Thine eyes posses sed a happy beam,
Thy cheek s a ro sy glow,
Thou wert a s l ovely as a dream ,
But that was long ago,
Malene,
Y es very long ago .
When,arm in arm upon the hill
We strayed away so long ,
And never fel t the time until
We heard the night - bird ’ s song .
76
I DRINK TO THE E .
I drink to thee —The guests have gone ;
The revelry i s o ’er,
The Chaplet s , that were late upon
Their brows are on the floor ,
While ghostly shadows , one by one ,
Come gl iding thro ’ the door
But what are they to thee or me !
My Beauti ful,I drink to thee !
I drink to thee —The crystal bowl
I s blu shing to the rim ;
It i s an emblem of my soul
That sparkle s to the brim
With love for thee,compl ete and whole
,
Not , l ike the se spectres , dim .
But what are they to thee or me !
M y Beauti ful , I drink to thee !
78
I DRIN ! TO THEE
Aye,what are they—thi s ghostly crew
These s il ent memorie s
Of things I fel t,or saw
,or knew
,
Perhap s beyond the seas,
When heart s were laving,kind and true
,
Not shadows such as th ese !
But what are they to thee or me !
My Beauti ful,I drink to thee !
I drink to the e ! The empty glas s
I s sh ivered on the wall,
And,one by one
,the spectres pass
Adown the dark’
ning hall ,
And I am left alone,Alas !
Alone and—that i s al l .
But what are they to thee or me !
My Beautiful,
t o th ee !
79
RE D W INE .
Pour the red wine about !
Pour it out ! Pour it out !
Drink,sing
,laugh
,and shout
With a will .
There ’s a storm in my soul,
That wil l ever uproll,
S o quickly the bowl
Let u s fil l !
The day had not fled
With its l iving and dead,
Like a moment of dread
I t was
80
RED W INE .
As the sleeper will start
When he feel s the knife dart
Dividing hi s heart
To the core
One terrib l e pain
Of heart and of brain,
A gasping in vain,
And no more
Clos e , clo se to my breast
Her bosom was pres sed
Oh ! how I was bl est
In her arm s
Her breath was divine,
I drank it l ike wine,
Warm kis ses were mine,
M ine charms
81
RED W INE .
tI‘look ed in her eyes ,
They were lum inous skies ,
Where her soul made replies
To m ine own.
In a tempest of l ove,
That angel s above
Might envy to prove,
We were
"
Then a power unseen
Came quickly between,
Like the icy cold sheen
O f the north
And up I arose
To grapple my foes,
M y effort s were thro es
Little worth .
82
RED W INE .
On the wrack of the storm
I saw her white form
Out oceanward to rn ,
Like a breath ;
Dim ghosts all in white
Fast fol lowed her fl ight,
Through terror and night ,
Unto death .
83
THE BALLAD OF GRE GORIE .
O , I have now an argo-sy, a- sai l ing on the sea,
All richly laden with the spice and gold of Arab i e ,
But I fear it will b e taken by some Turkish pirate
bold,
Who will rob me of my spices and my precious store
of gold .
O,would that I were young again on board the
G olden Fleece,
With bowline taut and shotted guns among the I sles
of Greece ;
I ’d t each that cruel pirate what I taught him once“ before
,
When I burned hi s galleys on the sea , and drove hi s
m en ashore .
84
THE BA LLA D OF GRE GORIE
He met the pirate , gave him chase, and wrecked him
on the strand ;
Then brought the argosy to port , and won the
maiden ’s hand .
Now all ye sailors bold and free who plow the
stormy wave,
If ye would win a lady ’s love be ready,true and
brave.
Good fortune then will smil e on you,and when the
Turk ’s o’
erthrown,
You ’ l l l ive in peace and plenty on an i sl and all your
O wn .
86
COME DEARE ST COME .
Come,dearest
,come to a land across the sea
Come,deares t
,come to the West along with me
I’ l l show you a land where the mayflow er grows.
Along with the thi stle,the shamrock , and ro se .
I have a cabin by a wild mountain stream ,
A lake in the woods where the long shadows dream,
And the wild flowers bloom,and the wild b i rd s sing,
Where in the forest land I reign a s a king .
O , give me your word Love ; O ,give me your hand;
A nd you shall be queen of that beautiful land
The oak , and the pine , and the sweet mapl e tree
Are al l growing green in th e land o f the free .
87
COME DEA REST COME .
The north star i s high, and the south star is low ,
The anchor’
s atrip,and aboard I must go,
Then come with your true lover over the wave
Be brave as the bride of the free should b e brave .
‘O ,fly from the city of fol ly and crime
Come to where Nature i s sti l l in her prime,
Come ,dearest , come to a land across the sea,
Come , dearest , come the West along with
88
A FINE SUMME R MORNING .
I had a full cousin,cal led Arthur M acnide,
And as we went roaming down by the sea side ,
All nature was smiling as glad as a bride
I t was of a fine summer morning .
We met with 3 S ergeant in uniform fine,
A smart l i ttl e drummer,al l braiding and shine
Quite ready to, march at the head of the l ine
With hi s rowdy - dow - dow in the morning.
With cap on three hairs swagger stick in hi s hand
The ful l - chested S ergeant looked nobl e and grand ,
Just like he was giving the word of command ,“Attention !! to squads in th e morning .
89
A FINE SUMMER MORNING.
H e said My fine fel l ow, i f you’d l ike to ’ l i s t .
A shil l ing at once I wil l slap in your fist ;
Its an O pportunity not to b e miss’d
Out here of a fine summer morning.
We ’l l dres s you up splendid in scarlet and b lue ,
With height of good liv1ng in boil ed , roa st , and stew ;
The girl s will run after you,l oving and true
As you march thro’
the town in the morning .
The S ergeant had ribbons that flew from his cap
O , he was an elegant , roll icking c’hap
But what he was saying I knew was clap - trap,
As I thought to mysel f on that morning .
S aid I : You ’re a gentleman gallant and gay,
But I don ’t think I ’l l ’l i st in the army to - day .
And I’ve a su spicion that al l that you say
I s humbug and gammon this morning .
90
A FINE SUM MER MORNING.
Then as for your bragging about your fine clothes,
They are not your own , S ir, a s I do suppose ,
And you dare not sell them , no , not for your nose ,
I f you did you ’d be flogged in the morning.
Then,as for your grub and your cook ing so fine ,
“ I know how a soldier gets fed in the l ine ,
On a bit of bull beef you ’re contented to dine,
And sup your burgoo in the morning .
And as for the girl s that are l oving and true,
I have one already,and no thanks to you ;
I f I should enlis t, S ergeant , what would she do
Left alone on a fine summer morning !
S o drummer go on with your rowdy - dow - dow !
“
A nd I’l l stay at home with my hand on the plow ;
I will fight when I ’m needed but cannot ’l i s t now
So I b id you a very good morning .
!
91
THE RUINE D INN .
B eside the highway stands a ruined inn ,
Luxuriant mos s has spread its roof al l o ’er ;
N O voice i s heard , no footstep makes a din ;
The grass i s waving at th e‘
open door .
Winds whistle f reely thro’ the broken panes
A ghostly echo of forgotten strains .
The cheerful hearth that once was used to throw
Its l ight and warmth thro ’ every friendly room ,
And cast its gleam far out on drifting snow,
Is bare and vacant as a rifled tomb .
Grim desolation bro ods about the spot,
With mildew O dors,l ike sepulchral rot .
Yet I remember in the bygone
When Well er ’s four - horse,yellow equipage
Came whirl ing from Toronto,
’mid the cheers
Of villagers who came to meet the stage.
92
THE VE SPE R CH IME .
There i s a spiri t comes to me
E ach day at evening time,
When shadows gather on the sea ,
And sounds the vesper chime .
Then sweetly on my troubled mind
It pours a soothing balm
Then fl i e s my sorrow , and I find
My soul i s glad and calm .
Then good and happy thoughts arise
Whil e sinks my load of care,
And I behold the loving eyes
O f spiri ts pure and fai r .
S uch as in former days I knew
And in a dearer land
E re sorrow o ’er my Spirit threw
The shadow o f its hand .
94
THE VES PER CH IME .
And oft I hear the whi spering
Of voices in my ear,
And O ften , too , I hear them sing
A song none el se may hear .
S till , gentl e Spirit,come to me
E ach day at evening time ,
When shadows gather on the sea ,
And sounds the vesper chime .
95
FILL H IGH THE BOWL .
Fill high the bowl !! I ’ve heard the song
At midnight when the fun was high ,
And madly rose the drunken throng
To drink the toast befittingly.
And round about
The revel rout
Proclaimed the reign of devilry .
Fill high the bowl !! they sang and spoke,
Till song and word had fail ed to tel l
How madden’
d souls,from reason broke
,
Can emulate the scenes o f hel l ;
And,rushing out
,
The revel rout
Insulted night with oath and yell .
96
FRE EMASONRY .
!
A S through the dreary wilderne s s
The chosen people bore
In danger,exil e and di str es s
The ark of God ; and o’
er
Their path an awful pres ence rose,
Alike in labor and repose,
E ternally before
So through the wildernes s o f time
Through ages l ong and dark ,
I s borne in maj esty subl ime
Our sacred,mystic ark ;
And though that awful Presence may
Not meet our gaze by night and day,
Our soul s retain i t s mark .
! Dedicated to the Master, Wardens and B rethern of D al
housie Lodge,Ott awa, 1868
98
FREEMA SONRY .
When rash and cruel foes as sailedWith blind and furious hate ,
The S acred Order stil l prevailed
More gloriously great ;
And round it s mys tic symbol s s tand
The good and wis e o f ev'
ry land
Immovable as fate .
And,l ike to them
,within our hearts
We keep the unrevealed ;
As God in earth ’s most secret parts
Most precious things conceal ed .
For he who seek s a lofty prize
Must learn to labor and be wi se,
And never faint nor v ield .
The work your hands have done i s small
To what must yet be done,
E re ye shal l h ear the Ma s ter ’ s call
Beyond the ri sing sun .
99
FREEMA SONRY .
The star which erst afforded light
Must s ink at last in endles s night
Its final cycl e run .
But o ’er the tomb transgres sion made
The evergreen shal l grow ;
For those who rest b eneath its shade
Another star wil l glow .
In Heaven ’s eastern portal grand
The Mas ter Architect shal l s tand,
All worthy craftsmen know .
The temple then will be complete ,
The labor all be o ’er ;
And the Great Lodge on high will
To clo se not evermore,
Within the citywhich the S eer
At Patmos saw in H eaven appear ,
Unseen by man before .
IO O
L INE S .
RE CITED A T A MA S O N IC BA N QUET.
From a plan by the wisest of S ages
Was built a magnificent arch
Over a path where,for ages
Multitudes s il ently march .
They come from the vall eys of sorrow
And cities that are of the past,
They are seeking a glorious morrow,
Their Shadows before them are cast .
They seek a city far away
A city on a hil l
The weary footsteps may not stay,
N or toil ing hands be sti l l !
For they all faith ful ly obey
The Ma st er ’s word and will .
102
LIN ES
E ach one among that multi tude ,
With hope, though oft in tear s ,
Has toiled in quarri es strange and rude
For many weary year s .
But now each one whose work i s done,
With liberated hands,
Ascends the hill where brightly stil l
The Holy City stands ,
To which i s brought the ashlars wrought
In many dis tant lands .
And so each day the fabric grows
More beautiful and high,
B eneath the Master Architect
The al l beholding eye .
S o l et each one perform his Share ,
Brothers who labor all,
That perfect ashlars,we may bear
A place in that high wall .
103
OFF CAPE SANTO GA RCIA .
O S ea ! thy waves are cold and dark,
Thy voice i s hoarse and wild ,
And thou dost tos s my littl e bark
On which th is morn you smiled .
Yes,thou didst sparkl e gay and smile
,
As if beneath thy waves
There lay no victims to thy guile
In deep and tearl es s grave s .
But yet,O S ea ! I knew that thou
Wert treacherous before
I wrinkl ed thy inviting brow
Wi th my reluctant oar .
I call ed thee no endearing name,
Nor prai sed th ee with my lyre,
For well I knew i f thou wert tame’
Twas but with smothered ire.
104
THE MOONLIGHT STORM .
A lovely night ! S erenely clear th e Sky
Spreads it s broad arch of blue fi l l ed by the l ight
O f the wan moon which,
floating far on high,
Looks calmly down—~the S i lent queen of night .
The Sportive zephyrs,k i s s ing in their fl ight
Thy pure white brow,dear Mary
,seem to sigh
A prayer of love,and linger with del ight
Around our bower when thy dear form i s nigh,
As if they fain would bear thee with them as they fly .
But see,my love
,upon the fancied bound
Where earth and sky are met,a gloomy cloud
Ascending slowly until far around
Li e s ’neath the shadow of the stormy shroud .
Yon sheet of flame , how grand , how wildly proud ,
106
THE MOONLIGHT STORM .
It clove the blackness with a livid tongue .
And now the thunders hoarsely roar aloud ,
S til l wilder are the forked lightnings flung,
Which seem to madly sport the distant h il l s among .
S ee rai sed on high , l ike a triumphal arch
Based on the mountain s that o ’
erlook the vale ,
A S piri t rainbow gleaming o ’er the march
Of el emental armies,while the gale ,
E ager the woods and mountains to assail ,
Bears them right onward on hi s rushing wings,
E ach flying cohort clad in cloudy mail
With an exultant swiftnes s wildly s ings,
whne chaos black behind the whol e it s shadow fl ings .
S til l th e sweet moon upon us sadly pours
Her l ight as vet unshaded by the gloom
Of v onder cloud from whose black centre roars
The living thunder as from out it s womb
Springs each wild flash with every deaf’ning boom .
107
THE MOONLIGHT STORM .
The hi s sing deluge comes . Where shal t thou fly ,
My frightened dove,to
’
scape the coming doom !
N O shelter ! none ! Come to th i s b osom , I
Will shiel d my own dear love from heaven ’s angry
sky !
Peal , ye wild thunders ! Leap ye l ightnings down !
Ye wrathy el ements your force combine ,
Till trembling earth lies prone beneath your frown .
I reck not for your wrath whil e Mary ’s mine !
O ! l et me stand like yonder riven pine
Round whose bare h ead th e lurid l ightnings flame ,
And ’bout it s arms,l ike fiery serpents
,twine
Let me a part of thi s wild storm exclaim,
For I ’m ak in to it—our spirit s are the same .
108
UN ITA IT'
A LIA .
Our father s fought in the ancient days,
For their gold,or faith
,or fame
,
But thei r children have no need of bays
Till they wipe away their shame .
Our swords Shall drink of the cup of l i fe,
And the draught wil l be a flood
To bear from our land the wrecks of stri fe
And the footprints stained w ith blood .
The toast shall b e“To Italy
,
Union,Love and Liberty ! !
1 10
CANADA OUR HOME .
The sk i e s are fair that beam above
Far lands of fame and song,
Where eyes that look the sweetest l ove
In sunny valleys throng .
But Oh ! give me the forest hil l s
Where happy I may roam ,
Where every pure affection thr ill s
In Canada our home .
The annal s of our native land
May be but rough and brie f ,
But there i s many a fearl e s s hand
To guard the maple - l eaf .
Let danger threaten when it will
We ’l l meet whate ’er may come ,
Remaining firm and faithful stil l
To Canada our home .
I I I
CA NA DA O UR HOME .
The mountains,woods
,and torrent s wild
,
Where native freedom dwell s
Have charms that to the fore st child
No other land excel s .
Oh ! for the j oyful w ind that fl i es
Beneath the leafy dome
By lakes that beam like beauty ’s eves
In Canada our home .
Let other nations boast the fame
O f hero and of sage
What i s their glory but a name
Upon a blotted page !
Behold a land from tyrants pure
As wild Atlantic ’s foam ,
Where love and beauty dwell s ecure
In Canada our home .
Young giant of th e North and West !
The nations hail thy birth
Thine heritage i s of th e best
That ere was claimed on earth .
1 1 2
CANADA .
Dear native land ! thy wand ’
ring child
Treads on thy shore again ,
And beauti ful,and grand
,and wild
Thou art to day as when
Mine eyes beheld thee firs t,and caught
From waving wood and rushing stream
The shadow of a bright - eyed thought,
The spiri t of a dream .
Crowned with the glory of labor and love ,
Faith , Loyalty , Virtue and Truth ,
O Land ! let the birth of thy mightiness prove
All the beauty and promise of youth !
In thee no S lave s nor despots dwell
To curs e the passing hour
By deeds that to the future tel l
Of misery and power .
Written , July Ist , 1867 . the firs t Dominion D ay
1 14.
CA NA DA .
But , bound by love , thy children stand
With no dark thoughts between,
A nob l e,free and happy band
,
For Country and for Queen .
Let their voices ri s e
With their beaming eyes,
For the S tar of E mpire glows
O ’er th e northern arch
Where the giant s march ,
Whom none can delay or oppose .
A new Atlanti s for the world,
O Canada ! thou art ;
The flag thy children have unfurled
I s dear to every heart .
Long l ike our old flag , may it wave
That which for aye shal l b e
The symbol of the true and brave,
The banner of the Free !
THE WEARING OF THE GRE E N .
(New vers ion .)
Oh,Patrick dear
,and did you hear ,
The news that ’s going round !
The Shamrock i s no more forbid
To grow on Iri sh ground .
But,raised with honor and renown
,
By order o f th e Queen
The army and the navy now
Are wearing of the green .
S o now we ’l l wear the green , my dear ,
S o now we ’l l wear the green ;
For E rin grand we ’l l proudly stand,
And wear the l iving green .
1 16
THE WEA RING OF THE GREEN .
S o now we’ l l wear the green , my dear ,
S o now we ’l l wear the green ;
For E rin grand we’ l l proudly stand ,
And wear the l iving green .
N ot only did they beat the Dutch
Upon the wild Karroo,
But they have conquered E ngli sh hearts
Wi th courage high and true .
Th en everm-ore when Briti sh men
Shall s ing “ God S ave the Queen ,They ’l l not forget Old Ireland
,and
The wearing of the green .
’
S o now we ’l l wear the green , my dear ,
S o now we ’l l wear the green ;
For E rin grand we ’l l prodly s tand ,
And wear the l iving green .
1 18
ABE RCROMB IE’
S GRAVE .
N O drooping wil low weep s ,
Where Abercrombie sl eep s
In the bastion that towers above the sea,
Where the bil lows evermore
Tell the echoe s on the shore
Of him whose name was one with victory .
Near Abercrombie ’ s grave ,
Looking down across the wave ,
I s a s leeple s s,giant , i ron sentinel
! S ir Ralph A bercrombie’ s remains are buried in the
angle of one, of the bastions of the Castle of S t . Elmo at
Malta. O n a marb le s lab inserted in the opening of the
vaul t is a long inscrip tion in Latin,giving the main ineL :
dents o f his career . A 1 10 pounder gun was mounteddirectly over the tomb when the w riter visited the spot
in 1863 , and, from the cavalier of the work abo-vie, floated
the B ritish E nsign .
1 19
A BERCROMB IE’
S GRA VE .
Crouching gr im and sil ent there ,
Like a l ion in hi s lair ,
The ashes of the hero guarding well .
When Abercrombie died
Old E ngland o’
er the tide
S ent thi s sentinel to guard hi s sacred tomb.
They are brothers—he who sleeps
And the giant one who keeps ,
E ndless vigil in the sunshine and the gloom .
Over Abercrombie ’s h ead
Float s a banner blazoned red
Vi ctorious over sea and over land
And the foe had need be brave
Who on Abercrombi e’s grave
Would dare to lav a desecrat ing hand .
MEN OF THE NORTH .
Warriors welcome from over the sea
S ons of the. E mpir e , peerle s s and free .
Blue - eyed,tawny - bearded
,broad - shouldered
,tall" ;
Here come the Northmen to answer the cal l .
Who can deny them !
Who dare defy them !
Men of the North ! You are welcome to all .
Not in defiance , becau s e they are s trong
For freedom,and j ustice
,for right over wrong
To Show in the face of an envious world
That Britons are one when their flag i s unfurl ed .
They come not for conquest,but boldly to save
Canadian Northmen from over the wave .
Blue - eyed,tawny - bearded
,broad—shouldered
,tall ;
Here come the Northmen to answer the call .
Who can deny them !
Who dare defy them !
Men of the North ! You are welcome to all .
122
THE HARP .
This harp was all my father gave
To me,before he found a grave
Upon a stranger’ s land .
“My boy ,! he said
,
“ the harp you hold
Was struck by many ministrels old,
By many heroes brave and bold ,
With an unfaltering hand .
Your sire s,the Chieftain s of O dronefi
"
Familiar were with every tone
Of wassail,l ove and fray .
S ome of its strings are wrought of gold ,
And some of S ilver’
s purest mould,
And some of iron hard and cold
And some are torn away.
! S ee ! eating’ s History of Ireland, for an account of theO
’
Ryan’
s,of O drone.
123
THE HA RP .
I f virtue high you wish to S ing
Then fearl es s s trike the golden s tring,
By that i t oft was stirr’
d ;
And if with love your bosom swell
The silver chord will answer well,
And strains of deeper fervor tel l
Than ever maiden heard .
But i f of freedom ’ s fight your song,
Then str ike the iron loud and long,
Thus oft ’twas heard before .
The broken strings,once fair and bright
,
Are like to those who fell in fight,
When battl ing for a country’s r ight
Their strength could not restore .
1 24
NORTHE RN LIGHTS .
Behind a mighty Monarch’
s throne
That stands by the northern pole ,
Where ceasele s sly the sun has shone ,
Where th e fre ezing billows roll,
Where hi story S ince earth was young,
Was never told by mortal tongue
Or known to a human soul ;
A bannered light i s ca st on high
On many mill ion spears,
Lifting far up into the Sky
The trophied sheen of years,
And s torms sweep up from a shorel es s sea
Where that M onarch holds h igh revelrv
With hi s s tar - crown’
d mountain peers .
126
NORTHERN LIGHTS .
B al efully the unsettmg sun,
S h ines o'
er th at Monarch’ s head ,
Wh i l e many wrecks of ships undone,
Peopled with frozen dead,
Go sail ing past through the spectral l ight
Pale ghost of a day that has no night
In that l ifele s s sea of dread .
Far,far away from balmy i sl es
Those ship s and men must roam,
They ne ’er shal l answer welcome smiles
Awaiting them at home
Whil e round that northern pole they sail
Be fore the breath of a cea sel e ss gale
In a winding sheet of foam .
And round and round the pole they go .
A weird and ghostly fleet,
The shrieking winds around them blow
The undi ssolving sleet .
127
NORTHERN LIGHTS .
The Pilot s tands beside the wheel
The Look - out,clad in ice
,l ike steel
Keeps hi s viewles s,f rozen seat .
Sad watchers wait in dis tant lands
E ach unreturning barque
Draw not the curtain,trembling hands ,
Nor peer into the dark,
For the Northern King has bound them
In hi s icy sea—their keel s have pas s’
d
O ’er ocean nor left a mark .
But when upon the summer sky
Ye see the arching l ight,
And view the ships go sail ing by,
Like arks of hope and might,
O ! pray for them who are far at . sea
And the lost ones may return to ye
Like angel s , in dreams by night .
128
THE UNRE TURNING.
M any of our hopes thou bearest,
M any of our fear s thou Sharest,
And the dangers that thou darest
On the ocean sail ing,
Are to us forsaken , sorrow
For our souls of th e to—morrow
Can no consolation borrow
Tears are unavail ing .
S tay ! O, stay the morning light
E re our loved ones vanish‘
Swiftly, swiftly from our S ight
Into si l ence , gloom and night .
Why so glad to bani sh
A ll that unto u s are dearest,
All that unto us are neare st !
N ight of nights that i s the drearest
For the soul s departing .
W hile upon the water rocking
E vil spirit s round thee flocking,
Are with antic gestures mocking
Thy unhappy starting.
130
THE UNRETURNING.
S tay , O ship ! the ri sing sun .
Let us see the faces
O f the ones belov’
d undone.
Of the voyage thou’
st begun
Leave u s some sad traces ;
For there i s no port for thee
Thi s s ide of eternity
And the undi scovered sea
Wh i ther thou art tending
Gives no hope of thy returning ;
Though our hearts with love are burning
And,amid despairing
,yearning
For a love unending !!
Glor iously,gloriou sly
The sun shone on the r iver,
And it s glad beams blending
On the waters quiver .
Like a dream from the stream
The Ship had long departed ;
From the shore cam e no more
S ongs o f the broken hearted .
13 1
THE N IGHT BIRD .
Down where the cedars are b ending,
Down by the side of the river,
Down where the waters ar e wending
Thei r way to the ocean forever ,
One night I heard
A lonely bird
S inging, Oh ! so sadly S inging.
There was such pain
In it s wild strain
S o plaintive and so ringing
I paused to l i sten and methought
The sounds were into meaning wrought,
While faint and low
As sob s of woe,
The lone bird kept repeating
The strange refrain
O f i t s wild strain,
132
THE N IGHT B ‘IRD .
Woe ! woe ! against all b elow
That liveth and l oveth i s writt en .
Life,l i fe i s a bitter stri fe
Where the bes t are the soonest smitten .
Here,here on thi s hapless sphere
,
All that are beauti ful peri sh .
Hope,hope hath no wider scope
Than faint recollections we cheri sh .
E arth , earth had its hour of mirth ,
But woe i s an old , old story .
Fast , fast in the voiceles s past
Fleeth our dreams of glory l!
Oh, hush ! unhappy thing,! I cried
,
“Tho ’ fate has l eft thee naught besid e,
Hast thou not faith and duty !
What matters th e los s of a toy of clay ,
The per i sh ing birth of a peri shing day ,
Tho ’ it were a thing of beauty !
Can death destroy
The lasting j oy
That springs from h0pe immortal !
134
THE N IGHT B IRD.
Can gri eving br ing
Thee back the thing
That has fled beyond li fe ’s portal !
S til l , sti l l from the grave you fil l
Cometh a voice supernal
Trust,trust in God ! H e i s j u st ,
And sorrow i s not eternal . !
135
THE VAGABOND .
But yesterday I saw a ragged Wight
Looking so happy and so free from care ;
He sunned himself with such a huge del ight ,
And laughed so loud he made the people s tare .
I envied the poor wretch hi s frolic gl ee,
And watched him long to note a hidden pain,
But not a lurking troubl e could I see ,
For m i sery on him seemed cast in vain .
I wondered at the fellow laughing out
At hi s own vagrant fancies,loud and l ong .
I asked him why he was so glad—a shout
H'
e rai sed , and answered me with thi s wild song .
O,I am glad because I have
N O wife , no fri ends , no home !
The winds go by les s free than I,
Where’er I wish to roam.
136
THE VA G A B O N D .
I love the j olly,rolling worl d
,
Find j oy in everything :
I have no wealth but li fe and health,
And so I laugh and sing .
When parts Aurora ’ s misty vei l
That wrap s her eastern bed
And l i ft s her charm s from Tithon’
s arm s
Her smil es o ’er Waters spread ,
I greet her with a j oyful song,
I haste o ’
er dewy hill s
Where skylarks wing their fl ight,and s ing
Til l heaven with music thrill s .
At noonday glare I l i e m e down
In groves where streamlet s glide,
And my S l eep teem s with gloriou s dream s
N O mortal dreams beside .
Lord of that land of dreams am I ,
There nothing vil e intrudes
Spirit s of ai r and ligh t are there
In countle s s multitudes .
138
TH'
E VA GA BOND
Aerial s trains of melody
They sing my couch around
For me they pour the hidden lore
Of myst eries profound .
When evening breeze i s whi spering,
Like sigh s of lovelorn maid,
And weary car of Phoebus far
Has sunk in west ern shade,
By guiding light o f Hesperu s
I wait the ri sing moon ,
While winds of night in gusty fl ight
Chant an unearthly tune .
Ghosts of the past ari s e around
Wild are the tal es they tel l
Some darkly glare , some are fair ,
Beauti ful terribl e
I39
SUMME R HA S DIE D .
’Twas a l ingering death that the S ummer died ,
As i t turned and returned again,
As the lover returns to the loved on e’s s ide ,
Renewing hi s rapture and pain .
Ah ! beauti ful S ummer ! Beautiful dead !
As the l eaves that blow over thy tomb ,
Recal l th e sad thought of the glory that’s
S ere memory lives th rough the gloom.
The gloom that o ’
ershadows a dream of the past
O,say ! was i t al l but a dream !
Was the bread of my heart so wantonly cast
On a never returning stream !
140
SUMMER HA S DIED .
The leaves are all fallen,the flowers are dead ,
The wind has a dirge in it s tone ,
And vi sions that came with th e S ummer have fled
And left me with Winter alone .
But Winter i s welcome,i t s drearie st day
Has ‘hope of a S ummer in store ;
A s snow on the hill s ide gri ef pas seth away,
And the mourner will mourn nevermore .
142
THE LOST SP IRIT.
Now in the solitude of night
Oh ! tel l to me my soul :
Why has that spiri t taken fl ight,
Who was to thee thy one del ight
Above the world’
s control .
She came to thee in early life
A S pir it al l divine ,
And often in the h eadlong strife,
Where grief,and pain
,and death were
Her peace was ever thine .
Upon the tempest - ridden sea
When danger round thee ro se,
She seemed to beckon unto thee
From li fe to immortal ity,
From labor to repose .
143
THE LOST S PIR IT .
Among the summer islands where
Bright flowers perennial b loom,
She sat bes ide thee , ever fair,
And with her songs dispell’
d the care
That wrapt thee oft in gloom .
But,Oh ! my soul
,sh e now has fled
T0 some more worthy breast ;
The happy light her pres ence Shed
Now gathers round a dearer head
Than thine,O ! thing unble st !
She was so dear—so very dear
When she was all thine own ,
That now,when She no more is near
,
N O ruin coul d be hal f so drear
As thou,poor soul
,alone !
Shall I again thro ’ summer i sl es ,
Or o’er the wintry sea ,
O r in the ha l l s where beauty wile s,
Where laughing phantoms kil l with sm i les,
G 0 seek her out for thee !
I44
sG O O D - B Y E
.
LASmflC
.
GOOD - BYE .
But in the maddes t moments, when
S tark horror l eaped on high ,
That mocking voice would shriek again ,
And stil l again “ Good - bye ;
Good - bye
That mocking voice would shriek again,
And stil l again “ Good - bye . !
Once more I trod my native land ,
S ought each famili ar place
And strove again with loving hand
Lost beautie s to retrace ;
Until one night upon a grave
I sank and prayed to die,
When from the mould a faint voice gave
To me a last “ Good - bye ;
Good—bye
S i l ent at las t within th e grave
For evermore—“ Good - bye. !
148
A RMA GEDDON .
Religion i s a mockery,all gods are dumb or dead,
And all the world i s worshipping the Golden Calf
instead .
They ’ve hung hi s neck with ribbons,put a garland
on hi s h ead
The Devil comes a- riding on the gale !
The Devil,but they don ’t bel i eve in him , no more
than God,
Although they feel the impres s of hi s hoofs all
golden - shod
But in terror he i s coming and with an iron rod
He ’s riding,Ho ! he ’s riding on the gal e !
The armies march ; O ,don ’t you hear the thunder
of their tread !
The Ships of war are sail ing out into the sunset red .
The plain of Armageddon wil l b e carpeted with dead
When th e Devil comes a- riding on the gale .
150
A RMA GEDDON .
The emperor and mill ionair e,the beggar and the
tramp,
Will li e together underneath a blanket broad and
damp
And over them the coming race will h eedl e s s build
i t s camp
The Devil having r idden on the gal e .
15 1
LOVE AND DEATH .
He, as I guess,
gaz ed on nature’ s naked loveliness
A ctaeon - like,
and now he fled astray.
S helley.
A Shadow li es upon the earth
The sunshine i s a far :
I f love die s here , then death is birth
On some more happy star .
Then twine the ivy round the urn .
I wait the com ing ray ;
For I to my dead love will turn,
And hail my dying day .
152
LOVE A N D DEA TH
Where over the steps o f the lordly hal l
The weeds , untrodden , grew rank and tal l .
The drawbridge was down at the open gate,
Where shadowy sen tinel s l inger late,
And winds sobbed low thro’
the crumbl ing arch ,
Where unwritten centuries sil ently march .
I I I .
Cyril,a boy , went forth when first
The sun from purple mountains burst .
A n old man gazed with prophetic eye,
As he tenderly bade him a last good - bye,
And said : “When weary of wanderings ,
Mourning the los s of beauti ful things
You must know and l ove , you will backward
To the ancient town,l ike me , to die .
When hope has departed and fear has fled,
And all of the loving and l oved are dead ,
You will r eturn to th e ancient town
To lay your l i fe and your burden down .
154
LOVE A N D DEA TH .
But you must love , and you must l earn ,
And you must suffer,ere you return .
!
IV .
E ternal Spring ! E ternal Truth !
Although our locks turn gray ,
We see the glory of our youth
Reviving every day .
Laughing and singing,with footstep springing,
H e went along ;
H i s spiri t that day as the morn was gay,
H i s glee some song
Rose on the air l ike th e song of a bird
A song the sweetest that ever was heard
For h O pe was strong .
V.
H e drank in of Nature the glory and j oy,
And thought l ike a man,tho ’ he fel t like a boy .
Often he paused in th e wind - shaken grove,
Where wood—spirit s whi spered th ei r mystical love.
ISS
LOVE A N D DEA TH .
I am carel e ss,and happy
,and free as they ,
H e cried a s he bounded upon hi s way .
“ I can go where I will , and none shal l say
There you must travel or here you must stay .
Oh ! It i s happines s truly to be
Free a s the wind,as the wild bird , free !
VI .
Now by a fountain in a shady nook
The hidden parent of a laughing brook,
That woo s th e blossoms of a thousand fields,
Returning love the di stant heaven yields ,
Cyril on mossy bank lay down,until
The soft,l ow music of the flowing rill
Mingl ing,as it pass ed along
,
With the wil d - bird ’ s loving song,
A nd the deep, sad symphon i e s
Whi spers of the wind and trees
Gently wrapped hi s tired sense
In the sl eep of innocence .
156
LOVE A N D DEA TH .
And beautiful , and good ; for deep within
The mystic volume of h er heart no sin
Was written,nor the marks of grief or rage
,
Record of sorrow,or down - folded page ,
S uch as the wordly hide away , nor dare
,To scan
,yet feel i t s haunting pres ence there .
Awhile she stood in wide - eyed revery
As some swe et thought her captive fancy led,
Foreshadow of the future it might b e,
S ome j ealous power had cast upon her head .
Then she enclasped th e robes that loo sely clad
H er youth ful beauti es , and with fingers glad
Laid the soft glories o f her bosom bare ,
Like a young bud that opens to th e air
I ts blushing sweetnes s . Timidly and slow
Her garments fel l about her feet . Then Oh !
Beyond conception b eautiful and rare ,
S he stood an angel or a goddes s there
A thing to worship in th e heavens above ,
To look upon,then peri sh , mad with love .
And then her looped—up tr es ses sh e unroll’
d
And round her fell a flashing veil o f gold .
158
LOVE A N D DEA TH .
Oh ! not the V irgin Goddess when she stood
B eneath the arches of the green old wood,
Clad in immortal lovel ines s and grace,
Longing impati ent for the coming chase,
;Was fairer than the laughing,thoughtl es s maid
Who by that stream her lovely form di splayed .
Whil e in th e stream she gamboll ed,tos sing high
The spray around her,Cyril with a sigh
Awoke to hear the splashing of th e r i l l
And,looking forth between the leaves
,a th ri l l
Shook hi s faint soul , hi s panting heart stood stil l ,
And,l ike to one enchanted in old days ,
He lay entranced and could not choose but gaze .
I! .
The wonderful woof that the sun - shadow weaves
Was dancing in gol d and in green thro’ the l eaves ,
And from the forest whi sper ing
There came a voice th at s eemed to sing
Peace,l ove
,and j oy to everything .
IS9
LOVE A N D DEA TH .
! .
How sweet with one we love to dwell
Apart from every haunting care,
T0 l ook in eyes that only tel l
O f love’
s surrender beaming there;
To dream , and wake to dream again
The same sweet vision o ’er,
Have all the spirit would attain ,
And want for nothing more .
! I.
15 my love poison to the one I love,
My prayer s destruction even while they move
In deep devotion,true and pure as day !
M ust my fond kis se s steal the l ife away
That I would gladly yield mine own to save !
What have I done O Death ! O greedy Grave !
That you should rob m e thus ! There is I fear
Within the circl e of these arms some drear,
Most deadly,and most potent charm to kil l
All that I love,against my heart and wil l .
160
THE DEATH OF THE OLD YEAR .
Farewell,Old Year ! thy lat est sobbing breath
Fall s on my brow like whi sperings of doom ,
Cold,cold and stil l thy agony of death
Like one who peri shes in winter gloom .
O ! heavy i s the burthen of thine age ,
Well mayst thou pant and stagger with the weight
Here , take with thee thi s darkly—blotted page
Fill ed with th e record of a darker fate .
S ad broken heart s and severed tie s are thine .
S in , sorrow ,death—a tal e of care and w o e
With ri fted gleams of glory that will shine
In darkest moments on the faint and l ow .
162
THE DEA TH OF THE OLD YEA R .
Here i s a soul - drawn picture of the past ;
I traced it fondly when my heart was young.
O ! colors bright , why did ye fade so fast
Faint , mocking echo of a song I’
ve sung !
Go ! go , Old Year , such things may never more
Tear from my heart the armor thou hast lent ,
Tho’ floating faintly from a far - off Shore,
I hear a whisper with thy sighings blent .
Hush ! hush ! b e stil l—the poor Old Year i s dead !
While,springing from his a shes
,s ee ar i se
A being lovely as a spirit l ed
Fresh from the glow of God ’s own paradi se .
It brings to me a scrol l on which i s wri t
No word or sign of al l that yet mav be ;
But o’er the page a shadow seems to fl i t
I vainly grasp at what I cannot see .
163
THE DEA TH OF THE OLD YEA R .
I see a form—Oh,can it b e of earth !
With long dark hair and eyes of wondrous hue ,
B ut robed in black , l ike one who at th e birth
Of sorrow stood , and all it s anguish knew .
S o once again the long—deserted hall s
Of my dark heart are fil l ing with a light
Which softly on each buried treasure fal ls
That long was hid by desolation ’s night .
Then hail , New Year ! for in thy face I read
Sweet hope and promises o f future !oy.
Delusive beauty,can I~—dare I heed
What thou hast shown,perhap s but to destroy !
164
IN MEMOR IA M HONORE MERC IER .
But he i s now beyond your hate,
B ut not beyond the love we bear ;
For love above all things i s great,
While hate i s . parent of despair .
3 .
H e ’s far beyond your cruel rage,
This patriot by traitors sold ;
Most faithful in a fa ithl es s age,
A leader without guil e or gold .
In fri endship ever firm and true,
In fortune ’s smil e or frown the same .
True heart that never fal sehood knew !
Pure soul serene and free from blame !
4
Aye,free from b lame ! H i s fame wil l
Among the nobl est o f our land,
Whose glory was their faith divine
In virtu e and the helping hand.
166
IN MEMOR IA M HONORE MERCIER .
Peace ! Peace ! O,l et the great dead rest
In silence ! Tears and words are vain
Thi s land to which he gave hi s best
May never s ee hi s l ike again .
167
FRE D PE RRY .
At last,dear Fred , our ta sk i s done ,
And time has not been cheated ;
I f we can find a publi sher ,
The work will be completed .
’Twil l be to you a monument ,
Like that which stand s at Verdun ,
The record of a l ife well spent,
A bles sing and a guerdon .
These lines w ere compos ed on M ay 29, 1897, on com
pleting the w riting of“
The Life and Times of A lfredPerry,
!
a work on which I had been engaged with him for
over a year. He intended to bring the book out , if h e couldfind a Publisher, but failing health and want of means pre
vented him.
168
A LFRED PERRY .
However,l et me , a s I can ,
Declare no time can bury
The mem’
ry of a noble man
Whose name was Al fred Perry .
170
SUNSET ON GIBRALTAR .
’Tis sweet upon a summer eve to stand
Upon dark Calpe’ s venerable height .
And gaze upon the scene of sea and land ,
Which l ie s beneath thee in the soften’
d l ight,
When the bright sun in it s descending flight
Ha s clothed the Spani sh hill s in crimson glow ,
And the dark shades of fa st—approachingmight
E nshroud the vall eys that are hid below,
And di stant mountain s far their l engthening shadows
throw .
Along the bil lows from Levantine s eas
Fantastic clouds upon the waters creep,
The sweet,cool breath ing of th e evening breeze
Brings strange , sad murmurs from the dark’
ning
deep .
T7 I
SUN SET ON G IBRA LTA R .
From Afric ’s cloudy mountains , looming steep
And boldly out against the south’
rn sky ,
Where weary warriors their watching keep , !
The mellow noi ses often echo by ,
Lik e to the sighs of those who there in battle die.
Dim grow the sail s that swiftly course alo‘
ng ,
S eek ing the di stant ocean’s troubl ed breast .
Loud boom the surges,ri s ing hoarse and strong
,
Then moaning softly as i f soothed to rest .
The light grows fainter now along the west,
The bugles sound the S ignal of retreat,
And I must answer to the stern behest ,
But thus to wander unto me i s sweet .
Far Buena Vi sta ’s l ights allure my weary feet .
! Writt’en at the time of the war between S pain
Morocco , in the year 1860
172
THE LEPER ! NIGHT .
Among the few,who held the wall ,
And fearles sly awaited
The doom that would to - morrow fal l
On brave heart s darkly fated,
One lordly spirit heard the call
Triumphant and elated .
For some unspoken S ln ,
’
twas said,
Or foil ’gainst E astern charmer .
H e bound hi s helmet to hi s head
And riveted hi s armour .
In battl e was no braver knight,
In Council none‘
was'
wiser ,
But never h e to human sight
Was known with open vi sor ;
H i s mail ed hand was used to fight
And of it s blows no miser .
The bodies of his brother knights
Were in the harbour floating,
Whereon,with cruel revelry,
Old S olyman'
was gloating .
174
THE L EPER ! N IG HT .
THE LE PER’
! NIGHT .
The altar was a blaze of l ight,
Red flames about i t l eaping ;
Around in dinted armour clad ,
Dead knights lay as ’ twere sleeping
One giant figure only stood
An awful death - watch keep ing .
H i s right hand held hi s battl e brand,
H i s l eft the cros s uplifteda
While,o ’er hi s head , th e smoke and flame
In crimson bil lows drifted .
Last o f the garrison he stood
S ucces s ful foes defying .
When , headlong in a gulf o f fire
S t . E lmo ’s walls were flying
Then knew Val ette the Leper Knight
Had kept hi s vow in dying .
176
LA VALLE TTE .
Upon the Bastion of Castil l e
There stood an aged knight,
H e sadly viewed the crumbl ing wall s
That stil l defied the might
O f Mosl em foes,who fiercely urge
The stem , revengeful fight .
He looks on Corradino’
s hill,
And on S an S alvador ,
H e hear s the trumpet ’s summons shril l
H e hears the cannons roar,
And al l th e deep reces ses fi ll
Along the rocky shore .
S t . E lmo ’s wall s a re l evell ed now,
Its brave defender s dead
I77
L A VA LLE TTE .
But stil l 11 Borgo ra i se s up
A shield above hi s head,
While wildly beat without its
The waves of battle red .
Whil e gazing on the scene of stri fe
It faded from hi s glance,
And,in it s place , he saw the fields
Of well - beloved France ;
The years were lost that made him old,
And youth was in the trance .
He stands within hi s father ’ s hall s
A maiden form i s near
The heavy tread of l egioned men
Fall s on a l i stl es s ear .
The aged chief in that sweet dream
One only voice can hear .
He often heard it in the clash
And clangor of th e field,
178
L A VA LLETTE .
As,from the summit of the wall
,
The l ighted torches fl ing
A glare upon the coming host,
While bell s alarums ring .
A nnuciata’
s spectral spires
The frantic sounds repeat
A S up and down throughout the town
E cho the hurrying feet ,
Till at the old Grand Master ’s S ide
The thronging heroes meet .
From out the gloom the Moslems ri se
With shout and battle cry ,
But,in the breach , the l evell ed S pears
S til l breast them back to die ,
Like waves that beat again st the rocks
To break in foam and flv .
Amid the madness of the s trif e,
In gloom,and blinding glare
180
L A VA LLETTE
The Master sees amid H i s knights
A shadow s til l and fair,
Though lance,and sword
,and scimitar
Meet wi ldly—it i s there .
And through the horrid noi se of war
There comes to La Val l ette
A voice , he cannot cea se to hear ,
In accents of regret“The knight who vows himsel f to God
Must Home and Love forget . !
181
IT S N O VVS AND IT BLOWS .
I t snows and it blows,i t i s cold
,stormy
weather,
While Lonni e and Papa are s itt ing together ;
S itt ing and singing a sweet l ittl e s ong
Lonni e and Papa the whole day long .
There are th e towers on Parliament H ill,
There i s the river that runs by the mill,
There are the houses all covered with snow,
And there i s the roadway that l eads down below.
For it snows , etc .
There i s the battery Papa has made,
There i s the fiel d where his soldi ers parade,
There are the flagstaff and old magazine
The prettiest place that ever was seen .
For it snows,etc .
182
TWO BOYS .
These were two of the funniest boys
That ever had a mother ;
Roland was the name of one,
A nd Oliver that of the other .
One day they to the meadow went
The old gray mare to find ;
Roland,he got up before
,
And Ol iver up behind .
And then they to the river ran
To swim i s not a sin ;
Roland sat h im down on the bank
But O l iver tumb l ed in .
184
TWO BOYS .
These two boys to the theatre went
Whenever they saw fit ;
Roland in the gall ery sat ,
And Ol iver in th e pit .
Their mother s ent them both to school
To learn to read and write ;
Roland learned hi s l e s sons well
But Ol iver learned to fight .
On S unday they to meeting went,
Where all good people pray ;
Roland entered in and stayed,
But Oliver ran away .
On the mil l - pond they another day
Went in their father’
s scow ;
Roland sat down in th e stern,
Whil e Ol iver stood at th e prow .
185
TWO BOYS .
And then they cast their fishing lines
To hook some bass and trout :
Roland caught a mighty eel ,
Oliver an old mud pout .
Thes e boys were then to College s ent ,
Where for sometime they tarried '
Roland took B .A . , degree ,
But Oliver got married .
When they came home their father
That schooling did th em harm ,
S o Roland went to learn a trade ,
Oliver staid on the farm .
In after years these two boys met
One day when they were out ;
Roland had grown tall and thin,
Oliver short and stout .
186
TWO BOYS .
Big buns,and cakes
,and pies , and tarts
Were on the table spread,
Sweet honey , milk , and cream ,and fruit
And Oliver at the head .
They bade good - bye like gentlemen
Who part upon the road ;
While Roland in hi s carriage sat ,
On foot old Oliver strode .
At last , when they were very old
These two good fel lows died .
Roland he was laid at rest
With Oliver by hi s S ide .
And all the boys and girl s would come
With flowers every day,
And place them on the grassy beds
Where these two brothers lav .
188
THE BRITON .
From Heremon we claim descent
H i s bride King David ’s daughter ,
Who from the Holy Land was S ent
To E rin , o’
er the water .
S ince then the Norman and the Dane,
The Teuton and the Frenchman
Have mixed their blood,and from the strain
Came sturdy Briti sh henchmen .
Chorus
Hurrah , then , for the blood and b irth,
With pedigree to fit on
The i sl e s and continents of earth,
The freedom—l oving Briton
189
THE BR ITON .
The libertie s our fathers won
We ’l l grant to every nation,
Til l peace and j ustice,l ike the
Shall shine o ’er al l creation .
We seek no conquest to oppres s,
Or trample on a foeman !
A S we are blest , we seek to bles s .
With enmity to no man .
Chorus
Hurrah,then
,for the blood and birth
,
With pedigree to fit on
The is l es and continents of earth ,
The freedom—l oving Briton !
Thus Celt,and Teuton
,Norman
,Dane
,
Come back,like clouds from ocean
,
And fall upon th e earth,l ike rain
To set the crop s in motion .
190
THE DAWNING OF THE DAY .
Give me the harp,Old Minstrel
,you have sung of
vanished th ings ;
You have told the ancient story,not of what the
future brings .
We have had our fi ll of fabl e ; l et another strike the
strings
For Ireland at the Dawning of th e Day !
Thi s harp i s mine , Old Mins trel , for th e Chi eftains
of O drone
Consigned it to my fathers—it belongs to us alone .
Not sil ent shall I have it whil e we stand around the
throne,
For Ireland at the Dawning of the Day !
192
THE DAWNING OF THE D A Y .
The kings and Chieftains of the past were nob le in
their time,
Their wisdom and th eir valor are a theme for song
sublime,
When honor was a heritage and love was not a
crime,
In I reland at the Dawning of the Day !
But I charge ye,Men of Ireland ! be the heroes o f
to - day !
S tand forth in fearl e s s manhood making hirel ings
cl ear the way
A glorious Faugh at Ballagh ! which to hear i s to
obey,
For Ireland at the Dawning of the Day !
B e pati ent , calm and prudent ; l et your l ittl e quarrel s
di e ;
Be firm of foot and strong of arm , with steady
gazing eye
I93
THE DAWNING OF THE D A Y .
The ground ye tread i s holy ground , and God i s
on high,
For Ireland at the Dawning of the Day !
,The victory belongs to those who to them selves are
true
iThe tree of l i fe i s standing, ripely laden , ful l in view .
If ye would have the fruitage be prepared to dare
and do
For Ireland at the Dawning of the Day !
I behold a nation ri sing from the ashes of the past .
lI see a host advancing with it s shadow backward
cast .
I see a l ine of heroes where the greatest i s the last
In Ireland at the Dawning of the Day !
.I behold a people coming from the confines of the
earth
,The women with the children who have had a higher
birth
I94
A SONG OF ! ION .
We are coming,we are coming . Fling our banner
to the breeze .
In thousands we are coming from beyond remotest
seas .
We are coming after centuri es of sorrow and of toil,
To make our home in Pal estine , and tread its holy
soil .
‘O,l et the song of gladness ri s e ; le t all the nations
hear
The anthem of the mighty host of ! i on drawing
near .
Across the mountains , through the vale s , and o’er
th e ocean ’ s foam,
Beho ld the hosts of I srael are coming , coming home !
196
A . SONG OF ! IO N .
!
Twas said of old by one whose l ip s were touched
by Heaven ’s fire,
That God’
s own house would be buli t up , than hil l s
and mountains higher ;
That from it s portal s would go forth to al l the world
the word,
That we may learn H i s ways,and walk in truth
before the Lord ;
That sword and spear would broken be,rewrought
to arts of peace ;
That all the cruelty of war and stri f e forc ’er would
cease :
That nation shal l not l i ft up sword ’gainst nation,
as of yore .
But l i st en to th e voice o f God and l earn of war no
more .
O Children of th e Covenant,perhap s th e day i s
near
lE’
en now , i f you wil l li sten , you may hear th e ac
cents cl ear
I97
A SONG OF ! IO N
Of One wmo cal ls the scattered. brood Come to
Me ! children,Come !
M y hill s are vacant . Here I Am . I bid ye wel
come home !!
Then answer We are coming ! Fling our banner
to the breeze !
JIn thousands we are coming from beyond remotest
sea s .
-We are coming after centuri es of sorrow and of toil ,
ITO make our home in Pal estine and tread its holy
soi l .
0,l et the songs of gladness ri se l et al l the nations
hear
The anthem of the mighty host o f I srael drawing
near .
A cross the mountains , through the vale s , and o’er
the ocean ’ s foam .
Behold the hosts of I srael are coming,coming home !
198
A S N O OF
O f One wno cal ls th scattere
Me ! children,Cone !
.M y hill s are vacant . H ere I
come home
Then an swer We a: com ing !
to th e breeze !
aIn thousand s we a re oming from
sea s .
-\Ve are coming a fter enturies o f
ITO mak e our home i Pal e s tine
soil .
0 , l et th e song s o f gt dness ri s e
h ea r
The anth em o f th e tighty host o f I
n ea r .
A c ro ss th e mountain th rough the
th e ocean ’s foam
B ehold th e hosts o f Tsael are c om i
THE JEW I SH NEW YEA R, 5660.
Then send your voices from the shore
O f time unti l.
all things are done“ The Lord wil l reign forevermore !
O ! I srael , your God i s One !!
Remember in th is day of l ife ,
The thr i l ling memories of the past
He l ed you safe thro ’ fear and str i fe ,
And H e will l ead you to th e la st .
From slavery H e l ed you free,
Y ou children of H i s word and will,
O ’er desert waste and stormy sea
He led you,and He l eads you sti ll .
The blast of Shophar—hear it swell !
O ! I srael awake,ari se !
Remember , O ! Remember wel l !“Remember !! soul to soul repli es .
200
THE JEW I SH NEW YEA R, 5660.
Up ! Up ! and face the dreadful foe ,
For you have arms to make them flee
God - given arms to overthrow
The sinful ho st and set you free !
Then pardon , peace , and Joy, and love ,
With happines s wil l fi l l your days,
And God,who watches from above
,
Will bl e s s you in your works and ways .
202
E N - S O F .
nmn rm iii-mmw as
I number up my j ewels,spread them all before your
gaze ;
I show you things of beauty,but I cannot give
you sight ;
I ’m speaking words of wi sdom—you may laugh and
go your ways
God alone gives understanding—H i s love alone
i s l ight .
I look into infinity from pinnacle s of time '
The S eer beholds th e myriads advancing from
afar ;
S til l higher , ever higher , ri s ing beauti ful , subl ime ,
Flaming oceans di sincarnate,each particl e a star .
203
EN S O F .
Bright stars,they are not suns nor moons
,though
thes e their raiment be ;
Twin essence s in all exi st,the Wisdom and the
Word .
Thrones,princ ipali ti es
,powers
, S ephiroth , mystery
Of time and space,with God ’s sweet grace
,obey
for they have heard .
A grain of sand has mysteries as vast as firm and
space,
The brain that think s,the hand that works are
instruments of love .
Unless that spiri t be your guide,there i s no hope of
grace
Throughout the whole wide universew on earth ,
in heaven above .
(
Transfigured you may wi tnes s on th e pages I unroll
The spiri t o f the Central Sun—the One,th e Three
the TWO .
204
EN S O F .
But he who knows the world , A z iah,action—what
to do ,
Instructed by Y etz irah ,world formation—clear
seeing,
Where stands reveal ed in Briah,world - wide thres
hold to the true,
I s free from all these i l l s of li fe with A tz iloth being .
Great j ewel s I have numbered four,but these are
counted ten,
Yet only three by you are seen,the fourth i s in
them all,
S til l i t is non - exis tent to th e grasp and thought of
men,
Thoug h it contains infinity— all things both great
and small .
I l ook into the glories of a time that i s to come
The angel with a fl aming sword shal l pas s from
E den ’s gate .
Then M an shall enter in again . returning to hi s home ,
Triumphant over time and death , in strength o f
wisdom great .206
EN S O F .
All nightmare gods of earth shall die,their altars
overthrown
Shall l i e neglected ; prie sts no more shall l ibel
H eaven’ s King,
Nor stand to sel l salvation where their temples over
grown
Are mounds beneath the forest trees where happy
wildb irds s ing .
Behold Man i s preparing earth for stil l another
change ;
With robbery and slaughter h e i s ravaging th e
globe,
With sa tel es s maw and pocket,see the rav ’ning
monster range,
But neither sati s fying,l eaves at last an empty
robe !
Hark ! S eraphim and Cherubim,the Voice that
speak s between
Love,Purity
,Obedience
,N itz ach the Vi ctory
207
EN S O F.
Proclaim the gift I freely give—with that which isunseen
That you may be in truth set free,and meet me
by and bye
With Princedoms,in humil ity , you ye t may know
the truth,
With angels by the study of the Law Divine may
stand ;
Tiphereth then i s yours for aye, within the high
M alkhuth
With One S upreme Obedience that gives the last
command .
Thus numbered are my j ewels,thus all spread before
your gaze .
I’ve shown you things of beauty,but I cannot give
you sight .
I’
ve spoken words of wisdom—you may laugh and
go your ways .
God alone gives understanding—H i s love alone
i s l ight .
208
THE N IN TH OF A B .
I I .
Shall I to mourning hearts recall the record of their
sins,
Where age in lamentation ends , and youth in grief
begins,
S ince Titus thundered at thy gates w ith l egioned
rank s of Rome,
While scattered far in heathen lands thy children
dream of home !
I I I .
There i s no sorrow like to thine ; enduring as thy
fame
I t dwell s with thee forever in a memory of flame
Unquenchable,though streams of blood upon it ever
poun
S ince tower and templ e , hall and home went down
to ris e no more .
2 10
THE NINTH OF A B .
IV.
Oh,who can tel l the fearful tale ! Thy anguish who
can know !
I t fil l s th e corridors of time with one long wail of
woe ,
The pity of it wrings my heart ! When will thy sor
row cease !
Oh,
"
I srael ! beloved of God,when will H e give thee
peace !
V.
The earthquake,
fire and tempes t wind have sought
thy hope to blast ;
Be patient , and thou yet shal t hear the stil l , small
voice at la st .
Though gory footprints mark thy way,al ong the
shores of time
In al l the ways o f earth there i s no pathway so
subl ime .
! II
THE NINTH OF A B .
VI .
God - given i s the heritage of suffering and pain .
By it the glorie s that were thine shall yet: be thine
again .
The rapture of thy sacrifice i s what thou lovest best ;
Nor gold,nor gems
,nor vows
,nor pray
’rs can ever
make thee blest .
VI I .
Think not because the voice of God i s heard no
more on earth
That H e forgets H i s covenant,or deems it little
worth .
S t il l fix thy gaze on ! ion ’s h ill . He yet wil l h ear
thy prayer ;
on some N inth of Ab shall end the years of thy
despair .
2 12
THE DEVIL AND DEATH DE FEATE D
A DA PTE D FRO M THE M IDRA SH.
The devil wandering up and down
The earth one summer day
Fell in love with a mai den fair,
H e met upon his way .
Assuming mortal guis e h e wooed
That maiden for hi s br ide !
O,he was young, and rich , and grand ,
And would not be denied .
What could sh e do but love him
And soon they wed ded were .
0 she was very fond of him,
And he was fond of her .
2 14
THE DEV IL A N D DEA TH DEFEA T'E D .
But he had much to do at times ,
And often stayed out late,
At which she fretted,j ealous grew
,
Bemoaning her sad fa t e .
She often wept , and then she pined,
Then she began to scold
Till the devi l wi shed himself in hel l
Again—out of the cold .
To them,in t ime
, a son was born ,
Who on i t s parent s smiled ;
All i t s immortal father ’ s love
Was centred on the child .
But a s it grew to man ’s estate
The mother ’s nature changed ,
Because the Devil s tayed out late
And all her plans deranged .
Her beauty turned to ugl ines s ,
Her love was turned to hate
The Devil bitterly bemoaned
The hardship of h i s fate .
2 1 ;Q
THE DEV IL A N D DEA TH DEFEA TE D .
S o wretched was he in hi s home ,
Her tongue so sharp and coars e ,
H e pray’
d the Overlord of al l
To grant him a divorce .
But he was told that having wed
A mortal woman he
Must bear hi s burden to the end ,
Whenever that would be .
One day the Devil told his son
The s ecret of his birth
A nd swore he ’d give him anything
That he might want on earth .
The son became a doctor and
Thanks to his father dread,
His fame was spread thro ’ all the land
As one who rai sed th e dead .
You’
l l know , the Devil sa id , when you
Behold me drawing nigh
The patient lying on hi s bed,
I f he must l ive or die .
2 16
THE DEV IL A N D DEA TH DEFEA TED.
I f to hi s feet I come and stand.
Have littl e doubt or fear ;
I f to his head,you may be sure
That death is drawing near .
The Doctor fel l in love one day,
A s doctors somet ime s do ,
The maiden of hi s choice was fair,
And young , and good , and true .
But e’
er he could his passion Speak,
The plague was in th e town ,
And,passing
,k is sed her on the cheek
,
And she was stricken down .
Beside her bed the Doctor sat
A nd strove mo st skil ful ly
To save her l i fe,more dear to him
Than ought on earth could be .
‘N hen,suddenly from out the gloom
,
H e saw a presence dread
His father s tood within the room
Anear th e patient ’s head .
2 17
THE DEVIL A N D DEA TH D EFEA TED .
O ! spare my love the Doctor cried .
“
She must not—shal l not die !
The Devil said,I must obey
The order from on high .
There i s no power to change her fate ,
No higher and no oth er . !
“ There i s ! There i s ! I ’m not too late !
I ’ l l go and call my mother !!
At that the Devil took to fl ight,
Nor s tayed a moment longer .
There i s a power of greater might ,
The Doctor said,
and s tronger
Than death or hel l . I’
ve proved i t here,
Dispute th e fact can no man ,
More bi tter than the grave—the fear
Of a j ealous,vengeful woman !
2 18
I N .D E !
A Dream .
A b ercromb ies G rave ,
A t Peace . .
A rmaged don .
A F ine S ummer Morning .
A fter Many Years and L ong . .
Ba l lad of G regory, Th e .
Briton , Th e
Caprian Wine .
Convent Porter, The . .
Canada “
Come, Deares t , Coma .
Canada. O ur Home ,
Daw ning of th e D ay . .
Dea th of the 01d Y ea-in .
Devi l and Dearth Defeated , Th e ,
Dream. Song .
E lm Tree , Th e . .
E nchanted Is le,Th e . .
E n- Sof . .
F i l'
l'
High th e BO WL .
F eb ruary 3rd ,
Fremasonry . .
22 1
G ood - B ye .
G if t of W isdom, The !
Here and N ow . .
Here wou ld I P lace as in a S h rine .
Is le of Memo ry !
I D rink to Th e .e .
I O n ly S ing for those I L ove . .
In E x ile .
In Memo-Ham,Honoré Mercie-r .
I t S nows and it B lows .
Jew is h N ew Year , 5 660.
L eper ! nigh t , The .
L ines Recited at a Mas onic Ban! uet .
L os t S pirit , Th e .
L a Va l lette !
L ove and Death .
Moon l ight S torm .
Malene “
M y Moun tain Home .
Mystic Faith .
Morning .
M y S ong .
M en o f th e North . .
Nor th ern L igh ts .
Nigh t Bird , Th e .
