Canada and Other Poems | Page 8

here a higher life?Is liv'd than that of seeking all the while?For wealth, and pow'r, amid ignoble strife,?Degrading unto husband, son or wife.?The scholar's light, and blest religion's smile?Ennobles, soothes and lends a joy to life--?A pow'r, which counteracts the trickster's wile?And blunts the edge of slander undeserv'd and vile.
From where the fierce Atlantic waters rage,?Unto the mild Pacific's fertile shore,?Small villages to cities rise and wage?A steady war; but not a war of gore--?A friendly rivalry exists, no more,?Save in the far North-West, where savage clan?Ungrateful rise, and make a serious sore,?Whose pains increas'd, as eastward far it ran,?And plac'd the British race beneath the Frenchman's ban.
But quickly, let us hope, the time may come,?When peacefully the British flag shall wave,?And when the rebels' terrorizing drum?Shall be as still as Kiel's rebel grave,?O'er the wide land, whose sides two oceans lave;?When demagogues of party shall retire,?Or curb their selfish zeal, their land to save?From factious feuds and savage rebel fire.?And all that tends to raise the patriot's scorn and ire.
From ocean unto ocean runs a band,?A double band of hard and gleaming steel;?It binds in one this fertile, mighty land,?In bonds which all should recognize and feel,?If anxious to promote their country's weal.?A bond which Nature's sympathetic law?Should fasten on our hearts with solid seal,?Which factious feuds should ne'er asunder draw,?Nor wily traitors cut, by selfish treason's saw.
The strange, stupendous, magic power of steam,?In works, is great as fam'd Aladdin's ring,?It carries men o'er miles of land and stream,?And maketh loom and forge, with labour sing,?And o'er the land, a busy air doth fling.?That fluid, too, that none can well define,?In active life hath wrought a wondrous thing.?It speeds our words with lightning flash or sign,?And maketh glorious light from midnight's darkness?shine.
Then to our country's future we may gaze?With gladden'd eyes, and hearts with hope aglow,?That our young country still its head will raise,?And stand 'mid nations, in the foremost row,?High honour'd there, and honour'd not for show--?For solid worth, and lasting pow'r and fame?Will be her portion, if her footsteps go?In duty's path, and if the ruddy flame?Of honor shines within, and keeps away all shame.

YOUTHFUL FANCIES.
The morning of a gladsome day in spring?Had scarce its freshness brought to weary men,?When, o'er the meadows wet, a boy did sing,?And whistled o'er a tune, and carroll'd-it, again,?In youthful happiness unconscious then?Of aught which time might bring, of pain or woe,?But careless, pitching stones in bog or fen,?It seem'd as if he buried there, also,?All worldly cares, so blithely did he onward go.
And yet he was no careless, heedless boy,?Who thought but of the present time alone.?Of future years he thought, but with such joy,?His thoughts but pleasure gave, nor caused a groan?From out the breast that claim'd them as its own;?His thoughts were of the future, fair and bright,?And fresh from his unburden'd heart, alone,?Untarnish'd by the hard and glaring light,?By which he yet might see with such a diff'rent sight.
A picture of the blissful future, he?Had gaily painted in his youthful mind,?And thought no color there too bright to be?An image of his share from fortune kind,?Which she, in future years, would give so free,?To him, the lucky sailor on life's sea.?He thought of honor, happiness and fame,?As he went gaily o'er the dewy lea,?And to his mind no thought of failure came,?To win a prize of worth, in life's tremendous game.
He heard his parents, brothers, sisters, all,?With pride and fondness, speak his honor'd name,?And listen'd, while a nation's mighty call?Invited him to honor and to fame,?And crowds his praises shout, with loud acclaim;?He saw in wealthy town his mansion wide,?And in the country view'd his fields, the same,?Until, in rapture, he had almost cried,?"In happiness and wealth all others are outvied."
He saw a lovely maiden by his side,?Who soon with him his favor'd lot would share,?He saw her upward glance of joy and pride,?As to his eyes she rais'd her face so fair,?So proudly glad that he, her lord, was there.?And all unconscious of her own sweet grace,?But, confident in his protecting care,?She gave him first within her mind the place,?And raised him high above all others of his race.
And now, how joyful rings the marriage bell,?Upon the brightest morn in his career.?He proudly hears the mighty organ swell,?While orange buds, and bridal robes, appear,?And people stop, the merry notes to hear.?And now the organ peals its parting strain,?And, issuing forth, they hear a stirring cheer,?While, crowds surround the stately marriage train,?To cheer him and his bride, and cheer them once again.
These are the thoughts that fill his boyish mind,?And agitate and fire his youthful breast,?Oh, why should fortune oft' be so unkind,?And real life appear in sombre colors drest,?And dash to earth bright hopes, and give so much unrest??Oh, why should boyish hopes, and maiden's dreams?Fail,