The Poetical Works

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Poetical Works of Mrs. Leprohon
(Mrs. R.E. Mullins), by Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon
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Title: The Poetical Works of Mrs. Leprohon (Mrs. R.E. Mullins)
Author: Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon
Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6844]
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Edition: 10
Language: English
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0. START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POETICAL
WORKS OF MRS. LEPROHON ***
Produced by Stan Goodman, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
This file was produced from
images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for
Historical Microreproductions.
THE
POETICAL WORKS
OF
MRS. LEPROHON
(Miss R. E. Mullins)
INTRODUCTION.
When, in after ages, the literature of Canada comes to be written, it is to
be hoped that among the mighty sons and daughters of genius now
unknown, or as yet unborn, some room will be kept for the brave and
loving pioneers who "gave the people of their best," and sang the songs
of duty and patriotism and hope, ere life in our young land had ceased
to be a struggle. With the growth of wealth and the spread of prosperity,
will come leisure for more than material interests; and thus, in course
of time, the author who has something to say will find an audience,
prepared by culture and not too busy to listen to it. And, as supply is
generally commensurate with demand, there will then be a literary class
of corresponding merit. At least, something like this has been the rule
in the progress of nations. But if those who come after, thus favored by
circumstances, surpass their predecessors in literary skill or power, not
less deserving are the latter who, with little prospect of reward, bore the
burden and the heat of the day. This early stage in a nation's literature
has, indeed, an interest and a value of its own, which only meet with
due
appreciation from a judicious and grateful posterity. If it has not
the rich, warm splendor of the later morning, it has the welcome
promise of the dawn, and a tender beauty of its own.

In this band of pioneers Mrs. Leprohon must be conceded a

distinguished place. None of them has employed rare gifts of head and
heart to better purpose; none of them had a wider range of sympathy;
none of them did more willing service, with the purest motives, in all
good causes. And, it may be added, none of them was more happy in
attaining, during life, the admiration and friendship of a large though
select circle of every creed and race among her compatriots. It is in
order to place in the hands of those who thus loved and honored her a
memorial of what she was at her best, intellectually and morally, that
this little volume has been prepared. It contains the emotional record of
a blameless and beautiful life, the outcome of a mind that thought no
evil of any one, but overflowed with loving kindness to all. Before
pointing out, however, what we consider the salient qualities in Mrs.
Leprohon's poetry, it may be well to give our readers a brief sketch of
her too short career.
Rosanna Eleanor Mullins was born in the city of Montreal in the year
1832. It is almost unnecessary to state that she was educated at the
Convent of the Congregation of Notre Dame, so numerous are her
affectionate tributes to the memories of dear friends
associated with
that institution. Long before her education was completed, she had
given evidence of no common literary ability. She was, indeed, only
fourteen years old when she made her
earliest essays in verse and
prose. Before she had bid adieu to the years and scenes of girlhood, she
had already won a reputation as a writer of considerable promise, and
as long as Mr. John Lovell conducted the Literary Garland, Miss