Wilfred S. Skeats

“ The rage of war
Is quickly spread to nations near and far.
XXXV.
But 'tis not mine to speak of that campaign,
Whose battles raged from Fort Niagara
To Queenston Heights and far-famed Lundy's Lane;
Nor yet abated until Chippewa,
Black Rock, and Buffalo were summoned all
To war and bloodshed by the bugle call.
XXXVI.
Too long I've dwelt on deeds of war, yet one
Brave deed remains which must not be untold;
One act—by which a gallant fight was won,
One act—by which two noble lives were sold.
This only act recounting, I will cease
To speak of war, and court the muse of peace. ”

“ At first, that life of long-continued pain,
We scarce had found the strength to struggle through
The path o'ershadowed with so dark a hue.
XLIV.
But each new day has brought a new-born hope,
Each night of rest has strengthened us anew,
And given us again the power to cope
With pain and trial; and we still pursue
Our way in faith, and day by day we cherish
The hope that on that day our pain will perish. ”

“ Let milord and milady inherit their wealth,
I am legatee only of vigor and health;
Every cent that I own has been earned by the sweat
Of my brow, and I'm proud to acknowledge it yet.
There's a happiness here every other beyond,
Except one: to be bound in the mystical bond
Which is woven with throbs of the heart that is true,
And the glances of eyes of a love-lightened hue. [Pg 157]
And, perchance, even I may have tasted the bliss
That is found in the warmth of the soul-inspired kiss;
And it may have been mine—But I travel too fast.
It is time that the cobbler returned to his last. ”

“ Come, as an angel,
Down from above.
Golden-rayed tresses,
Shining and bright,
Inviting caresses,
Mirroring light.
Eyes blue and tender,
Beaming with joy.
Who would offend her?
Who would annoy?
Ripple thy laughter!
Bubble thy glee!
Loud will the rafter
Echo to thee. [Pg 152]
Clinging to mother,
Set on her knee;
She has no other
Dearer than thee.
Slave thou hast bound her;
Nestles thine arm,
Twining around her,
Telling thy charm.
Innocent speeches
Silencing strife;
Hallowed each is:
Pearls of a life. ”

“ He, for his selfish pride to cause thee pain;
He, for his littleness of mind to lay
Thee low in sickness; God grant he may gain
His due reward. And may the Lord repay
The haughty baronet, in full degree,
For all the wrong that he has rendered thee!
LIII.
But now thou art recovered, now thy heart
Alone is sick. Ah Love! thou mournest too,
No less than I, that we must live apart. ”

“ Let the fool in his folly anticipate sorrow,
I, for one, will refuse to take thought for the morrow.
There is joy in our life if we will but enjoy it;
But the most of us do what we can to destroy it. ”

“ With tearful eyes, I begged him to allow
My loved one to return and claim me now.
LX.
"When first I spoke he heeded not, but soon
His face relaxed, and then, 'The boy has won,'
He said, 'a worthy name. Then take thy boon,
And tell him I will call him now my son.'
Then, kissing me, he raised me from my knee,
And, smiling, bade me write in haste to thee."
[Pg 115] LXI.
And thou art mine, my love—my very own!
And none can sever us. I seem not yet
To realize that all my pain is gone.
'Tis hard such heavy sorrow to forget.
Ah, Love! what now can give us grief or pain? ”

“ I turn me from the thoughts of war, and gaze
With pleased eyes upon this little bay.
So bright a scene, in all my exiled days,
I have not looked upon; and like a ray
Of light upon my darkened life it seems,
Reviving hope within me by its beams.
[Pg 76] XV.
The bay is dotted with a hundred boats,
And brightly on the sail of many a skiff
The evening sun is shining, as it floats
Upon the water, shining thus as if
To tell the little skiff, as on she goes,
That he will guard her from tempestuous foes. ”

“ A nation built in blood must ever fight,
Or lose its name and power. 'Tis not all
To conquer once; an enemy subdued
Waits but a happy chance for further feud.
XXXII.
Nor will the nation nurtured by the sword,
If undisturbed by subjugated foes,
Remain in peace and rest; one murmured word
Of discontent will plunge it in the throes
Of fratricidal warfare; and not long
That word remains uncalled for by some wrong.
[Pg 20]
XXXIII.
The page of history is blotted o'er
With tales of bloodshed. Not a single nation
Exists, but spent its greater life in war. ”

“ Yet sad and sorrow-laden, memories
Possess me as the vision meets my eyes.
[Pg 50] III.
My native land! still, still I think of thee;
By day and night the oft-recurring thought
Brings intermingled pain and joy to me.
And oft I curse the fortune which has brought
These days of exile and of solitude
To one who longs for peace and quietude.
IV.
My life has not been sinless, yet what sin
Have I committed that my punishment
Should be so great! An aching heart within
Still makes me sorrowful. ”

“ O'erwhelmed with tears, my gentle Love was gone,
And I must wander exiled and alone.
XXIII.
Yet is it best that I should wander thus,
Far from the cherished spot where we have passed
Such happy days, since not again for us
Will be the joy that seemed too great to last.
Her father is too stern a man to know
Remorse's sting; his hatred will but grow. ”

“ To propagate the cause of arbitration.
Let peaceful compacts, bloodless victories, grow
Till hideous war, with ruthless devastation,
Destroy no more the beauty of thy land,
Nor raise against thy homes its bloodstained hand.
XXXVII.
Be Christian first and last, for thus alone
Shalt thou attain to might unfaltering.
No nation in the past has ever known
The lasting power which faith alone can bring.
Though each in turn has gained a glorious name,
Not one has risen to eternal fame. ”

“ But I've seen her, when none but her parents are nigh,
When her spirits are flowing exuberantly,
With her feet tossing high, while her arms in accordance,
Are wildly upraised in the Fling or the Sword-dance.
I know a maid whose hazel eye
Outshines the light gazelle's,
And hid beneath its brilliancy,
A pensive shadow dwells.
But I've seen it illumed with a mischievous light,
Which the sparkles displayed in the meteor's flight
Cannot meet, as her laughter reverberates round,
And merrily echo responds to the sound. ”

“ And soars to heights of future-coming bliss,
In lands where gladness reigns eternally,
Too bright, too beautiful, alas! to be.
[Pg 97] XII.
For each his load of pain and woe must bear,
And each must feel the weight of Sorrow's hand,
And each will sometimes bow in deep despair,
And 'neath his burden think he cannot stand.
But strength will come to each in time of need,
For they whom grief destroys are few indeed. ”

“ And only through the darkness could I see
That, in their power and God-given might,
Men ruled, fulfilling half their Lord's decree.
Here was much chaos and confusion still;
And here no perfect concord seemed to be.
Each lived as best accorded with his will:
Men ruled, all heedless of their Lord's decree.
And, as I looked, deep sorrow filled my heart ”

“ Strong, womanly heart! whose long-enduring pain
Has not sufficed to rend thy faith in twain,
But rather teaches thee to sympathise
With those whose path through pain and darkness lies
Thyself forgetting, if but thou canst be
Of aid to others in adversity ”

“ Mine eyes are dim—Nay, tears? It cannot be;
I am a man, and am not wont to weep.
Yet beats my happy heart so joyfully
The quick revulsion causes me to steep
Mine eyes in tears. Though Grief could not compel
These tears to flow, Joy bade them, and they fell. ”

“ For selfish ends attained by shameless tricks.
[Pg 68] LVII.
Yet are not politicians in one mould
All fashioned; there are honest men and true
Who serve their country, not for love of gold
Or fame, but for the good that they can do.
Would God that these, and these alone, held sway
Within your senates, Canada, to-day!
LVIII.
But politics shall occupy my thought
No more. I turn with deep relief away
From that which lack of principle has brought
To premature and undeserved decay.
Perchance, from out the ashes where it lies,
True statesmanship may, phœnix-like, arise. ”

“ Fond lovers whisper as they sit alone.
And I would send a greeting to the one
Whose heart with mine still beats in unison.
————
My Love, my own Sweetheart,
Let sorrow not be thine,
Though still we live apart,
The lamp of Hope must shine.
And, shedding on our path
The light of trustfulness
And never-failing faith,
'Twill make our sorrow less. ”

“ You have taught me a lesson; though little you thought
Or intended to do it, the lesson is taught.
By your actions, not words, have I learned to be wise,
To embrace every joy, every sorrow despise. ”

“ To show the traveller his path by night:
They shone, fulfilling all their Lord's decree.
I looked to earth, and saw the plants and trees,
Each growing fitly to the pattern made,
And yielding proper flowers and fruits. And these
All grew, and thus their Master's will obeyed. ”

“ And my path somewhat rough, still I have my reward.
Let my rung on life's ladder be low as it may,
I have fought single-handed each step of the way.
It is well to have fortune, mayhap it is well
In the tents of the noble and titled to dwell;
But the man who has builded his home with his hand
Is the happiest man in the happiest land. ”

“ A war that will last till its cause shall be dead.
Canada, thine is the field of the battle,
Nor would the conflict be long or severe,
Were not thy statesmen, "like dumb, driven cattle,"
Led by emolument, daunted by fear.
Slowly advances the Jesuit faction,
Crafty and subtle the means they employ.
Protestants fight, but uncertain their action—
Party dissensions their power destroy. ”

“ When He was born a little child,
To take Creation's sin away,
And purify the Truth defiled.
He taught the world to walk by faith,
And, lest their feet should go astray,
He trod Himself the faithful path,
And showed His followers the way.
He taught a Hope to all oppressed
By Sorrow's weight or Sin's remorse;
Himself the contrite sinner blessed,
To give His words a greater force. [Pg 159]
Oh! ”

“ Till not a nation owned her sovereign sway.
XLIII.
And thus have mighty nations ever perished,
Or lost the greater portion of their might,
When, as their sole upholder, they have cherished
The reeking sword, in disregard of right.
Then, England, take thou warning by their fate,
And keep thy Christian faith inviolate.
XLIV.
America's Republic stands alone. ”

“ It lies not in your pow'r to order those,
The nations still uncivilized, to cease
From war, and, if they make themselves your foes,
Ye must resist; yet can ye order peace
Among yourselves. And, sure, ye Christian lands
Would wash the blood of war from off your hands!
XXXIX.
Slow, slow, the march of Christianity,
Yet sure—more sure because its march is slow;
And settled now in peace and amity
Are issues which, but fifty years ago,
Had been the cause of bloodshed and of strife,
And cost each country many a noble life. ”

“ Protecting them as best they might from those
Who proved themselves their fierce and bitter foes.
XXII.
The Iroquois, by cruel hate possessed,
Left not a chance untaken to obtain
A reeking scalp; and fiercely they oppressed
The little band, whose suffering and pain,
In Montreal and all throughout the land,
Seemed more than human frailty could withstand. ”

“ As best will serve them, and protract their sway.
XLIV.
But not too far do they attempt to go
In serving self. There stands an arbiter
To whom they must appeal; were this not so,
Their conscientiousness might not deter
The country's servants from committing deeds
To hinder which their shame now intercedes.
[Pg 64] XLV.
And yet, methinks, the arbiter to whom
They must appeal is far too liberal,
Or far too careless. When the day has come
In which a judgment must be given on all
The actions of their Ministers of State,
The people are too mild and moderate. ”

“ Upon the prairie-land. My youthful eyes
Raised here a mighty castle, which should give
A home to me and mine. To youth there lies
A fascination in the great Unknown,
Which some in old age have not yet outgrown. ”

“ Thine allegiance shall command.
In thy midst there creeps a Serpent—
Deadliest of all thy foes—
Gliding in among thy councils,
Spreading venom where she goes.
Like the fatal boa-constrictor
Charming those who soon must die,
She can so transfix her victim
By the glitter of her eye,
That the greatest of thy statesmen
Dares not question her decree,
But in meek humiliation
Bows to her, abjuring thee. [Pg 136]
Rise, Canadians! ”

“ Then, in the darkness, stealthily they creep,
And silently approach the rocky steep.
XXVII.
Like Indians soft stealing on the trail
Of hated foes, intent upon surprise,
And silent moving lest their project fail,
When death in premature detection lies;
So noiselessly that army scaled the height,
While darkness hid them from the foemen's sight. ”

“ Kingdoms may rise, and, with unquestioned sway,
Monarchs may rule, and none their right gainsay,
[Pg 19] XXX.
But, founded on another base than this,
That monarch's might shall surely pass away;
No kingdom is so strong that it can miss
This destiny. A premature decay
Has greeted, and will ever greet, that land
Whose weak foundation trembles in the sand.
XXXI.
The sword is mighty ”