James McIntyre

        After chatting with each friend,
        We our way to the table wend,
        On it we all do make a raid,
        And this we call a ladies' aid.

        'Tis pleasant way of taking tea,
        Improvement on the old soiree,
        On such a time as this I find
        Food for body and for mind.

        Gladly all obey the call,
        To attend this pleasant social,
        And we hope none will lament
        The time and money they have spent.

        Our first Canadian job when boy,
        In the big woods we did enjoy,
        Large maple bush we then did tap
        And to camp carried maple sap.

        We stored it in great wooden trough,
        Then in big kettles sugared off,
        Though often it did try our mettle
        To keep up fire beneath each kettle.

        For it was a serious toil
        To cut the wood to kettles boil,
        To-night it is a pleasant joke,
        No trouble from the fire and smoke.

        Of old we thought our neck was broke
        By having on it a neckyoke,
        And on each side a heavy pail
        Suspended from the yoke by bail.

        We waded through the snow and slush
        And stumbled o'er the logs in bush,<...

        Some do boast of their pedigrees,
        But Salford's parent of the cheese,
        Ranney, industrious and wise,
        Here started this great enterprise.

        He did work on the dairy plan,
        While Farrington was factoryman,
        Both of these men it well did please
        To hear of progress making cheese.

        The farmers are in cheerful mood,
        For harvest all it has been good,
        And all the grain was sown this spring
        An abundant yield will bring.

        And you can scarcely stow away
        The yield of barley, oats and hay,
        Such pasture it is seldom seen,
        E'en now it is so fresh and green.

        This beauteous colour nature decks,
        While it insures yo...

        Scotsmen have wandered far and wide
        From Moray Frith to Frith of Clyde,
        McDonald from his sea girt isle,
        And Campbell from his broad Argyle.

        But chiefly here you have come forth
        From those counties of the north,
        Some oft have trod Dunrobins halls
        And gazed upon its stately walls.

        Here to night in this array
        Is Murray, McKenzie and McKay,
        And there doth around us stand
        The Munroe, Ross and Sutherland.

        Your young men have high honor earned
        In all of the professions learned,
        Your bonnie lasses sung in song,
        And youths are famed for muscle strong.

        Scotia's sons to-night we meet thee,
        With kindly feelings we do greet thee,
        In honor of the land of heather,
        Around this board to-night we gather.

        Land where the fields for border edges,
        Have garlands of blooming hedges,
        Land of the whin and of the broom
        And where the bonnie blue bells bloom.

        Land where you may enraptured hark
        To heavenly song of the skylark,
        Which soars triumphant in the skies
        Above the gaze of human eyes.

        Land of bleak hills and fertile dales,
        Where they tell oft their fairy tales,
        Land where the folks do love the kirk
        And on the Sabbath cease from work.

        Land of porridge and of brose,...

        We send to you these rugged rhymes
        In memory of the olden times,
        Great chief of our poetic clan,
        Admired by all, McLaughlan.

        We do greet thee Thomas Conant,
            You truthful paint Canadian charms,
        And you are the great exponent
            Of beauties of her woods and farms.

        You give fine sketch of bird and fowl,
            Of the blue jay and the plover,
        And of great white Canadian owl,
            All proves of nature you're a lover.

Where each one expressed some sentiment.


        In this album you may trace,
        If not the lineaments of face,
        There at least you will find
        Photographs of the mind.

        Some in earnest some in fun,
        Some do lecture some do pun,
        Here the maiden and the youth,
        Each proclaim some precious truth.

        And there is here some fine pages,
        Written by maturer ages,
        Where they show that time is brief,
        That soon comes sere and yellow leaf.

        I tell you what my little Dora,
        You do cause my heart to sorrow,
        Tell me now you little misses
        What you do with all your kisses.

        I see you get them by the dozen
        From each aunt and little cousin,
        Said she I do intend dear pa
        To give them all to you and ma.

        And not a single one I'll miss,
        But I will give you back each kiss,
        And both of you will feel you're blest
        When I pay you interest.

        You'll better in my bank invest
        And put my principle to test,
        And you can dividend partake,
        For my bank will never break.

        'Mong silver hills of Nevada
        There is many a wild bravado,
        Who oft indulge in lawless vice,
        And there are pearls of great price.

        Rough hearts, but true at the core,
        There is the genuine silver ore,
        But it needs skill of the refiner
        To find pure gems in the miner.

        Far from their home two children stray,
        Among the mountains far away,
        The eldest of these travellers bold,
        Jack Smith he was but six years old.

        So far poor children went abroad,
        That both at last they lost their road,
        But their good dog the trusty Rover,
        By scent and search doth them discover.

        Their friends they search for them in vain,
  ...

        On grassy amphitheatre,
        Spectators sit to view the war,
        'Mong bold contestants on the plain
        Where each doth strive the prize to gain.

        Come witness the great tug of war,
        And see great hammer thrown afar,
        See running, jumping, highland fling,
        At concert hear the skylark sing.

        And the bagpipes will send thrills,
        Like echoes from the distant hills,
        And the bold sound of the pibroch,
        Which does resound o'er highland loch.

        Young men and maids and fine old dames
        Will gather on the banks of Thames,
        And though we have a tug of war
        'Twill leave no wound or deadly scar.

        As one by one the lofty actors of the age
        Withdraw from changing play on history's page,
        The act of war and peace of old and new contending
        For it is long 'ere there's harmonious blending.

        And many a noble actor brave and bold
        Hath perished in the fight between the new and old,
        The victor and the vanquished Lincoln and Lee,
        The former he four million slaves set free.

        The latter General fought with bravery and science,
        The first he on the Lord placed strong reliance,
        And in the justice of his cause he bade the North
        As grand emancipators they should issue forth.

        And o'er great North the conquering name of Grant
        His mighty deeds of valour they 'ere ...

        From the long continuous rains
        O'erflowing were the swamps and drains,
        For each day had its heavy shower,
        Torrents fell for many an hour;
        At London where two branches join
        It seem'd two furies did combine,
        For to spread far both death and woe,
        With their wild, raging overflow;
        E'en houses did on waters float,
        As though each had been built for boat,
        And where was wealth and joy and bloom,
        Soon naught but inmates of the tomb;
        Flood o'erflowed both vale and ridges,
        And swept railroads, dams and bridges,
        A mother climbed in tree to save
        Her infant from a watery grave,
        But on the house you saw its blood
        Where it was cr...

Lines written on the arrival of Governor Lorne and the Princess Louise in Canada.


        The tidings now all hearts do please,
        That she has landed safe, Louise,
        Victoria's beloved daughter,
        Who boldly has crossed the water,
        For royal Princess doth adorn
        The title of the Lord of Lorne,
        For this union it doth join
        Campbell with Royal Stewart line;
        Lorne will be Duke of broad Argyle,
        And the Lord of many an Isle.
        When he inherits broad domain
        May he strive tenants hearts to gain.
        To us it seems a brighter morn
        Hath dawned on us with Governor Lorne,
        And when they visited this place
        True happiness beamed on each face,
        The...

        An English ship when homeward bound,
        Near to its port was shipwrecked found,
        For it had struck a sunken rock,
        And was slowly sinking from the shock.

        In port they quick did man life boat,
        Which o'er tempestuous sea did float,
        They rescued all the crew, save one,
        And were content with what they done.

        But they had not their captain, Harry,
        Who on the shore was forced to tarry,
        And knew not of the disaster,
        So crew had worked without a master.

        But when he heard of the shipwreck,
        And that a man was left on deck,
        He quickly hurried the boat's crew
        For to again attempt his rescue.

        But earnestly his old mother,...

        With pleasure we would love to dwell
        On the charming themes of Lowell.

        And Millar poet of Sierras,
        For bold deeds he doth prepare us,
        And now he lives by the golden gate,
        Honored in California's state,
        To poet 'tis position grand,
        Commissioner of Forest land.

        Like mightiest organ in full tone,
        Melodious, grand, is great Milton,
        He did in lofty measures tell
        How Satan, great archangel, fell,
        When from heaven downward hurled;
        And how he ruined this our world,
        So full of guile he did deceive
        Our simple hearted parent Eve.
        He shows how pardon is obtained
        And paradise may be regained.