The Emigrant Mechanic and Other Tales in Verse / Together with Numerous Songs Upon Canadian Subjects
Produced by Michelle Shephard, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
TOGETHER WITH Numerous Songs Upon Canadian Subjects
By Thomas Cowherd
The Author of this volume does not feel much apology necessary for its publication, though the world is already flooded with Rhyme, upon almost every conceivable subject, and most of it of a very mediocre character.
Though living but a short time upon a Bush farm, my experiences were of such a practical nature as to entitle me to speak with confidence on many rural matters. The religious opinions so frequently and strongly expressed are the result of a careful study of God's Word, and I feel that for them no apology is necessary.
To learning I make but the most slender pretentions. Born in one of the humblest ranks in life, and going to my trade at the commencement of my teens , and working long weary hours for seven years at that trade, I found little opportunity of attaining anything like proficiency in literary composition. Many of my minor pieces have already seen the light in local and other newspapers, etc., and acting on the advice of several literary friends I have at last gathered my principal poems together in a permanent form. Should this effort not meet with public favor, the offense—if such it be—is not likely to be repeated, as I am now over sixty-five years of age. Many of the productions of my humble Muse were conceived, and in a great measure composed, while working at the bench—to which I am still confined, in order to provide for my family's needs.
If the advice of Pope to some of the Rhymers of his day was needful, viz., to keep their effusions for seven years , I can say truly most of mine have been kept that period nearly four times over. I would not have the reader imagine that they have necessarily grown better by being on the shelf; still this has afforded an opportunity for polishing them up in some measure.
I may further say my Emigrant Mechanic was nearly or quite finished before Mr. McLachlan's Emigrant was published, and before I had ever heard of The U. E., a beautiful and very interesting Emigrant poem by Mr. Kerby, of Niagara.
Thomas Cowherd
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THE EMIGRANT MECHANIC AND OTHER TALES IN VERSE,
PREFACE.
CONTENTS.
FAMILY PIECES
FAREWELL TO MY HARP
THE EMIGRANT MECHANIC
BOOK I.
BOOK II.
BOOK III.
BOOK IV.
BOOK V.
BOOK VI.
THE LOGGER'S SONG.
THE SUGAR-MAKER'S SONG.
BOOK VII.
SONG TO NIAGARA.
BOOK VIII.
TINSMITH'S SONG.
WILLIAM'S LAMENT ON THE DEATH OF HIS BELOVED WIFE.
SONG TO AMELIA.
MY GARDEN
SONG TO BRANTFORD.
TO ELIHU BURRITT AFTER LISTENING TO HIS LECTURE ON "COMMERCE,"
EMMA, THE TINKER'S DAUGHTER; OR, THE BENEFITS OF SABBATH SCHOOL INSTRUCTION.
TO MY FATHER SUPPOSED TO BE DYING—SEPTEMBER, 1841.
ODE TO PEACE
STANZAS.
ACROSTICS.
II.—TO MY ELDEST SON, IN SEVERE SICKNESS.
IMPROMPTU.
AN ADDRESS TO BRANTFORD.
STANZAS.
THE YOUNG MOTHER'S VISION
STANZAS.
I SAW A YOUTHFUL MOTHER LIE
FAMILY PIECES
TO MY BELOVED WIFE, DURING AFFLICTION, 1842.
TO MY DAUGHTER MARY ANN, ASLEEP.
TO ELLEN AND WILLIE.
TO MR. AND MRS. C. BATTY.
TO MY INFANT ANNIE.
STANZAS.
TO MRS. H. BATTSON.
TO MR. AND MRS. W. BATTY, OF PARIS.
FIRESIDE THOUGHTS OF ANN, MY FORMER WIFE.
TO MY BROTHER JAMES.
MURDER WILL OUT; OR, THE POWER OF CONSCIENCE.
THE FAITHFUL PASTOR.
BOOK I.
I.
V.
XIX.
XLV.
LXXVIII.
BOOK II.
I.
V.
PASTOR'S AUTUMNAL SONG.
HIS SONG TO A RILL.
XIX.
XLV.
PASTOR'S SONG ON THE FROST-WORK OF A FOREST SCENE.
LXXVIII.
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS.
JENNY AND HER PET LAMB.
TO A VERY TALL SUNFLOWER.
BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS AND ASPIRATIONS.
SONG TO THE LILY OF THE VALLEY.
DAISY, I HAVE SOUGHT FOR THEE.
THE CHARMS OF JUNE.
TO MR. COWHERD, FROM HIS FRIEND, H. S. LAYCOCK.
TO MR. JAMES C——T
TO THE CHRISTIANS OF BRANTFORD.
TO THE SAME.
VERSES WRITTEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER READING HORACE SMITH'S "BACHELOR'S FARE."
STANZAS ON THE PEACEFUL STRUGGLE IN EUROPE.
TO THE REV. J. W AND HIS BRIDE
STANZAS ON HEARING AN AUCTIONEER QUOTE THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE: "THERE WAS SILENCE IN HEAVEN ABOUT THE SPACE OF HALF AN HOUR."—
WINTER'S RAVAGES, AN APPEAL TO THE RICH ON BEHALF OF THE POOR.
A CANADIAN NATIONAL SONG.
AN ADDRESS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE "INSTITUTE" TO THEIR FRIENDS AT THE SOIREE.
ALCOHOL'S ARRAIGNMENT AND DOOM.
TO MY BELOVED FRIEND MR. JAMES WOODYATT.
TRIBUTARY VERSES, WRITTEN IMMEDIATELY ON HEARING OF DR. O'CARR'S DEATH.
STANZAS, SUGGESTED BY THE DREADFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT THE DESJARDINS CANAL, MARCH 12, 1857.
TRIBUTARY STANZAS TO THE MEMORY OF DR. LAYCOCK, WHO WAS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED WHILE ON A PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY, DECEMBER 10, 1857.
SONG OF THE CANADIAN CRADLER.
STANZAS, ADDRESSED TO THE REV. J. B. HOWARD AND HIS FAMILY AS A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT ON THEIR DEPARTURE FROM BRANTFORD, AUGUST, 1858.
GRUMBLINGS.
VERSES, SUGGESTED BY THE FEARFUL ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN R. R. NEAR COPETOWN, ON THE NIGHT OF THE 18TH MARCH, 1859.
A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV. THOMAS FAWCETT WHO LOST HIS LIFE BY THE ACCIDENT ABOVE MENTIONED.
A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF MR. RICHARD FOLDS, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE APRIL 21, 1859.
TO THE HUMMING BIRD.
TO THE SAME.
FIRE SONG.
THE FIRE ALARM.
MY OLD ARM CHAIR.
A TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVERY OF MY COUSIN, MRS. T. A. COWHERD, WHO CROSSED THE ATLANTIC IN MID-WINTER WITH THREE HELPLESS CHILDREN, AND UNDER VERY TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.
CANADIANS' WELCOME TO H. R. H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, 1860.
BRANTFORD'S WELCOME TO THE PRINCE OF WALES, 1860.
A CALL FOR HELP FOR GARIBALDI.
LINES SUGGESTED BY THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE'S ACCOUNT OF LINCOLN'S DEPARTURE FROM SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, FOR WASHINGTON.
SONG.
THE SEWING MACHINE.
TABBY AND TIBBY.
FAMILY PIECES
TO MY WIFE.
TO THE SAME, WHEN AWAY FROM HOME
TO MY DEAR LITTLE BOYS, JAMES, CHRISTOPHER AND ALFRED.
TO ALFRED, JUST LEARNING TO WALK
TO AMELIA MY LAST INFANT DAUGHTER
TO FREDRIC
TO MY DAUGHTER IDA, WHEN THREE MONTHS OLD.
TO MY WIFE, ON THE THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR WEDDING DAY
TO THE SAME, ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR MARRIAGE.
TO THE SAME, ON THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR MARRIAGE.
FAREWELL TO MY HARP
THE END.