Written 1855.
O glorious lake, thy waters tell,
A divine hand hath made thee well;
Thy stores of health,
And mines of wealth,
Are wondrous works of nature, too;
Thy granite rocks and mounds of sand,
And mountain shores of richest land,
All with reverence bow to you.
O beauteous lake, thy gorgeous size,
To us doth prove that God is wise,
Thy copper, aye more,
Thy iron ore,
Is the best found in all the earth;
Thy waters flow thru one river,
And enrich thy shores of silver;
So great art thou, none know thy worth.
O richest lake, thy wondrous beauty,
Makes praise to God become our duty,
Thy waters clear,
And pure atmosphere,
Strengthen many an invalid;
Thou givest wealth to man his portion,
Then ebb and flow just like an ocean,
We rejoice, great sea, thy wealth’s not hid.
THE DUNDAS VALLEY.
A few miles west of Hamilton, Ontario, is one of the most beautiful sections of country it has ever been my pleasure to see. The Grand Trunk Railway cars run along the side of Dundas Mountain for several miles, and the view of the valley from the cars is magnificent. In passing over this route in the summer of 1892 I was charmed by the view and inspired to write the following little poem.
Hills above hills in beauty rise,
And mark their outline on the skies,
And close inspection shows that man
Is helping on the mighty plan.
Here valleys deep, and valleys wide,
And gushing streams from mountain side,
Present, o’ercapped by dome of blue,
A splendid panoramic view.