Читать книгу By Trench and Trail in Song and Story - Angus Mackay - Страница 10

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It is such a fad at present

For each poet effervescent,

To assail the "cross" or "crescent"

And the "Cleveland message" grim;

That we pondered for a minute

Thinking we would not be "in it"

If we did not aid some Linnet

With a little of our din.

Now we're not at'all unwilling

To receive a course of "drilling"

If successful in dispelling

Just a little of the mist

Which is hanging thickly over

Our detractor, brother Grover,

And that rank sedition mover,

Called the jingo journalist.

There are men among you moving

Who're ostensibly peace loving,

While their conduct's always proving

The reverse to be their toast;

They eternally are blowing

Like a game cock, bent on showing

By his loud defiant crowing

That he's there to rule the roost!

Tho' you send a warlike "message"

Do not punctuate its passage

Crying "cut 'em into sassage,

Now beware, you crippled cuss":

All such ravings out of season

Should be classified as treason,

Guard your tongues and use your reason

In considering the "fuss."

If again your mind should rove

Around the field of Carnage Grover,

We would have you think it over

In the light of common sense;

Ponder well the pain and labor

It would cause to quell your neighbor;

And be sure you hide your saber

'Ere you venture through our fence.

Why rely on jingo blowing

If you're bent upon subduing

Brave Canadians who've been growing

Since they met Montgomery?

Drop your systematic hounding,

And your epithets loud sounding

For we've pipers here abounding

Who could blow you out to sea!

If you saw bold piper Ronald

Of the warlike Clan Macdonald,

And the way in which he pommelled

O'er a hundred of your ranks;

You would soon be after wishing

You had always kept a-fishing

Right at home, instead of swishing

Warlines over Britain's banks!

And it seems to us so very

Queer that Highlanders who quarry

Monumental stones at Barre,

Did not scare away your frowns:

Had they started with their hammers

Down among your city bummers,

It would take you many summers

To repopulate your towns.

Yea, at prospects of a battle

From old Bangor to Seattle

Each Canadian would skedaddle

To defend his home and kin;

And from Picton to Vancouver

We would welcome each one over;

Thus united, brother Grover,

Would you have a chance to win?

Then relinquish Yankee dodges,

We would warn you to be cautious;

Silence rabid Cabot Lodges

And your jingo journalists.

Friendship's thread already slender

Needs a sapient defender—

As the lion's tail is tender

From so many ruthless twists!

We have often heard it stated

When by jingoists berated,

That the people here were fated

To be "taken in by Sam."

But believe us, brother Grover,

Coming ages will discover

That you cannot get us over

In that manner by a d——!

There's another way that's better

Than coercion and the fetter,

And we'll tell you in this letter

How to circumvent the end:

Cultivate a better feeling

For your neighbor in your dealing—

As you'll never see us kneeling

For the favors you can lend.

Let events their course pursuing

Glide along as they've been doing—

Let our people interwooing—

Intermarry—buy and sell;

Let your friendly salutation,

Be extended to this nation,

Let the law of gravitation

Do the rest and all is well!

You have often sold a daughter

To some dude across the water,

While the title high(?) which bought her

You so seemingly ignore;

Why not send us a cotillion

Of those girls who own a million

For our hardy northern gillian

On the old Canadian shore?

You may think this would not do, but

We can tell you that your "blue blood"

Isn't "in it" with the true blood

Of our bracing Northern clime—

Better far to take their chances

With Xavier at Lac St. Francis

Than to purchase the advances

Of coin hunters of our time!