The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson ... for the first time fully collected and compared with the original and early editions ... edited ... by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart ... with portrait, illustrations, &c |
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THE PILGRIM—A POEM. |
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 | The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson |  |
THE PILGRIM—A POEM.
Adieu the social sweets of home!
The voice of friend! the kindred eye!
Condemn'd through distant lands to roam,
I bless you with my parting sigh!
The voice of friend! the kindred eye!
Condemn'd through distant lands to roam,
I bless you with my parting sigh!
Through western forests, deep and drear,
Far from the haunts of Science thrown;
My long laborious course I steer
Alone, unguided, and unknown.
Far from the haunts of Science thrown;
My long laborious course I steer
Alone, unguided, and unknown.
“Farewell!” he cry'd; the glistening tear
That gather'd fast on either eye;
Dimm'd the last parting look so dear,
Till manlier feelings bade him fly.
That gather'd fast on either eye;
Dimm'd the last parting look so dear,
Till manlier feelings bade him fly.
349
With gun across his shoulder thrown,—
O'er Alpine regions wild and vast,—
With gloomy haggard pines o'ergrown;
The solitary Pilgrim past.
O'er Alpine regions wild and vast,—
With gloomy haggard pines o'ergrown;
The solitary Pilgrim past.
And now immur'd 'midst many a cliff
Ohio's princely flood appears;
And snug within his little skiff
Our Pilgrim down the current steers.
Ohio's princely flood appears;
And snug within his little skiff
Our Pilgrim down the current steers.
No lucre-hunting wight was he,
Intent alone on greed of gain;
The noblest charms he still could see
In Nature's scenes and living train.
Intent alone on greed of gain;
The noblest charms he still could see
In Nature's scenes and living train.
The flood his gliding bark that bore
Whose stream a course majestic keeps,
Collects from various States its store,
And through a length of regions sweeps;
Whose stream a course majestic keeps,
Collects from various States its store,
And through a length of regions sweeps;
Its flat rich banks few cities nigh,
Its rough indented mountains steep;
Its smoking huts and headlands high,
Reflected downwards in the deep,
Its rough indented mountains steep;
Its smoking huts and headlands high,
Reflected downwards in the deep,
To him gave raptures every morn,
And as he clear'd each opening bend,
He hail'd the boatman's mellow horn,
And saw the floating arks descend.
And as he clear'd each opening bend,
He hail'd the boatman's mellow horn,
And saw the floating arks descend.
The ducks that swarm'd each opening Run,
The eagles sailing high in pride,
Fell at the thunders of his gun,
And prostrate floated on the tide.
The eagles sailing high in pride,
Fell at the thunders of his gun,
And prostrate floated on the tide.
He gazed on each gigantic wood
That tow'r-like from the margin rose;
He marked each tributary flood
That to this noble river flows.
That tow'r-like from the margin rose;
He marked each tributary flood
That to this noble river flows.
350
And when the air was all serene
He sought some smooth and pebbly shore;
Thence rang'd the lofty woods between,
Their deep recesses to explore.
He sought some smooth and pebbly shore;
Thence rang'd the lofty woods between,
Their deep recesses to explore.
He stooped each rising plant to view,
He cull'd each rare and curious ore;
For all to him was great and new,
A vast, and an exhaustless store.
He cull'd each rare and curious ore;
For all to him was great and new,
A vast, and an exhaustless store.
He listened to each warbling throat,
That twitt'red from the budding spray;
And blest the red-bird's mellow note,
At dawning and at setting day.
That twitt'red from the budding spray;
And blest the red-bird's mellow note,
At dawning and at setting day.
When dark, tempestuous winds arose,
And driving snows obscur'd the air;
Or when the dashing surges froze,
Upon his hands and clotted hair.
And driving snows obscur'd the air;
Or when the dashing surges froze,
Upon his hands and clotted hair.
He scorn'd the shrinking soul of slaves,
He swept his oars and rais'd the song;
And wrestled with the winds and waves
To bear his struggling bark along.
He swept his oars and rais'd the song;
And wrestled with the winds and waves
To bear his struggling bark along.
He saw the shaggy hills glide by,
He heard the snags and sawyers roar,
And when the rolling waves rose high,
He traced the steep and shelter'd shore.
He heard the snags and sawyers roar,
And when the rolling waves rose high,
He traced the steep and shelter'd shore.
When night descended grim and slow,
He sought the squatter's wretched shed;
Where deaden'd round, in tow'ring show,
Vast pillar'd trunks their ruins spread.
He sought the squatter's wretched shed;
Where deaden'd round, in tow'ring show,
Vast pillar'd trunks their ruins spread.
There o'er the loose luxuriant soil,
That some few ragged rails enclose;
Unhonoured by the hand of Toil,
A growth of weeds enormous rose.
That some few ragged rails enclose;
Unhonoured by the hand of Toil,
A growth of weeds enormous rose.
351
His hut of logs, untrimm'd, unbeam'd
Where nail nor window-hole were seen;
Without, a cavern'd ruin seemed,
But frown'd a fouler cave within.
Where nail nor window-hole were seen;
Without, a cavern'd ruin seemed,
But frown'd a fouler cave within.
One bed, where nightly kennel'd all,
Its foul and touz'led rags displayed;
A broken chest, where kittens crawl,
A pot that pigs a shelter made.
Its foul and touz'led rags displayed;
A broken chest, where kittens crawl,
A pot that pigs a shelter made.
The low, wet roof, unseam'd and rude,
Receiv'd the rain in many a rill;
The chimney-sides all open stood,
The loosen'd floor was rattling still.
Receiv'd the rain in many a rill;
The chimney-sides all open stood,
The loosen'd floor was rattling still.
With tatter'd hat, and beard unshorn,
And face inlaid with dirt and soot;
And hunting-shirt, defil'd and torn,
And feet unbless'd with shoe or boot;
And face inlaid with dirt and soot;
And hunting-shirt, defil'd and torn,
And feet unbless'd with shoe or boot;
The squatter by his hearth unclean,
Sat with his hand-spike for a cane;
And as the shivering pigs crept in,
He drove them through the logs again.
Sat with his hand-spike for a cane;
And as the shivering pigs crept in,
He drove them through the logs again.
And as he scratch'd and chew'd his quid,
And listen'd to the Pilgrim's tale;
Still would the grunting guests intrude,
And still the hand-spike would assail.
And listen'd to the Pilgrim's tale;
Still would the grunting guests intrude,
And still the hand-spike would assail.
Close round a gaping circle press,
Of ragged children, plump and brown;
To gaze upon the stranger's dress,
And hear the wonders of the town.
Of ragged children, plump and brown;
To gaze upon the stranger's dress,
And hear the wonders of the town.
In buck-skin bag, with head of axe,
The mouldy coffer now is broke;
The pork no store of cabbage lacks,
The hoe-cakes on the shingle smoke.
The mouldy coffer now is broke;
The pork no store of cabbage lacks,
The hoe-cakes on the shingle smoke.
352
No cups from foreign Lands are seen,
No plates arrang'd, no table spread;
Each dipp'd within the pot his tin,
And slic'd his bacon on his bread.
No plates arrang'd, no table spread;
Each dipp'd within the pot his tin,
And slic'd his bacon on his bread.
But Hunger, ravenous guest! was there,
He wav'd his spell o'er every treat;
And gave the rough and homely fare
A charm, that even the gods might eat.
He wav'd his spell o'er every treat;
And gave the rough and homely fare
A charm, that even the gods might eat.
And Toil, blest sinnewer of the poor!
Thy callous hand, and stubborn tread,
Still made the hardest cabin floor
Refreshing as the softest bed.
Thy callous hand, and stubborn tread,
Still made the hardest cabin floor
Refreshing as the softest bed.
What though the wolves with mingling howl,
All night harangued their answering brood;
And that vile hag, the big-horn'd owl,
More hideous, hollow'd through the wood.
All night harangued their answering brood;
And that vile hag, the big-horn'd owl,
More hideous, hollow'd through the wood.
Our Pilgrim as he dropt to rest,
Well-pleas'd would listen to their lay;
And as the cabin planks he prest,
Snor'd chorus to their lullaby.
Well-pleas'd would listen to their lay;
And as the cabin planks he prest,
Snor'd chorus to their lullaby.
Soon as the dawn of morning broke,
The Pilgrim all his stores reshipt;
And through the placid river's smoke,
With steady stroke serenely swept.
The Pilgrim all his stores reshipt;
And through the placid river's smoke,
With steady stroke serenely swept.
The red-bird whistled as he past,
The turtles deep, bemoan'd around;
The screaming jays, in search of mast,
And rattling wood-peckers resound.
The turtles deep, bemoan'd around;
The screaming jays, in search of mast,
And rattling wood-peckers resound.
The turkey from the tallest trees,
Calls out the watchword to his train;
Soon as the coming skiff he sees,
And seeks the mountain's side again.
Calls out the watchword to his train;
Soon as the coming skiff he sees,
And seeks the mountain's side again.
353
The streaming ducks in rapid file,
Shoot o'er the surface of the flood;
And pigeons darkening many a mile,
Roar like a tempest o'er the wood.
Shoot o'er the surface of the flood;
And pigeons darkening many a mile,
Roar like a tempest o'er the wood.
And now the source of morning beams,
High from the shaggy mountain's steep;
Upon the Pilgrim's skiff it gleams,
And plays upon the glassy deep.
High from the shaggy mountain's steep;
Upon the Pilgrim's skiff it gleams,
And plays upon the glassy deep.
And where encircling mountains bend,
And vast primeval woods prevail;
He sees the pillar'd smoke ascend
From Sugar Camp in shelter'd vale.
And vast primeval woods prevail;
He sees the pillar'd smoke ascend
From Sugar Camp in shelter'd vale.
He heard the whistling rustic's noise—
The sounding axe—the artless song;
The barking dog, the children's voice—
The charmer of the rural throng.
The sounding axe—the artless song;
The barking dog, the children's voice—
The charmer of the rural throng.
Fast by the river's shelt'ring side,
He moored his little skiff with care;
Where piles of floating timber ride,
And form a shelter'd harbour there.
He moored his little skiff with care;
Where piles of floating timber ride,
And form a shelter'd harbour there.
He climb'd the mouldering banks sublime;
Struck with the forest deep and gray;
Where scatter'd round by mighty Time,
The ruins of the former lay.
Struck with the forest deep and gray;
Where scatter'd round by mighty Time,
The ruins of the former lay.
Here rose the sycamores immense,
And stretch'd their whiten'd arms around;
From eating floods the best defence,
And hugest of the forest found.
And stretch'd their whiten'd arms around;
From eating floods the best defence,
And hugest of the forest found.
The sugar trees erect and tall,
Arrang'd their stately thousands here;
Whose trunks profusely yield to all
The sweetening beverage of the year.
Arrang'd their stately thousands here;
Whose trunks profusely yield to all
The sweetening beverage of the year.
354
The limpid sweets from every tree,
Drop in the wooden troughs below;
Set by the entering augur free,
And through small tubes of elder flow.
Drop in the wooden troughs below;
Set by the entering augur free,
And through small tubes of elder flow.
Amid this maple-forest gay,
Where one prodigious log was reared;
The kettles rang'd in black array
Above a raging fire appear'd.
Where one prodigious log was reared;
The kettles rang'd in black array
Above a raging fire appear'd.
With wooden pails from tree to tree,
The singing rustics walk'd their round;
And with their mingling jokes and glee,
The deep and hollow woods resound.
The singing rustics walk'd their round;
And with their mingling jokes and glee,
The deep and hollow woods resound.
A little hut with leaves bespread,
To shield the rustics from the night;
With blankets for a transient bed,
And moss cramm'd in each crevice tight.
To shield the rustics from the night;
With blankets for a transient bed,
And moss cramm'd in each crevice tight.
To see the thickening syrup done,
Is still the sire and matron's share;
And when the evening shades draw on,
They leave it to the damsel's care.
Is still the sire and matron's share;
And when the evening shades draw on,
They leave it to the damsel's care.
Amid the fire-enlightened woods,
The wanton wenches laugh and sing;
For well each lightsome lass concludes
Her hastening beau is on the wing.
The wanton wenches laugh and sing;
For well each lightsome lass concludes
Her hastening beau is on the wing.
With startling whoop, in laughing trim,
The hardy buckskins soon arrive;
They fill the kettles to the brim;
In feats of chopping wood they strive.
The hardy buckskins soon arrive;
They fill the kettles to the brim;
In feats of chopping wood they strive.
The lasses from the kettles neat,
Their vigorous sweet-hearts oft regale;
With pliant lumps of sugar sweet,
Dropp'd in the cool congealing pail.
Their vigorous sweet-hearts oft regale;
With pliant lumps of sugar sweet,
Dropp'd in the cool congealing pail.
355
And while the blazing-fire burns high,
Within the hut the leaves are prest;
Where, snug as squirrels, close they lie,
And Love and Laughter know the rest.
Within the hut the leaves are prest;
Where, snug as squirrels, close they lie,
And Love and Laughter know the rest.
“Sweet is the sugar-season, dear!”
The maids along Ohio sing;
“Of all the seasons in the year,
“The sweetest season is the Spring.”
The maids along Ohio sing;
“Of all the seasons in the year,
“The sweetest season is the Spring.”
| The poems and literary prose of Alexander Wilson | |