While aloft on their shoulders the wooden and ponderous saddles, 190 Painted with brilliant dyes, and adorned with tassels of crimson, Nodded in bright array, like hollyhocks heavy with blossoms. Patiently stood the cows meanwhile, and yielded their udders Unto the milkmaid's hand; whilst loud and in regular cadence Into the sounding pails the foaming streamlets de scended. 195 Lowing of cattle and peals of laughter were heard in the farm-yard, Echoed back by the barns. Anon they sank into stillness; Heavily closed, with a jarring sound, the valves of the barn-doors, Rattled the wooden bars, and all for a season was silent. In-doors, warm by the wide-mouthed fireplace, idly the farmer 200 Sat in his elbow-chair, and watched how the flames and the smoke-wreaths Struggled together like foes in a burning city. Nodding and mocking along the wall with gest ures fantastic, Darted his own huge shadow, and vanished away into darkness. 193. There is a charming milkmaid's song in Tennyson's drama of Queen Mary, Act III., Scene 5, where the streaming of the milk into the sounding pails is caught in the tinkling 's of such lines as "When you came and kissed me milking the cows." Faces, clumsily carved in oak, on the back of his arm-chair 205 Laughed in the flickering light, and the pewter plates on the dresser Caught and reflected the flame, as shields of ar- Fragments of song the old man sang, and carols of Such as at home, in the olden time, his fathers be- Sang in their Norman orchards and bright Burgundian vineyards. 210 Close at her father's side was the gentle Evangeline seated, Spinning flax for the loom that stood in the corner behind her. Silent awhile were its treadles, at rest was its diligent shuttle, While the monotonous drone of the wheel, like the drone of a bagpipe, Followed the old man's song, and united the fragments together. 215 As in a church, when the chant of the choir at in tervals ceases, Footfalls are heard in the aisles, or words of the priest at the altar, So, in each pause of the song, with measured motion the clock clicked. Thus as they sat, there were footsteps heard, and, suddenly lifted, Sounded the wooden latch, and the door swung back on its hinges. 220 Benedict knew by the hob-nailed shoes it was Basil the blacksmith, And by her beating heart Evangeline knew who was with him. "Welcome!" the farmer exclaimed, as their footsteps paused on the threshold, "Welcome, Basil, my friend! Come, take thy place on the settle Close by the chimney-side, which is always empty without thee; 225 Take from the shelf overhead thy pipe and the box of tobacco; Never so much thyself art thou as when, through the curling Smoke of the pipe or the forge, thy friendly and jovial face gleams Round and red as the harvest moon through the mist of the marshes." Then, with a smile of content, thus answered Basil the blacksmith, 230 Taking with easy air the accustomed seat by the fireside : : "Benedict Bellefontaine, thou hast ever thy jest and thy ballad! Ever in cheerfullest mood art thou, when others are filled with Gloomy forebodings of ill, and see only ruin before them. Happy art thou, as if every day thou hadst picked up a horseshoe." 235 Pausing a moment, to take the pipe that Evange line brought him, And with a corl from the embers had lighted, he slowly continued: "Four days now are passed since the English ships at their anchors Ride in the Gaspereau's inouth, with their cannon pointed against us. What their design may be is unknown; but all are commanded 240 On the morrow to meet in the church, where his Majesty's mandate Will be proclaimed as law in the land. Alas! in the mean time Many surmises of evil alarm the hearts of the peo And from our bursting barns they would feed their cattle and children." "Not so thinketh the folk in the village," said warmly the blacksmith, Shaking his head as in doubt; then, heaving a sigh, he continued :— 66 Louisburg is not forgotten, nor Beau Séjour, nor 239. The text of Colonel Winslow's proclamation will be found in Haliburton, i. 175. 249. Louisburg, on Cape Breton, was built by the French as a military and naval station early in the eighteenth century, but was taken by an expedition from Massachusetts under General Pepperell in 1745. It was restored by England to France in the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and recaptured by the English in 1757. Beau Séjour was a French fort upon the neck of land connecting Acadia with the main-land which had just been captured by Winslow's forces. Port Royal, afterward called Annapolis Royal, at the outlet of Annapolis River into the Bay of Fundy, had been disputed ground, being occupied alternately by French 250 Many already have fled to the forest, and lurk on 255 its outskirts, Waiting with anxious hearts the dubious fate of to-morrow. Arms have been taken from us, and warlike weapons of all kinds; Nothing is left but the blacksmith's sledge and the scythe of the mower." Then with a pleasant smile made answer the jovial farmer : "Safer are we unarmed, in the midst of our flocks and our cornfields, Safer within these peaceful dikes, besieged by the ocean, Than our fathers in forts, besieged by the enemy's cannon. Fear no evil, my friend, and to-night may no shadow of sorrow Fall on this house and hearth; for this is the night of the contract. 260 Built are the house and the barn. The merry lads of the village Strongly have built them and well; and, breaking the glebe round about them, Filled the barn with hay, and the house with food for a twelvemonth. René Leblanc will be here anon, with his papers and inkhorn. Shall we not then be glad, and rejoice in the joy of our children?" 265 As apart by the window she stood, with her hand in her lover's, and English, but in 1710 was attacked by an expedition from New England, and after that held by the English government and made a fortified place. |
