THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IX. 



489 



Longfellow in his immortal poem — Evangeline, describing the simple 

 pastoral life of the Acadian farmers says: 



Now recommenced the reign of rest 



And affection and stillness. 

 Day with its burden and heat had departed, 



And twilght descending 

 Brought back the evening star to the sky 



And the herds to the homestead. 

 Pawing the ground they came, and resting 



Their necks on each other. 

 And with their nostrils distended inhaling 



The freshness of the evening. 

 Foremost, bearing the bell. Evangeline's 



beautiful heifer. 

 Proud of her snow white hide and the 



Ribbon which waved from her collar. 



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 descended. 



And again in his story of the Courtship of Miles Standish, the poet 

 pays a gracious tribute to the head of the herd as follows: 



"Then from a stall near at hand, amid 



Exclamations of wonder 

 Alden, the thoughf ul ,the careful, so happy, 



So proud of Priscilla 

 Brought out his snow white bull, obeying 



The hand of his master. 

 Led by a cord that was tied to an iron ring 



In its nostrils. 

 Covered with a crimson cloth, and a cushion 



Placed for a saddle. 

 She should not walk, he said, through the dust 



And heat of the noonday; 

 Nay, she should ride like a queen, not plod 



Along like a peasant. 



B. F. Taylor also pays a pretty tribute to the cow and her mission. 

 Of the old time milk house he says : 



At the foot of the hill the milk house stands. 



Where the Balm of Gilead spreads his hands, 



And the willow trails at each pendent tip 



The lazy lash of a golden whip, „ r ; 



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