Transactions of The Royal Society of Canada 



SECTION II 



Series III 



SEPTEMBER 1914 



Vol. VI 1 1 



Sketches of the Islands of the Gulf of Georgia. AN* ■ o o 

 By Clive Phillips-Wolley. 



(Read May 26, 1914.) 



Cfc se — w <* 

 LIBRARY 



£> • K 



Spring in Hiding. 



Are you hiding from us Springtime, hiding in the slashing ? 



Coming from the mountain, I saw your tracks go down 

 In among the willow swamps, I heard your young feet splashing, 



Saw — among the alder stems — the glitter of your gown : 



Found — upon a snow drift — toys you dropped in running, 



Cups of pale anemone, full of fairy fire: 

 On the mossy benches, where the deer were sunning, 



Almost caught a glimpse of you, clad in green attire: 



All but caught you peeping ; caught the corner lifted 

 Of that dainty veil you weave, of cedar lace and mist; 



The shadow of your flying robe across the plough land drifted, 

 The ridges blushed to purple which your little feet had kist. 



The catkin told your secret. He was bursting, dear, to tell it, 

 And the dimpled baby brooklet just chuckled it aloud, 



All the fog grew opal tinted and a miracle befel it — 



Was it just a common rainbow, or your smile behind the cloud ? 



Ah, then, won't you come, coquette ? Must we weary for you yet ? 



Won't you teach the world a quickstep, put a rose behind its ear ? 

 Won't you sing us all the silly songs that coax us to forget 



Sow a hope in every bosom and a rainbow in each tear ? 



