60 THE FORESTERS 



" Farewell !" "Goodbye!" "God bless you!" wa& 



the cry, 

 The tears of friendship swelling in each eye. 

 Charmed with a love so free, so nobly shown, 

 His clubbed fuzee across his shoulder thrown, 

 Our pilgrim bard the parting group addressed, 

 And thus his gratitude and ours expressed : 



" For all your goodness, hospitable friends ! 

 We gladly would but cannot make amends ; 

 All that we can we humbly offer here, 

 Our dearest wishes, ardent and sincere ; 

 Long with success may all your toils be blest, 

 And each rich harvest rival all that's past; 

 Long may your glittering axe, with strength applied, 

 The circling bark from massy trunks divide, 

 Or wheeled in air while the wide woods resound, 

 Bring crashing forests thundering to the ground ; 

 Long may your fires in flaming piles ascend, 

 And girdled trees their wintry arms extend ; 

 Your mighty oxen drag the logs away, 

 And give the long hid surface to the day : 

 While fields of richest grain and pasture good 

 Shall wave where Indians strayed and forests stood ; 

 And as you sweat the rustling sheaves among, 

 Th' adjoining woods shall echo to your song. 

 These are the scenes of truest joys below, 

 From these health, peace and independence flow ; 

 Blest with the purest air, and richest soil, 

 What generous harvests recompense your toil ! 

 Here no proud lordling lifts his haughty crest ; 



