Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE HILL-TOP I—The Hill Three trees, that top the low hill's rounded crest, Bare of all leaves, as earth of life seems bare; A sickly sun, too pale to light the west Or dry the damp that saturates the air. What did I say to her, what said she in reply— Should not our love have stood, us two, between ? How low the sun hangs in the leaden sky: Autumn is ever gray as Spring is green. II—Dreams Last night I dreamed many dreams, One, of a year ago When 'neath the sun's reviving beams The hill was all aglow; And nestling in the grass still wet I found a purple violet. She leaned against a young ash-tree, My hands the flower held; Far down the valley flowed a stream That from the hillside welled : I read my answer in her eyes— Better than words are such replies. 16 THE HILL-TOP Again I dreamed, a dream full bad, For evil spirits hovered near; Gray forms in misty garments clad— Ghosts such as haunt the dying year— They wailed aloud, "The Spring is gone, Wander abroad—alone, forlorn." Ill—Quebec The streets are narrow, the hills are steep, In the market place may no man sleep, Nor ever stop for thought. A stone shaft stands on Abraham's Plain, To mark the spot where Wolfe was slain, As he seized the prize that the great Champlain To France by conquest brought. Two tongues the people use for speech, The priests a third for prayer; And ever along the plaza's reach Is heard the sound of passing feet: The Scotch troops pace with their bare red knees By the side of nuns from the nunneries, And Padres jostle the bright red coats Of His Majesty's troops, who watch the boats, That form Quebec's small fleet. Six candles burn in the church's aisle. Here should a man find peace for a while If in no other place. He who ...