A Canadian Romance + 

An English youth to Canada came, + 

A labourer, John Roe by name, + 

His little wealth had made him bold, + 

Twenty sovereigns in gold; + 

He was industrious and wise + 

And e’en small sums did not despise, + 

He added to his wealth each year + 

For independence he loved dear, + 

He knew a laborer he would be + 

Forever in the old country, + 

His forefathers had tilled the ground + 

And never one had saved a pound. + 

On beds of down they did not lie + 

And frugally their goods did buy, + 

Their one luxury around their door + 

A few choice flowers their garden bore, + 

But never hoped to own the soil + 

But serve as hinds to sweat and toil, + 

To work and toil for him had charm + 

He hoped some day to own a farm, + 

So he hired with Reuben Tripp + 

The wealthiest man in the township. + 

Tripp’s only child, his daughter Jane, + 

He sought her love and not in vain, + 

As Jacob served for Rachel dear + 

So John he served year after year, + 

Till rich enough to buy bush farm + 

For to chop down with his strong arm. + 

The truest nobleman of all + 

He lives not in ancestral hall, + 

But sheltereth family from harm + 

By logs rolled up by his strong arm, + 

In this young glorious land so free + 

Where each may rear his own roof tree, + 

And the chief glory of old days + 

Broad fire place where big logs did blaze, + 

As much as four strong men could handle, + 

They served alike for heat and candle; + 

He his young oxen did adorn + 

With fine gay ribbons on each horn, + 

And to his home with joy and pride + 

He did bring sweet blooming bride, + 

Such happiness is seldom seen, + 

Happier far than king or queen; + 

She helped him in the fields to reap, + 

And spun the wool from off the sheep, + 

All they required they had for both, + 

Of her own weaving of good cloth, + 

And she was a good tailoress, + 

Did make his coat and her own dress; + 

The golden butter that she made + 

Was of the very finest grade, + 

Each grace and virtue she possess’d, + 

Where’er she was, that spot was blessed, + 

And though they did not have stove then, + 

Neither did they own an oven; + 

She filled large pot with well knead dough + 

And baked fine bread ’mong embers glow; + 

He each winter the forest trees + 

Did quickly hew them down with ease, + 

For he to work had a desire + 

And the skill did soon acquire, + 

But round great giants hewed a ring + 

Then storms would soon them prostrate bring, + 

For many a time the furious breeze + 

Would quick o’erthrow the girdled trees, + 

And sometimes they would kill the cows + 

When they did feed on grass or browse, + 

But after reckoning damage all + 

A benefit was each windfall; + 

Though good fortune now he sees + 

Might have been got from Walnut trees; + 

But trees were foes in his hurry, + 

All were slain, both oak and cherry, + 

And to this day he doth incline + 

To mourn o’er slaughter of the pine, + 

And reflects how he did o’erwhelm + 

Many a maple, beech and elm; + 

And each summer day did toil + 

With his steers drawing logs in pile; + 

These giants of the forest dead, + 

Fire did reduce to an ash bed, + 

And soon potatoes, wheat and corn, + 

They did the rugged stumps adorn, + 

And Jane did help him with the hoe, + 

And well she did keep her row: + 

No organs then they had to play, + 

But she could work and sing all day; + 

In spring he did live maples tap + 

To draw from them the luscious sap, + 

He gathered it in big log trough, + 

Then boiled it down and sugared off, + 

Enough the household for to cheer, + 

With all its sweets for the whole year, + 

And no such thing those times were seen + 

As the swift raising stump machine, + 

And where main road was low and damp + 

With logs he built a road through swamp, + 

But a smooth ride could not enjoy + 

While it was naught but corduroy, + 

Each year added earth and gravel, + 

Now smoothly o’er they can travel, + 

For it doth make an excellent road + 

For John and Jane to go abroad, + 

And it is now a great highway + 

Where hundreds travel every day. + 

There were no roads in early days + 

But bridle path, their guide the blaze, + 

And mills and marts so far away, + 

They never could return same day; + 

Log school house served as church for all, + 

Of various creeds, and for town hall. + 

These scenes to youth do now seem strange + 

So wondrous quick hath been the change, + 

O’er paths where oxen only trod, + 

Cows quickly speed o’er the railroad, + 

And every way both up and down + 

There has sprung up a thriving town. + 

No more he fights with forest trees, + 

But both enjoy their wealth and ease, + 

Long since the old folks both are gone + 

And left the whole to Jane and John; + 

The log house now has passed away + 

With all its chinks filled in with clay, + 

And in its place fine house of stone + 

With lawn where choice shrubs are grown. + 

With sons and daughters they are blest, + 

The young men say they’ll move Northwest; + 

This gives their mother some alarm, + 

She wants them still on the home farm, + 

But father will not have them tarry + 

They can plow so quick on prairie, + 

And they find coal makes a good fire, + 

And build their fences of barbed wire + 

They would not be forever gone + 

As they could talk by telephone. + 