Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-08

can colonies ana their e8SAVeS eno OuAiulnSA anu
were deluded into gathering simultaneously az
several rendezvous under the prstense OF receiving
aus nat eson q sSs should b fully sseS Of
his maJesty's intentions" They were instantly
surrounded by soidery and treated as prisoners Of
to Basin and the PetitcOdiac River. sweeping up
ana sSec
and other towns on the gulf coast; Murray gath
cred up the Acadians about windsor, and to the
board, except o few who escaped to the woods
Winslow collected 1923 persons at Grand Pre- and
em6arked them. and burned s5S houses 278 barns,
and IL mills"
ovER SEVEN THOUSAND AcADIANs
Of these peaceful valleys were robbed Of their en-
tire earthly possessions and shipped like hogs In
pens to foreign and hostile shores That those
who escaped might starve. the nrebrand was used
for months, and every vestige OF habitatiOn and
garnered stores destroyed: Families were sePa-
No pen has ever tod. none can ever
Is not is in the e1 history yn'c Ci
civilized or savage races. Wen might the actors
In this infinite tragedy destroy their Infamous
might the noble s' ro@snsiss Ha1sno1ne Who
sought this field for greater tale than that Of
"The Scarlet Letter." refuse In horror at the
ther. And well might the master-singer, Long
Fellow, into whose hands Hawthorne dumbty
placed his pathetic notes, sing his immortal
fuse to set his eyes upon the accused spot lest
his very heart should break OF indignation and
pity. s.
TIE GRAND PRE- OF TO-DAY
Is nearly as lonely spot as In the siences after
Lawrence's curse fell upon it. To be sure the re-
gion roundabout the old Grand Pre- country is fair
to look upon. But where once stood the little viii
lage are the meadows OF modern people. A dis
NAL ADMINISTRATION shed alone marks the site OF
the ancient village Behind, to the south, is gen.
tie elevation or bluff, clrcling from the west, at
tree-embowered Wolrville, around to the east and
south, TO Horton, and Horton Landing. Here is
shown the exact spot where the feet OF
the Acadtans last touched their beloved
shores. Behind this halr-hid foot-hill are
smiling sdn farms and pleasant highways rising IN
South Mountain. Toward the hills here and there
are aged gnarled willows still standing, as If 81
homes BUT few rods away from the drsary
station-shed are some rotting tree-stumps
and few olden stunted trees that are said to
and then some sodden farmer Of to-day
ploughs up the bones of the dumb brutes which
returned to low ami below plteously and finally
ers' homes and barns; and here and there
where excavations are made and wells are
dug, ox-bows, wagon-irons, ancient hinges,
Of the time are recovered. These aud the frequent
hoilows which mark the cellars where stood "the
houses, with frames or oak and chestnut" are all
that remain OF physical aspect save the dikes and
the meadows, to tell the pathetic story.
THE ACADIAN-sUlr DIKEs
which transformed the tide-lands Of the Minas
into luxuriant meadows remain intact to this day.
The original area OF these meadows comprised
only 5000 acres. The New England farmers who
took possession Of the region erected the "Wick-
wire" dixie, which added 800 acres more. All
this area lays Ike a level sea OF green between
the ever-desOlate site OF old Grand Pre- and the
Basin OF MinaS. the most enchanting reach OF
water. with the most picturesque and dreamful
shores within the borders OF our continent. Grand,
gloomy, mighty Bl0mid0n headland rises heaven
ward above it. AT sunset the yellow light stream
ing up the peaceful valley crowns 1t
as In royal mask. But desolate
Grand Pre- sinks lower beneath the shad-
Ow Of her mountain-edge. and the night
breeze, moving along the meadows seems to lift
myriad shadowy, wralthful hands among the
bikes and grasses. The heart, Saddened and silent,
ever turns from the spot with some sach pleading
and ptttful memory. EDGAR l. WAKEXAN.