Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-28


To Nova Scotia. from which they were ex-
PEELED, they supply historic and poetic interest,
the topics of the guide-books and the main at
fractions for tourists. Indeed, English Nova
Scotia is notable principally as occupying the
site of French Acadie. The living, prevailing
Frenchman attracts in Quebec; the ghost Of
the expelled Frenchman is the most interest
ing parsonage of Nova Scotia.
The American tourist seeks the valleys Of
Windsor and Annapolis on the shores of the
basin of Minas, where the Acadians dwelt and
with the poem of Evangeline as a guide book,
ransacks the country for relics of the French
occupation The historian and the poet say that
in l755 the French lived in these happy valleys
In a condition of ideal bliss, luxurlating in fine
crops, cattle and poultry, in early marriages,
In the absence OF paupers and law suits, In
plenty OF eating apples. IN eontented DISPOSE.
tions and an abundance of sheer and cyder."
But Acadie had passed under the control of the
British, who were still at with other
frenchmen in North America, and the Acadians
were suspected of rendering aid and comfort TO
the latter. The Acadian realization OF the
dreams OF the golden age was therefore rudely
interrupted. British armed forces bundled
the French owners out of the country and
turned over their property to faithful subjects
OF the crown. Evangeline was among the scat
tered Acadians, and after the expulsion she
spent the rest Of her life In a search for her
lover, Gabriel This young mans conduct was
peculiar and exasperatiEg. While his sweet
heart vas energetically hunting for him over
Thousands OF miles of territory he remained
lumpishly In Louisiana doing the yearning and
the waiting and the whining until, Longfel-
low POLITICALLY words il, he became tedious to
men and to maidens," or we express ii in
prose, until he made everybody tired. And
Just as Eyangeline had almost cornered
him he moved hstlessly out of the
way, upon the pretext Of some irrelevant hunt
ing expedition and never came back. He was
slow youth and drifted naturally to a con-
genial resting place in Philadelphia, where he
accomplished in the almshouse q lingering
death to slow (hexarleter) music. It is proper
to give some space to Evangelines affairs
because, ss have said. she is the central
figure of interest in Nova Scotia. Judge Hall
burton, better known in America as ''Sam
Slick, Is, perhaps, second among the local
notabilities.
THE HOME OF EvANeELINE.
Evangeline lived at Grand Pre-, so we bought
tickets for the station of that name Oh the
Windsor and Annapolis railroad, and landed
when the conductor called Gran Perree!
IL the Acadian land on the shores of the basin of
Distant secluded. still the little village of Grand
Lay in the fruitful valley"
The modern Grand Pre- is Just as quiet and
secluded As that Of Acadie. Only few widely
separated houses we're seen in preliminary
survey OF the land from the station. The fruit
fuI valley lay before Us, some orchards of hard
and bitter winter apples supplying the fruit
HE railroad seems - run through the Acadian
farm of the late Mr.. Bellefon taine. Evangeline's
esteemed father; for we were now near to the
basin and the dyke meadows, and our poetic
lows:
Somewhat apart from the village, and nearer the
Bf ps Bsf0n'Ains' the "SA'has' farmer of Grand
Dwell In his Eoodly scres."
We turned our faces toward the basin and
walked through the fields in which Evangeline
played. or, later, promenaded with Gabriel A
row OF misshapen, venerable willows il the
most notable among the unmistakable relics of
the French occupation. We climbed over
through and under 4 fence. respectively, to get
TO the Willows. and played the part of vandsls.
Roeketlng pieces OF the bark as mementoes.
Then we examined the remains of an old
French well (alleged) in the same field, aud
pumped Intellectually at the handle of the rot
ing pump which Is now placed over it.
We are ready to believe that the well is the
same which is described by our guide book.
whose waters Evangeline has tasted.
Further down the slope Of the hill was the we'll
Bucket. fastened with IRON and near it trough for
We had further and less agreeable evidcnce
that We had struck Mr.. Beilefontaines place.
The poet describing Evangeline's fathers herd
says:
Paving the ground they came
And with their nostrils distended-
Even as We were experimenting with Eyaupe
lines well, curious to ascertain whether ia
water was as ancient to the taste as Ia the
smell. these Paving. tail-switching Bellefon-
tame cattle bore down upon u.s. We retired
expeditiously to our willows, the ladies doing
themselves great credit sprinters Feeling
sure that Eyangeline must have utilized these
trees In giddy youth. we climbed their twisted
trunks and low branches and arranged our
selves N easy Evangeiinis;ic attitudes. Bnt we
did not retain them long. for the nostril-dis-
tended cattle aforesaid. which had routed us
from the well. showed disposition to take
possession Of the entire field, and big-horned
bull came charging toward US.