The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-07
,eople from the founding of Quebec for

people from the founding of Quebec for
ward.
That the railroad, the telegraph, the tele-
phone and other modern inventions are
rapidly dispelling the old-time atmosphere
of mystery and superstition and gallanterie,
in which our best and truest American folk
lore. the French Canadian, grew up and
matured from the seed brought from the
old world, there can be no doubt But the
scholars and literary men of Canada nave
not been idle nor careless OF their oppor-
tunities and duties with regard to these old
treasures so dear to the popular heart OF
past generations and to the memories OF
thousands who are still living. Many vol
umes have been printed and careful collec-
tons made of the legends, the folk lore, the
love songs the SONGS of the soldiers, voy-
ageurs habtants etc., and they VIII pre-
serve the story of the era of romance III
which they lived and fiourished in the midst
of dangers and hardships such as few races
of pioneers ever experienced, long after the
rush of progress and change shall nave Ill
verified the spirit of New France from It's
old dreams and memories into newer chah-
nes of hope and endeavor
Tn a naner read before the Royal Society
nj Canada
modest title of Foot Notes to Canadian
Folk Songs" Mr.. William Wood of Que
bec. added the results of much careful re-
search and observation as a sort of Illus
trative appendix to the various books and
ESSAYS upon the folk lore of Canada which
had preceded it, but more especially to the
exhaustive and admirable work of Mr.. Geig-
nom In it he makes a great number OF
quotations from the folk songs of many
nations and provinces, dating from the ear
lest historical times and coming down to
the present with such songs as Prof. Louis
Frechette's lines to La Louisianaise, III
which he AYERS Ito translate literally that
II know a laughing town
Of infinite intOXicationS
Which fantastic and mysterious,
Reigns over the blessed climates;
A town where orange and promegranate
Perfume each promenade,
And every evening lovers sing serenaues
Under happy balconies
The ESSAY has involved a prodigious
amount of research and the author has
drawn his illustrations from many Ian
euages showing the sources from which
most of the songs came, and proving them
to be mainly variants from songs that were
first sung in the elder lands of Europe,
a majority of them being naturally Oh
French origin the originals from which
they sprung still surviving in Brittany
Gascony, Picardy. Provence and elsewhere
in the sunny land and these in turn nav
ing been handed down from remoter ages
and civilizations and having their variants
in every civilized country of Europe, and,
what is more peculiar, all sung or chanted
to minor airs that, like Coates Kinney's
crickets song on autumn evenings, are
the very tears of music
In Canada the natural burden of these
songs is the memory of La Patrie' ana the
old homes by the beautiful waters, for the
exiled Frenchman constantly cries out with
Chateaubriand
How often L have sweet memories
Of the beautiful place of my blrth.
OF course the Canadians love for France
is largely modified by affection for Canada,
for he never wearies of asserting that he
is "Avant tout Canadienne," hence he va
ries the old songs and fits them to Canadian
themes and the voyageurs go wailing me-
lodiously of Canada over rapids and hidden
rocks. and down dark tides. bearing help
less travellers and pleasure seekers in safe
ty where no other boatman would venture.
Upon this phase of the subject Mr. Wood
asserts. and proves by abundant citations,
that the Canadian folk-singer has never
cegses of nature, those intimate relations
with nature lin her many moods that
would make him at with her He al
ludes to natural objects in general way
only-as 'the beautiful rose, the clear
fountain" 1.-The great forests. or dark
woods" 1.-The grand mountains, etc. For
nature is and ever has been TO him d mys-
terry and menace full of awe AID uncanny
as well as ministering spirits, dark with
shadows of evil and fierce with loup garous
and protean shapes as well as mysteries of
blessing. But, to quote Mr.. Wood:
mo the folk-singer has never consciously
felt the Joy of being made one with nature.
Rlt surprise him unawareS and you find
that his is itself one of nature VolceS.
shall never forget one occasion during
cruise up the Saguenay when heard the
folk-sone in absolute perfection II was a
calm, warm night in the beginning OF July,
a cloudlesS full moon SllVeTed the vast StIll
waters of the river and lit up the inner
most recesses of Eternity bay, where the
Yacht lay swinging at her anchor-at rest,
like all around her in that scene OF beauty,
hushed in awe. had been below Tor some
time trying to get to sleep. when thought
l heard some one calling. Gong up on deck
quietly / found that my man had padded
ashore and was there singing 10 himself,
hidden away somewhere in the darkness.
He had left his heart behind him and here
was his solace. AS his far-om chanted
strains on the eternal theme of love, COM
ing from out an impenetrable shadow, rose
and fell upon my ear, they seemed, In their
complete uncOnsciousneSs. to be as much
a part of surrounding nature as the cry
of the lonely bird, the deep pulsation of the
tide or the silent. everlasting hills them
selves.
1 remember a somewhat similar expert
nnrn nxrenf that IL incurred upOn a late