Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-04-01
ACADIA--THE LAND
OF EVANGELINE.
The Great Banishment.
BY j. t. HoKE.
Windsor, N. S., March 20, '99

For THE INDEPENDENT.
"This is the forest primeval; but where
are the hearts that beneath it,
Leaped like the roe, when he hears in the
woodland the voice of the huntsman?
Where is the tbatch-roofed village, the
home OF the Acadian farmers,
Men whose lives glided On like the rivers
that water the woodlands,
Darkened by shadows of earth. bat reflect
ing an image of heaven?
Waste are those pleasant farms, and the
farmers forever departed!
Scattered like dust and leaves, when the
mighty blasts OF October,
Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and
sprinkle them far DER the ocean.
Nought but tradition remains ofthe beauti-
full village OF Grand-Pre"
Thus ran the pen of Americas
greatest poet in the opening lines of
that beautiful poem, the sad, sweet
story of "Evangeline," which he To-
Gated in Novia Scotia.
AS Columbus, robbed in history
of the name of the Continent he dis,
covered, will still always live in the
"Land of Columbia" 80 Nova Scotia,
now a historical fact, will always
live in poetry and song as 1.-THE land
of Acadia
But more about Evangeiine here
after.
Nova Scotia is one OF the Provin-
ces of Canada, and sustains the same
relation to the Dominion Govern
ment, that one of the American
States, does to the Federal Union.
1t is peninsula, attached to New
Brunswick by a narrow isthmus,
swept on one side by the A tlantic
ocean, and or. the other by the Bay
of Funday with its wonderful tides.
1t is about the same latitude as
Maine, bat its climate is much milder
than that of the New England
States, or any other Canadian Prov
ince.
While there, the thermometer Of
ten falls 20 aud 80 degrees below
zero, at the same time here, it sell
dom sinks more than 10 or Is de-
grees below.
This moderation of climate here,
is said to be due to the Gulf Stream,
which striking the southern borders
of this Province, is DETECTED and
turned towards the east and tempers
the climate of the British isles.
Nova Scotia is about 800 miles
long and 100 miles wide, but the
ocean has so indented it with bays
and harbors, that its coast line is
over 1000 miles long, and while there
are over 400 fresh water lakes within
its borders, still there is no point in
the Province more than 80 miles
from salt water.
In language, culture, tastes and
habits, Nova Scotia reminds one
very much of New England State.
The people are honest, frugal, con-
tented and English speaking-in-
deed I have observed here, far
less proportion of foreign tongues,
than is found in the average Ameri.
can State.
A few nights ago, Rev. DR.. Black,
a distinguished Canadian, in lec-
ture!here on American Humorists,"
said, that the Canadians, in all the
distinctive marks OF culture and citi.
zenship, were much more like the
Americans than they were like the
English.
Halifax, the capital, is said to be
indeed very English ia its airs, tastes
and style, but otherwise in the Prov
ince, the views of DR.. Black are, |
think, sustained both by observation
and history.
The fact is, Nova Scotia was
largely settled by colonists from
New England before our Revolution
and reinforced by New England
Royalists, who true to the Grown,
after the Republic wss established,
emigrated to Nova Scotia, rather
than remain il New England.
Take it all in all, Nova Scotia is
fair Province with good people,
and today put it down in the middle
OF the United States, in forty eight
hours, it would be as much at home
and as creditable to US, as any other
State of the Union.
Crimes are few, the laws are just,
including the good old Common Law
we have ourselves, and the execution
of the laws is impartial and certain.
EosGFELLow.
But Longfellow was the Patron