The Washington herald., 1910-07-17
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

WHEN SHALL WE /
AUTHOR
When shall We three meet again?
When shall We three meet again?
Oft shall glowing hope expire.
Oft shall wearied love retire.
Oft shall death and sorrow reign.
Ere we three shall meet again.
Tho in distant lands We sigh.
Parched beneath the burning sky,
Tho the deep beneath us rolls.
Friendship shall unite our souls;
Still In Fancy's rich domain.
Oft shall we three meet again.
when Shall we Three Meet
Again." is one of the most popu-
lar of all the college and club
songs There is something kindred
in its words that appeal TO the
schoolboy. to the clubfelIow. or TO
any associations of friends as a
parting song. When all good fell
lows get together" and. like Shake
speare's witches, dance about the
bowl" or watch the curling smoke
Of their pipes ascend, they like 20
sing the songs of "good-fellow-
ship" and AT parting When Shall
We Three Meet Again."
The origin Of this song is shroud-
ed in the deepest mystery. Certain
lines in 1t indicate Indian origin. II
has been claimed by various col
leges as original with their institu-
tions. others have tried TO trace II
10 a missionary source. and as IL
has been so generally printed in
English collections it has been
claimed by that country and locat-
ed from various sources.
when Shall We Three Meet
Again." has been long. though. 1t
must be confessed, vaguely associat-
ed with the early days Of two of
Americas leading colleges. Dart
mouth and Williams. Some years
ago an eminent educator of Massa-
chusetts wrote TO The Dartmouth. .
a periodical published by the stu
dents OF that college. as follows:
The legend OF the Old Pine. on
the hill back OF the college, In Han
over. was told me when 7 was a
child more than fifty years ago
The story is that three Indians. on
the day they left Dartmouth. met
in bower. OF which the youthful
pine. now a venerable tree, was
one OF the trees. and sang the sony
When Shall We Three Meet Again ?
The words and music were com
posed by one ef their number. Ny
mother told me the story, and from
her lips / learned both the words
and the music. a very plaintive
minor strain The only commence
ment I ever attended at Dartmouth
was in 1883. when / heard ChOate's
eulogy OF Webster. On 6he evening
Of that day / was walking on the
hill, for the sake OF the prospect.
and the pine tree was pointed out
20 me, which was said to be older
than the college. While we were
standing there a company OF four or
five rather young men. evidently
alumni, sang the very song, In the
very strain which l had learned
when a child living in Connecticut
The late President Smith. OF
Dartmouth, said In a letter 20 me.
I do not believe. with Artemus
Ward. that Indians is pizen wher-
ever you meet EN-" but that any
Indian undergraduate. or Indian
just graduate, ever wrote so, beauti-
ful a lyric as that you inquire about
am slow TO think"
On the other hand. a New Hamp-
shire poet gives the following sc.
count of his memory and opinioni
7 think there must be something in
the legend regarding Indian origin
because l distinctly remember that
in 1899 one Pierce. a Cherokee In
dian of the class of 1910. came 10
my home In Newport. n. H.. with Il
cousin OF mine who was in the
same class 10 spend a few days OF
his vacation and was at my moth
er's house. and l remember that he
sang this same song, and that my
younger sister learned both the
words and the music. from whom
learned them. Some OF the Indian
graduates at Dartmouth were smart
fellows think fully equal to the
writing of this song. It is not per-
feet in it's construction by any
means. for the third stanza is some
what incoherent, although IL Is q
very sweet. pretty thing.
The first line Of the same stanza
Is strong evidence of Indian origin
as Indians hair is always FURNISHED
black and here were three black
haired fellows"
From still another quarter comes
the legend that the song emanated
from Williams College, and that II
tCoryEiEht ieia, IT