Produced by Beth L Constantine Juliet Sutherland Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamThis file was produced from images generously made availableby the Canadian Institute for Historical MicroreproductionsCANADIAN WILD FLOWERSSELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OFMISS HELEN M JOHNSONOF MAGOG PQ CANADAWITH A SKETCH OF HER LIFEBY REV J M ORROCK  Good thoughts spring from the human mind    Like flowers out the ground  Attractive fragrant beautiful    To make our joys aboundPREFACEAn observance of the hand of God in his providences as well as of hisSpirit in the written Word and in the human heart has led to thepublication of this book Though more than twenty years hare passedsince Miss JOHNSON died her name is like an ointment poured forthMany who never knew her personally seem to know her well from herpoetic writings for as fragrance to the sense of smell music to theear or beauty to the eye so is poetry to the sensibilities of theheartit ministers to a want of our intellectual nature this is thesecret of its power and the pledge of its perpetuity A 16mo volumeof her Poems was published in Boston in 1855 but has long been outof print In 1864 the Rev E H Dewart published in Montreal a workentitled Selections from Canadian Poets in which ten of her poemswere inserted and a very appreciative notice of her given She alsowrote for several papers so that in various ways her thoughts havebeen widely disseminated A desire has often been expressed to havethem collected into one volume but to have all thus republished wouldnot be best I have therefore attempted only what the title indicatesto make _selections from her writings_ and conclude to send themforth under a name which she herself chose at a time when she hadthoughts of getting out a book Let critics remember that they claimto be only _Canadian wild flowers_ yet we feel sure that someof them for beauty of form and fragrance of truth will notunfavorably compare with some of the cultivated productions of ourclassic poets Miss JOHNSON was better known by her poetry than by herprose writings yet in the latter are found so many grand thoughtsthat I have copied from them freely The biographical sketch it ishoped will add interest to the book especially as so many of herdiary notes have been interwoven Some of her pieces are here printedfor the first time The prize poem on The Surrender of Quebec isgiven in full In the Preface to her Poems she said I have beencheered and encouraged by the thought that perhaps through myinstrumentality the heart of some humble believer might be comfortedand some wretched wanderer weary of the vanities of earth bedirected to the only source of life and happiness Should such be thecase the brightest hopes of the authoress will be fulfilled and sheherself be amply compensated for her care and labor With a sinceredesire to aid in the direction thus indicated this little work is nowsent forthJMOBrookline Mass June 22 1884CONTENTSLIFESKETCHBirthplaceThe Forest a poemConviction of sinBaptism andResolutionsExperienceDiary notes in verseSufferingsLast poemThe One Name and The Adieu poetryDeathRURAL SCENESThe Walk in JuneAn Evening MeditationNatures ResurrectionThe Birds NestGather VioletsTo a DandelionTo a RobinGod is ThereThe Canadian FarmerThe ReturnThe Old SugarCampTo a RabbitThe Old ManThe Fading and the Unfading proseOn Receipt of some Wild FlowersThe Sick Girls DreamThe Last SongAn Evening SceneAutumn Teachings proseThe WatcherPATRIOTIC POEMSThe Surrender of QuebecSong of the English Peasant GirlA Nations DesireCanadas WelcomeOur Native LandThe AppealI Love the Land where I was BornThe World to ComeTEMPERANCEA Welcome to a Temperance PicnicA LifeSceneThe LetterThe PledgeSIGHS ON MORTALITYWhat is Your LifeLifeThe Silent ArmyThe Dying WarriorOn Seeing a Skull proseThoughts on DeathThe BattleFieldDead and ForgotDear EmilyOn the Death of a Friend proseThe Heavenly HelperThe PromiseThe Dead Christ proseThe ComplaintThe Mixed Cup proseI Shall DepartTime FliesA Voice from the Sick Room proseSONGS OF HOPEHe Giveth Songs in the NightThe Last Good NightRetrospective and Prospective proseHopeEarth Not the Christians HomeWe Sorrow Not as Others Without Hope proseThe Messenger BirdOur Ship is Homeward BoundMidnightEaster Sunday proseThe Risen Redeemer proseDost Thou Remember MeTis IBe Not AfraidThe Only Perfect One proseThe Dying ChristianThe RequestComplete in Him proseTrust in GodA Paradox proseThou Shall Know HereafterThine Eyes Shall See the King in His Beauty proseAll Is WellWe Shall MeetWhat the Daughter of the Cloud Said proseThis is not HomeThe Souls Consolation proseWe See through a Glass DarklyWords of Cheer for Fainting Christians proseMISCELLANYThe Dying YearIncomprehensibility of GodThe Star of BethlehemGod Made Me PoorThe Stranger GuestA Long Delightful Walk proseThe Servant is Not Above his MasterElijahThe Sacred PageBehold how He Loved UsLove Your EnemiesThe OrphanSententious Paragraphs proseYe Did It Not to MeHear and Help MeFarewellNo MotherTo a Mother on the Death of her ChildIn Goodness is True GreatnessSimiles proseThe Crucified of GalileeThe AscensionThe Hebrews LamentWhen Shall I Receive my Diploma proseAlone with JesusThe Lost BabeThe Day of WrathThe Believers Safety proseLIFE SKETCHThe hill country of Judea which furnished a home for the virginmother of our Lord is not the only rural region from whence have comewomen endowed with intelligence and integrity philanthropy andreligion who by pen and tongue have brightened and blest the heartsand homes of thousands Nurtured amidst the wilds of nature insteadof the bustle and bewildering attractions of city life they havegrown strong to do battle for the right and to bear testimony to thetruth as it is in Jesus Of this class is the one whose life andlabors we are now to considerMemphremagog is an enchanting lake twothirds of which lie in theEastern Townships of Canada in the Province of Quebec and the upperthird in Vermont Its extreme length from north to south is aboutthirty miles its breadth varying from one to three miles It issemicircular in form and bestudded with islands while on its westernshore rise mountains of no ordinary attractions among them OwlsHead which towers about 2500 feet above the surface of the lakeaffording from its summit a panoramic view of surpassing lovelinessIt was at The Outlet of this lake there was born Oct 27