Rand and the MicmacsClark, Jeremiah S. (Jeremiah Simpson)
History
Rand and the Micmacs
Clark, Jeremiah S. (Jeremiah Simpson)
Indians of North America -- Canada; Micmac Indians; Rand, Silas Tertius, 1810-1889
On the floor of his wigwam an Indian lay,
And his spirit was rapidly passing away;
On his brow stood the dewdrop of death, thick and chill,
And the life-pulse once bounding was fast growing still;
He spoke to his friends as they gathered around,
All eager to list to the last fainting sound
Of the voice that had cheered them in council or fight.
Mid the fires of the wigwam or shadows of night,
He told them his prospects, but oh, what were these
To guide his frail bark o’er the transparent seas
Whose ripple waters no storm surge ere swells,
In the far distant land where the “Great Spirit” dwells.
Or fearless and free through the hunting grounds roam,
Where death as a visitor shall never more come?
Ah, no—but the fulness and greenness of grace,
The power of Jesus to save their lost race;
This, this was the theme—for to him had been given
A vision of glory, of God, and of Heaven!
He saw the paved streets which like burnished gold shone,
And highly exalted sat Christ on His throne;
While the angels were circling within their bright home,
And shouting triumphantly “John Paul has come!”
The Indian fell back on his skin-covered bed,
And soon he was one of earth’s numberless dead;
But his spirit had passed to its home in the sky,
To enjoy the full vision of glory on high.
Oh servant of Christ, speed thee on in thy work!
Thy mission of love—and though dangers should lurk
In each step of thy pathway—yet onward still move
Rejoicing to know that thy God doth approve—
And oh, if e’er weary or faint by the way,
Thy footsteps from duty are tempted to stray,
Remember one Micmac looks down from above,
The fruit of thy labour, the fruit of thy love;
The pledge which to thee by thy God hath been given,
That the seed sown on earth shall be garnered in Heaven.
* * * * *
Chatham, October, 1856.
-----
These lines were given to me by Senator Ferguson, who thinks
they must have been written by Rev. Mr. Knight, Sr., who retired
from the Methodist ministry and lived in Chatham. Dr. Rand had
never seen them, but the Senator remembers having repeated most
of the little poem to him on the occasion of a visit from the
Doctor at Tulloch.—(J. S. C.)
THE SUN-BRIGHT CLIME.
Have you heard, have you heard of that sun-bright clime,
Undimmed by tears and uncursed by crime,
There death hath the power no more to reign,
For they live forever, and they know no pain,—
Have you heard of that sun-bright clime?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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