TO THE PUBLIC.

e received so many kind assurances from friends in this neighborhood and from gentlemen at a distance who had taken an interest in our first little work, that they induce us to issue this more comprehensive volume containing about one hundred new pieces. We have written a number of dairy odes recently; these and our patriotic songs composed during the past year we trust will make the work more interesting. We publish a few short pieces from many letters and poems we received from friends. We hope the public will peruse the poems in a friendly spirit, as a kind feeling towards all of the nationalities forming this young and vigorous Dominion has prompted us to publish these selections from our poetic works.

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SHORT EXTRACTS FROM POEMS AND LETTERS RECEIVED BY THE AUTHOR.

The following lines were received from Mr. William Murray of Hamilton:

From one of Toronto's well known citizens, S. H. Janes, Esq., formerly of Oxford:

I wish to express to you my great pleasure in looking over your musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames. It seemed to transport my memory across the chasm of twenty-five years and to call up the scenes, associations and joys of boyhood's happy hour. Literary work of this kind must add greatly to your pleasure and happiness as it certainly does to that of your friends.

The Editor of the Toronto Globe, after reviewing a number of other books pronounced our little volume to be the gem of the table.

Col. Denison, Toronto's police magistrate, "found many most interesting pieces on Canadian subjects in the volume."

Joaquin Miller, the American poet, hailed me as "my dear poet of the Canadian pasture fields," and he said I did wisely in singing of useful themes.

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N. C. Thompson of Rockford, Ill., wrote us a large number of verses. We select the following:

Dr. Scadding, the Antiquarian, thought my poem on Father Rannie, the cheese pioneer, "had the ring of a fine old ballad about it."

From a poem by the Rev. John Dunbar, of Toronto, we give this extract:

The Hon. Oliver Mowat was pleased with the patriotic spirit displayed in the poems.

From George McIntyre of Conestoga:

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A. G. Murray, a prominent clansman of Chicago, sent us the following:—I received your volume and I think a great deal of it. It is one of our family treasures and the reading of it brings before us the genial form of friend McIntyre, who pictures things so vividly, reminding us of days gone by.

From Rev. Robert Cameron of Denver, Colorado:

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CANADA BEFORE THE CONFEDERATION OF THE PROVINCES.

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BIRTH OF CANADA AS A NATION, JULY FIRST, 1867.

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WELCOME TO THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Lines written when the Prince of Wales was about embarking for Canada, May, 1860.

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NORTH-WEST REBELLION, 1885.

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BIG BEAR THE INDIAN CHIEF.

The following impromptu was given at a banquet to one of the captives of Fort Pit after he had related his experience.

[A] Mr. Stanley Simpson.

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REMINISCENCES

On the laying of the corner stone of the Brock monument at Queenston Heights, and the final interment of the General who had fallen at the battle of Queenston, Oct. 13th, 1812. The remains of his Aide, Col. McDonald, were also deposited under the new tower.

The oration on the above interesting occasion was delivered by the late Hon. William H. Merritt, projector of the Welland Canal. He served at the battle when a young man. We witnessed the interesting ceremony and shall never forget it.

PATRIOTIC ODE

Written at the time of the last excitement on the Niagara Frontier.

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PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.

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