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The Complete Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes
The Complete Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes Author:Oliver Wendell Holmes Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: And may the cherubs on its face protect me from the sin That dooms one to those dreadful words, — " My dear, where have you been ? " A SONG FOE THE C... more »ENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OP HARVARD COLLEGE, 1836 This song, which I had the temerity to sing myself (felix auda- cia, Mr. Franklin Dexter had the goodness to call it), was sent in a little too late to be printed with the official account of the celebration. It was written at the suggestion of Dr. Jacob Bigelow, who thought the popular tune " The Poacher's Song'' would be a good model for a lively ballad or ditty. He himself wrote the admirable Latin song to be found in the record of the meeting. When the Puritans came over Our hills and swamps to clear, The woods were full of catamounts, And Indians red as deer, With tomahawks and scalping-knives, That make folks' heads look queer; Oh the ship from England used to bring A hundred wigs a year! The crows came cawing through the air To pluck the Pilgrims' corn, The bears came snuffing round the door Whene'er a babe was born, The rattlesnakes were bigger round Than the but of the old ram's horn The deacon blew at meeting time On every " Sabbath " morn. But soon they knocked the wigwams down, And pine-tree trunk and limb Began to sprout among the leaves In shape of steeples slim ; And out the little wharves were stretched Along the ocean's rim, And up the little school-house shot To keep the boys in trim. And when at length the College rose, The sachem cocked his eye At every tutor's meagre ribs Whose coat-tails whistled by: But when the Greek and Hebrew words Came tumbling from his jaws, The copper-colored children all Ran screaming to the squaws. And who was on the Catalogue When college was begun ?...« less