947. This quiet existence. This line suggests a contrast between Gabriel and Evangeline with respect to character and mood. Gabriel's restlessness prompts to action, but action without a purpose; Evangeline's, on the other hand, also to action, but with a very definite purpose. 953. Ozark Mountains extend northeast and southwest between the Arkansas and Missouri rivers. These mountains traverse parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Indian Territory. 956. Fates. The destinies supposed to preside over the birth, life, and death of human beings. Their names in mythology are Clotho, Lachesis, and Athropos. Here the meaning is his bad luck so far as making progress is concerned; the necessity of rowing against the streams. 957. Red dew. The dew in which the morning sun is mirrored as red. 970. Ci-devant. A French word meaning "former." 1004. Fever. The yellow fever. Compare line 285. 1009. Creoles. Native whites, especially applied to native French or Spanish as distinguished from white settlers born in Europe. 1033. Silent Carthusian. This is an order of monks instituted in France in 1084. This order made it a duty for its members to observe silence. The name is derived from Chartreux, the place where their first monastery was erected. 1044. Upharsin. (Daniel v: 25.) "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." 1063. Prodigal Son. (St. Luke xv.) 1064. Foolish Virgin. (St. Matt. xxv.) 1082. Oregon. The Columbia river. It receives the Walloway, and, through the Snake river, the Owyhee as tributaries. 1083. Wind-river Mountains. A mountain range in Wyoming, running northwest and southeast. It forms the dividing crest of the continent, so that on one side of it the streams flow into the Pacific, on the other into the Atlantic. 1084. The Sweet-water River rises at the southern end of the Wind-river Mountains. 1091. Amorphas. Sometimes known by the names of "false indigo" or 'lead-plant." 1095. Ishmael's children. Indians, who, like Ishmael and Hagar, were driven out into the desert. (Gen. xxi: 14.) 1106. Into this wonderful land at the base of the Ozark Mountains. The description in lines 1078-1105 comprises a vast part of western United States. The Columbia and the Platte rivers form a general northern boundary. From these it extends southward, including the Sierras, the Rocky Mountains, and the Great Plains. The base of the Ozark Mountains is mentioned merely as a point on the extreme eastern line. 1114. Fata Morgana. A mirage; an optical illusion often seen in deserts. Objects such as vessels, trees, buildings, appear as if suspended in the air. 1119. Shawnee. The Shawnees are a tribe of Indians, who, during the early French and English wars, were the allies now of the French, now of the English. Some of them were located in Missouri in the early part of the last century. Those of the tribe that survive are now on agencies in Indian Territory. 1120. Camanches. War-like Indians originally occupying tracts of territory in Texas and Colorado. Most of them are now on reservations. 1139. Mowis. A legend relates that an Indian youth was cruelly jilted by his beloved. The protecting genius of the young man, to avenge him, caused him to fashion an image of a youth mostly from old rags limed together with snow. Manitou assisted, made him alive and gave him the name of Mowis; i. e., rag man. The Indian girl fell in love with Mowis, and was married to him. On the morning after the wedding, they started on a journey; but the sun dissolved the snow of which Mowis was made, so that he was reduced to ugliness before her eyes, and finally vanished altogether. When she found that her lover was to return no more, she lay down and died. 1145. Fair Lilinau. Lilinau, the daughter of a famous Indian chief, was wont to seek distant and desert places, where she gave herself up to her own musings. She was warned by her mother to cease these trips, but without avail. A husband was selected for her, and the day set for the wedding. She decked herself for the ceremony and put flowers in her hair; but she begged to be allowed, as a favor, to visit her retreat in the forest once more. This was granted, but she never returned. The only thing ever heard of her fate was that a fisherman had seen her carried away by a spirit, whose hair was decked with green feathers. 1167. Black Robe Chief. Called thus by the Indians on account of the black garment which the missionary wore. 1181. Vespers. Evening service. 1212. Golden weather. Our Indian summer. 1213. Blushed at each blood-red ear. Compare Hiawatha, XIII: "And whene'er some lucky maiden Found a red ear in the husking, Some old man bent almost double." 1226. Asphodel. In Homer a flower that grows on the meadows of the underworld. Nepenthe. A drug mentioned by Homer as giving relief from grief and sorrow. 1241. Moravian Missionaries. The Moravian Brethren, a religious community tracing its origin to the followers of John Huss. Of all the reformed churches this was the earliest and most active in missionary work. 1253. Penn the apostle. William Penn, one of the foremost among the Quakers; born in London in 1644, died 1718. In 1683 he founded the city of Philadelphia. 1297. Pestilence. A pestilence, the yellow fever, ravaged Philadelphia in 1793. 1298. Then it came to pass. Biblical expression, as for instance, St. Matt. ix: 10. 1299. Presaged by wondrous signs. An ancient superstition often given literary form as in Virgil, Cæsar, Herodotus. One of the few instances in the poem in which the author shows a leaning toward ancient classic forms. 1312. The poor. See St. Mark xiv: 7. 1318. City celestial. Reference to Rev. xxi: 10. 1326. Christ Church. One of the principal churches of Phila delphia. During the time of the Revolution, Washington, Jefferson and Franklin attended it regularly. Franklin lies buried in the adjoining churchyard. 1328. The Swedes. They settled in and around Philadelphia in 1631. At first they held services in Fort Christina, but in 1667 they built a small wooden church about two miles from the fort. A few years later a blockhouse in Wicaco (now a part of Philadelphia) was used as a church. This building afforded some protection against the Indians, who were not to be depended upon. It was here that Evangeline heard them singing psalms, the chorals used in the church service. 1354. Like the Hebrew. A reference to Exodus xii: 7. 1364. Then he beheld, etc. This is not a mere poetic vision that the poet grants Gabriel. In cases of fever, reminiscences like these will crowd upon the patient with astounding reality. Here it was of course prompted by Evangeline's voice and presence. 1388. Where theirs have ceased from their labors. See Rev. xiv: 13. PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY. The diacritical marks here used are those found in Webster's International Dictionary. Acadie (ä-kä-de'). Ada'yes. Angelus Domini (ăn'jê-lus dom'i-ni). Atchafalaya (ǎch-å-fà-lĩ ́ä). Bacchantes (bǎk-kǎn'tēz). Bacchus (bak'us). Beau S'jour (bō sā-zhōōr'). Běnědiç'itě. Běn'edict Bělle-fontaine'. Cămăn'cheş. Cape Bret'on. Chartreaux (shär-tre'). ci-devant (se-dě-vänh') coureurs-des-bois (koo ́rer-dā-bwä). couvre-feu (kōō'vr-fẽ). Evăn geline. Fä'tå Môrgä ́nå. Father Felician (fe-lish'-I-ȧn). Grand-Pré (gränh-prā ́). Le Carillon de Dunkerque (lẽ kăr-ẽ-yinh dể dùn-kẽrk). Létiche (lā-tēsh'). Lilinau (lē'li-nō). Louisburg (loo'i-bûrg). |