The Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1822-1822, 1822-04-27
POETRY.
From Clio, No. l.-Pm6tishea at Charleston,
bu JAMES G. PERcIvAL.


eTHERE is a sweetness IN woman's decay,
When the light of beatty is fading away,
When the bright enchantment OF youth Is gone,
And the tint that glow'd, and the eye that
And darted around It's glance of power,
And the lip that We'd with the sweetest flower,
That ever IN Pastum'ss garden blew,
Orever was steep'd in fragrant dew,
When all, that was bright and fair, IS fed,
But the loneliness lingering round the dead
Q, there is a sweetness in beauty's close,
Like the perfume seeming the witherd rose;
For nameless charm around herPlays,
Andher eyes are kindled with FOLLOWED rays,
And veil fspotless purity
Has mantled her cheek with Its heavenly dye,
Like cloud whereon the queen OF night
Has pour'd her softest tint of light;
And there IS blending of white and blue,
Where the purple blood is melting through
The snow of her pale and tender cheek;
And there are tones, that sweetly speak
OF spirit, who longs for purer day
And Is ready to wing her flight away.
IN the flush of youth and the spring of feeling,
When life, like a sunny stream, IS stealing
Ats silent steps through howery path,
And all the endearments, that pleasure hath,
Are pour'd from her full, o'eriiowing horn,
Waen the rose of enjoyment conceals no thorn,
In ner llg Illness OF heart, to the CHEEKY song
The maiden may trip In the dance along,
And think of the passing moment, that lies,
Like fairy dream, In her dazzled eyes,
And yield to the present, that CHAINS around
With all that IS lovely in sight and sound,
Waere thousand pleasing phantoms fit,
With the voice of mirth, and the burst of wit,
And the music that steals to the bosom's core,
And the heart in its. fulness flowing DER
With few big drops, that are soon repress'd
For short is'the stay of grief in her breast:
IN this enliven'd and gladstone hour
The spirit NAV burn with brighter pow'r;;'
But dearer the calm and quiet day,
When the heaven-sick soul IS stealing away.
And when her sun is low declining,
And hfe wears out. with no repining,
And the whisper, that tells of early death,
Is soft as the west winds balmy breath,
When it comes, at the hour of still repose,
To sleep in the breast of the wooing rose;
And the lip that swell'd with living glow,
Is pale as a curl of new.fall'n snow;
And her cheek, like the Parian stone, is fair,
But the hetic spot that Pushes there,
When the tide of life, from its secret dwelling,
In sudden gush, is deeply swelling,
And giving tinge to her icy hips,
like the crimson roses brightest tips,
AS richly red, and as transient too,
AS the clouds in autumn's sky of blue,
That seem like a host of glory met
To honour the sun at his golden set:
o! then, when the spirit is taking wing,
How fondly nerthoughts to her dear one cling
AS if she would blend her soul with his
In deep and long imprinted kiss;
So fondly the painting camel flies,
Where the CLASSY vapour cheats his eyes,
And the dove from the falcon seeks her nest,
And the infant shrinks to its mothers breast.
And though her dying voice be.mute,
Or faint as the tones of an unstrung lutte,
And though the glow of her cheek be fed,
And her pale lips cold as the marble dead;
Her eve still beams unwonted fires
With woman's love and saints desires,
And her last fond, lingering look is giv'n
To the love she leaves, and then to heav'n,
As if she would bear that love away
To a purer world and brighter day"
R;ser;,ue rosario ppsti -T1rgfE