Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-08-03


she youngl Was she prettyl And bi
for there were some embryo fortune-hun-
ters among us--was she ,richl We our 70
selves who, now staid critics and sober in
gentlemen, are about coldly to measure to W
a prose work (what is here quoted is in re
troductory TO review of Romance and &
Reality the due quantum of laud and c.
censure, then only thought of homage,a and IL
in verse only we condescended to yield it. e
But the other day, in looking over some n
of our boyish illusions, we found a paper i
superscribed to L. E. L., and beginning a
with Fair spirit +
| In this place, perhaps, it may be fitting c
to glance at one important characteristic
of her writings, previous to the considera-
J lion of those maturer poems, the earliest
5 of which, now on the eve Of appearance,
: procured for her such deserved distinction.
t In the poetry of L. E. L., even at the
n early and happy period of her career, as
y summing that it has now in reality conn.,
: menced, we detect, not unfroquently, ex-
, amples of that which afterwards cast a
= tgloom over so much that she wrote, and |
+ was so Justly complained ofby those who |
a took the deepes interest in the progress
a of her talents andreputatioD. The verses
k even of her gay and eager youth abound
&c in dstrusting views of life, in melancholy
m forebodngs, and images of WEAKNESS and
- dependency. Whatever the subject of
A. the song, baffled hopes and blighted affec-
tons would evermore thrust themselves
between the signer and the light; and II
> they were not always seized upon as the
ol theme, they were unfailing by associated
I'll with it, and introduced in the way OF IL.
H. lustration or analogy. And here 1t may
CT be desired at once to impress upon the
re readers mind the fact that there was not
IN the remotest connection or affinity, not
It's indeed a color of resemblance, between
~, her everyday life or habltual teehngs'anu
I'D the shapes they were made to assume IN
lot her poetry. No two persons could be
,es less like each other in all that related &c
ne the contemplation of the actual world'thar
NY Il. E. L. and Letitia Elizabeth Landon
People would do in this, as IN so many
enl other cases, forgetting one OF the licenses
re- of poetry, identify the poets history II
ing the poets subject and sentiments, an
any they accordingly insisted that, because TN
ing strain was tender and mournful, the heart
al, minstrel was breaking. CertaInlt Is Ina
anu L. Z. LIS naturally sweet and cheeri'
disposition was not, at this time, soureu
ON obscured by any meditations upon lie an
Sc the things most worth living for, which
W. lavish and rapturous indulgence OF the p
nc cite mood could lead her into; and hoy
le 80. ~ 49,, b,,,o r,or;,ed odmiratio
-iosi- SLo Id ~ cr;a -, cia;n, 20 svmnathy
81
race While every chord of her lutte seemed
the awaken a thousand plaintive and pam
~ memories, she was storing up JUST
WIZ many lively recoiiectfoBs; and as the III
tue ancholy of her song moved by the sal
ingy process still father than ever out oil meIa
the choly's reach. Her imagination Wo'
&C. couiure up a scene in which, as was s.
Ceau- of the Urn Burial, the gayest thng J
L 'he should see would be a guilt cothn'railia
pest this scene she would fancifully coniou
rs re- for the time being with human il'e' P'
was present, or to come; but the pen once
ghout r. Lorbond tboro was no more stu
''ile quesuoner, not TO say rePudlalor' VI
own doctrines, than her own PFacli
ial Vi The SD ectres she had conJured up YAM
inter- ed as the wand dropped from her ne
re not Five minutes after the comPoSitloh
whlch some poem full of passionate sorrow
Or SIX bitter disappointment and reproacn'
them wonld he seen again in the very MOOD
IT fan of which she had been carried by the
lsslon. etc frenzy that had seized her-a S
Grand of mind the most frank, affectlonate
were neutrality-suspicious. but equally
mira inc to share in the simple amusemenls
dwells MIGHT be presented, or to employ It's
beau resources for the entertainment oil
'nu ers. III;
found In July. 1924, volume was PuDll
Z. L. entitled The Improvylsatrlce ana oln1i
anony' ems. by L. E. L. 1t was received
he par very general favor by the literary. Pr
of the and although full of blemishes, eylnce
curios- originality and power which neither
2 lady Iessness nor obscurity could IN the
weri ng J;snarage. Several editionswere ra
cir sold tributes of personal congratul
: sure, noured in from those whose '0rea'
is read, ronown and the tide of fortune bega
to her. go , With that of fame. This only IL
closes ~ 20 fresh exertions, and her We
ned IN contributors of sketches ana Sons
he OBJ continued with undated iresnn'''
en'le'" vigor. :,
II was at this brightest PERIOD 0
rt history; when her literary fame was
bight and her spirit was as light an
part free from thoug hit of evil as sP'
:. b;rJ that jealousy and base calumny
: bnsv with her name. This spirit o
beside Iimitv and envy at first broke out Il
che nj ter r3icule of her writings, ana
,o,hed in proceeded to the vilest and most
. ~, and temntible misrepresentation OF her
so' ,bSm acrer. The very uuguardedncss OIL
d;d She nocence-the openess OF her nalul
u.u be. The frankness of her whole characie
I o rbilI. we'd TO arm the feeolest malice win
e n;ctres erfuI stings. But it is not neGess'
oP9ctions dwell upon this portion OF her me- =
1 I~as nity. cidents have no value except y
losI r." y Shadows Of gloom and sadness whic
M Mouth. cast over her after years ana %
~ the nrooes of the baseness and low ma
!, :. =. ~ her human hearts. Her letters at 'hls
.,t VI ~ how the deep scorn aud bitterness
10 &c 9at which she looked upon fnes
ne s ~oy e,nl attacks upon her own goou
we NOW I Ie, whole afte. life received
cer.I i.ns l ,,orbid melancholy which is oite
ou .soD we clearly dscerned in her writings
Pelson c II Liter TO very intimate friend. 81
30 d. Oo - ,,,;xt,,re of warm affection