New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-08-22

and Thorn, ifihcy are forced by pooriith cauld 10
sigh much in the long winter night. which brings
them neither work nor pleasure, also sing be
tween.
Thorn passed his boyhood in a factory, where be
side the disadvantage Of ceaseess toll and din, he
describes himself as being under the worst moral in
fuences These however, had no power to corrupt
his native goodness and sweetness. One OF the
most remarkable things abou, him is his disposition,
to look on the bright side. and the light and gentle
payiulness with which he enlivened, when possible,
the darkest passages ofhis life.
The only teachers that found access TO the Factory
were some works Of contemporary poets These
were great contemporaries for him. Scott, Byron,
Moore. breaihed full enough to fan a good blaze
Bot still more important to the Scotsman and the
craftsman were the teachings ofthose comrnemorated
IN the following passage which describes the first in
PRODUCTION Of them to the literary world and gives
no unfair specimen both OF his prose and his poetry:
" Nearer and dcarcr TO hearts ike ours the 1t
trick shepherd then in his full tide Of song and story
but and dcarer still than he any living songster
to desrer-was our ilfaicd ielow-cratsman. Tan
nahili who had just th~n taken himself from neglect
ing world. while yet that world waxed mellow IN his
by. Poor weaver chiel What we owe 10 thee Your
Braes o. Balquidder,' and ion Burnside and
Gloomy Winter. ana the Mbrtr.is waning dNty,
and the noble Glcneifer" Oh how they did mig
above the rafting OF hundred shures Let me again
proclaim the debt those Song Spirits. as they
walked in melody from loom to loom. nIstering TO the
low hearted and when the breast hed with every
thing but hope and happiness and all but scared let only
break forth the healthy and vigorous chorus mans
for a that the tagged weaver brlghtens up. His
very shuttle skyies boldly along and claers through IN
faithful time 10 the tune Of his merrier shopmates
Who dare in doubt the restraining influences
OF these very Songs To us they were all instead Of
sermons. Had one Of us been bold enough to enter
church. he must have been elected tor the sake OF de-
cency His iorlOrn and curiousy patched habimenis
would have contested the point OF attraction with the or
binary elOquence OF that period so for all parties 1t
better that he kept his garrett wandered FAR
in the deep green wood Church bells not for us
Poets indeed Priests. But for those, the last
relic of moral existence would have surely passed
away
song was the dewdrops that gathered during the long
dark night of dependency and were TO glitter in
the very first blink Of the sun. To us Vir-
tue, in whatever shape, came only IN shadow but even
by that her sweet proportions, and sometimes
fain would have sought a kind acquaintance with her
Thinking that the better features of humanity could not
be utterly deiaced where song and melody were permit
ted to exist, and that where they not all crushed
Hope and Mercy might yet bless the spot some waxed
bold and for took leave OF those who were called
10 sing ayOnt the moon cropping amidst the material
around and stringing it up ventured on homemade
lit Short was the search TO ind newly kindled love,
or some old heart abreaking Such aye amongst us
and not always unnotced nor as ye shall see unsung
II enough that we merely chauned, ana u.s.
tened but ambitious or idle II ye Will they
in time would try selfconceved song Just II some
funny little boy holder than the rest, would creep INTO
the room where laid Neil Cows fiddle. and touch note
or two he could not name. How proud he IS now
best for he had made sound aud more, his playmdes
heard it, faith Here will introduce OF these early
touches, for any merit of its own, but IT VIII snow
that could sometimes bear and even seek tor our
minds short residence though not elegant at least SIN
css-a fleeing visit of healthy things though small they
in size and few in number. Spray from gushing
linn if slsckencd the thirst it cooled the brow
The following diity had its foundation IN of those
dckcss doings which and aye follow ssuided AT
tachmens and in our abode of freedom these were al
mos, the only kind of attachments known they were
al the wrong side OF durability or happiness.
ArR-"Lass gin you Ioe me- tell me MOO"
Wen meet in yon wood meath a staress sky,
When wrestling leaves forsake ilk tree
We mauna speak MAR o the days game by,
Nor o friends that again maun see
Nae weak word o. mine shall remembrance gle
O. vows that were made and were broken to me
I'll seem in my silence 10 reckon them dead,
A Wither and lost as the leaves that we tread.
Alane We maun meet me, when midnight is near.
by yon blishtsd euld bush that fatally ken
The voice that alurod me, q let me loo hoaI,
For my heart mauny beat TO its music again.
In darkness wei meet and IN silence remain
Tx word now and look now. were mockiul or vain
Ae mute moment mornc the dream that misled,
syne sindcr as cauld as the leaves that we tread.
This dizzy was sung in the weaving shops, and when
in the warbing of one who could lend good voice TO
the occasion and could the words and air into a
sort OF social understanding then was II song
cannot remember the precise date of this melan-
choly creation. sure enough some time about le2u.
when banks falling like rneieors. but rather often
cr the world seemed huuying to ruin The very sun
ON high lent helping heai-kndling Mlrrimach -
Could Caledonia lay baked and cracked-yieldng lill
putan crops-a parody on corn Amidst MI TINS ana
more than all this. would sing. The factory
distinguished writer of these though at FIRST In
different yet they became more favored by his shop
mates and had actually been named without the gales,
concs gradually stole away his better judgement; ana
Hi sst one OF his eyes--ihe weather eyebecame firmly
shut while the other was mmoveably fixed on Parnas-
.ns Why should his powers live and die in this black
houndery His song not be heard beyond the unpoeu
cal brick walls Of iacloryf II was settled ilcis of
The shuttle for "A lime may 20 rot No heed no care oi
the hungry hours and hard weaving that must follow
There he goes and over his beating heart lies wefod
ell fairly copied version Of his rsiborn, he wends his
way the printing Office of the db1deeH Journal
One special crony. and only one. was in confidence,
aud no mean sharer he in the unuteraby curious
feeling that sets in the first throcs of authorship
Early on the morning Of publication the anxious pair
stood waichuy in court that led 10 the printing oice
The Coa6dam in thai moderately troublesome state
known AS hdecis. with and then qualn inasmuch
a. having talked away two days work. there was not
whal settle up matters in his boarding house thai
ght The Principal although IN the very same plsht
fct not the very way Ills pain-ior pam II was
had no connection with augh earth save and except
the printing Office which he gazed. Did his verses
exist in print
after man. lad and elderly women. passed each other
with journal al nose, needless of all beside.
" Ask that man for peep.
Have not besOught II of twenyf
Then lei MS try thatchappie coming up
This WAS meant Tor a sulky lite fellow, who refused
flat 10 open his paper Patience could do no more Il
b.cke9s away quite; good manners and honesty follow
ell We were icft 10 ourselves The obstinate Jour
nal bearer bourne into house entry we shut The
door: and while he kicked and roared, we CROPPED Tor
the Poor Mans Corner in the Journal and were blesi-
the song there
Bowed.
Thorn had no furtherance for many years after
this first appearance |, was hard work at all times
to win bread when work failed he was obliged 10
wander on foot elsewhere TO procure IT, losing his
younges, child in barn from the hardships endured
one cold night of this untmely fitting his admi-
rable wife too died prematurely from the same
cause AZ one time he was obliged TO go with his
little dausher and his flute, ION which he Is an eN'
cellent performer into the streets as mendeah'
TO procure bread for his family. This last seems 10
-, k,o,, ,,,-, cr,.i ,bop any harishin the