The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-11


While all who in their creed differed from her.
She thought were certain objects of suspicion;
In manner, like a cat who'll fondly pur,
Till in some trick, herself discovered catches
Then turning suddenly she bites and scratches
The mother thought to name heroine
From out some book of romance she had read
But some preferred Miss Barretts Geraldine,
Qder husband was abroad) and Others said
In order at some future time to win
The handsome fortune of an ancient maid
To call her, for her wealthy aunt, Melona
But all at last decided on VERONA.
For in the foreign city of that ilk,
The father was then traficking in lace,
And in the articles of wool and silk
Well nigh forgetting the domestic
OF Christian names and anise seed and milk
There such golden charms within the place
But when he heard the news in their first letter
He thought they certainly might have done better.
Most hopefully he had desired boy
Two little girls already had been givon
And now, instead of feeling pride and joy,
He rudcly wished the baby back to Heaven;
Declared he would not carry home toy
Although for something rare he would have striven
If his fond hopes had come to a iruition,
In the event OF his wife's parturition
A hate toward one, engendered with their birth,
Grows stronger evcrmore within the breast
1t matters not how much of sterling worth
BY the unloved, in time, may be possessed;
They are as aliens round the household hearth,
And must resort to strangers to DO blest
Unhallowed this, but even SO it is
And such deserve our warmest sympathes.
Verona was not pretty when a child,
Although she seldom was unanable
Her parents on her never kindly smiled,
And always treated her as blamsblo
For the misdcods Of all her sisters Wild
Who were in childhood quite untamablc,
They thought the unloved sister of bad feature
And most singular and tmid creature.
They early gave her painful soJriqHets,
And seldom was there anything enjoyed
BY them, so much as mimicking her ways,
And seeing her most thoroughly annoyed;
For thus they never lost their parents praise,
Zen though her happiness was all destroyed
1t seemed MS she was ever moderated
They thought that she was born but to be hated.
XXII1
Now if my heroine had only been
Most beautiful, and excellent, and fair"
Or beauteous as sweet Evangeline,
With eyes that " softly cleaned and dark brow
hair"
As she should be, to admiration win
The gom of mind within IA setting rare
l know 'twould please my readers better,
And am half inclined to lot hor.
But as the truth purpose to relate,
Such truth ~ has availability,
will not undertake to initiate
The far famed authors of ability;
As Jackson said about affairs of state,
81 take the whole responsibility
With plain material I'll DO contented,
And trust that mono will think am demened,
And if upon the boundcss of ink,
This trang, literary ripple
Should meet the searching eye of one think
OF our best critics, Il. p. Whipple,
He must at my great sin of ignorance wink,
And Just remember | don't tipplo
The Bible says that " iron sharpeneth iron,'
But hook and soda water sharpened Byron.
XXVL
! will confess, however. my regret,
That my Verona is so commonplace;
That she is not like Lowcll's Margaret,
With sunny hair and heart and lovely face
Like Byfons bcauteous star that in his boyhood set
Or Shelleys fairy child of every grace
Like Mary at the feet of Jesus sitting
Like all things beautiful and most .behtting,,s ~.
= ~ XVII. ~
A very beauty was her oldest sister,
Exqusitely symmetrical and fair
Her father often fondly kissed her,
And smoothcd the tangles Of her curling hair
One day he said. upon n throne no wished her,
And that her proper sphere was only there
Then, having ended this weak tavesty,
Bado Verona to obey her majesty
XVIII
Who silent heard, and sought but to obey,
Then dressed her sisters hair in FILLING curls
Which was n task assigned her each day.
As She upon her fingers rmoo.hcd tho twiils,-
Tho tears fell slowly down, and on them lay.
A study for an artist those girls
The one with hair Of glorious golden brown,
Which fell in rnglets to her bosom down.
With oval face Of aabastor hue
mouth cleft like two leaves within rose,
Besprinklod with the pearls of morning dew;
A delicate and finely pcncilied nose
With eyes Of languishDg and lustrous blue,
Gommed with a star like that which flows
H. picture on the azure rolling deep,
Save when behind n cloud it falls to sleep.
Upon that face was just conscious thought
Of beauty, but no shadow rested thoro;
For no storm monitress Of liio had taught
The maiden the reality of care
A little sauciiy she seemed to dare
Mayhap, a trino more than what she ought
Though it beseens the common fault OF beauties,
To BIO oblivious Of rules and duties
XXI
The form was full, and rounded 10 charm,
Twas folded in n dross Of muslin snow,
band of gems encircled either arm
And swanliks neck, which was uncovered low
A golden cross lay there to Danish harm,
And q soft, blushng rose, which gods be'tow
To rival that-ths fairest OF all rosos-
Which lovingly on boautys cheek rePose'
XXI
In shadow stood Verona, just behind
A cloud contrasting with star-twain strips
Of light aud darkness, the ono with silver lined
The other now obscured in an eclipse