Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-03-03


comes "in double trust" as the guest of the mind
and heart alike, 10 gem the one with diamond
thought and to attune the other TO the melody of
pure and lofty feeling. The beautiful daughters of
Israel, harping with their harps, exercised for q
time the horrors of captivity; but the spell of their
magic music, ard the sorrows which invoked 1t,
would have faded from the minds of men, had it
not been written, 1--WE hanged our harps upon the
willows ard by the waters OF Babylon, we sat US
down aud wrpt"
AS the brook reflects the evening landscape"
said the charming Schiller, $50 on the niggard
stream Of life, shimmers poetry" History it has
been said is philosophy teaching by example. Po-
etry, it mag BE- said, is philosophy teaching by
enchantment. The high teachings of religion and
philosophy, are attractive and sublime in them,
selves; but only so, to the saint and the philoso
pher. What would they be worth to the Of
human kind, if they could only be impaired in the
dull didsctic or the prOsy polemic! Poetry Volun.
teers as the hand maiden of both, -fascinates the
heart, snd strs with her spells and her charms, the
fount of human feeling and thus imparts their salu
tary precepts, in lessons never to be forgotten.
Who better understood this truth, than the wonder
full men who penned the Holy Bible, which is of
itself, in a literary sense 'ively shsdowrwOrd of
song"
We hold, that the study OF poetry, is not only
profitable and essential for the purposes of mental
embellishments but that it is more potent than all
other moral media by which high prestige is stamped
upon the character, the human affections and
passions elevated and chastened. We speak Of
poetry, in It's proper and technical sense that
strangely transcendental style of verbose and
rous rhy thin, Of which Lamsrtine speaks, in which
'he fragments of thought minge with the tinsel OF
words, is not poetry. We mean by poetry, those
high ideal musings pregnant of mingled thought
and beauty, and lreighted with deep and fervid
philosophy-the lofty outgivings Of pure, inspired
heart and cultivated mind and OF this tint and
complexion is the volume which now lies open be-
fore US.
The fair suthoTess is no neophyte at the shrine
OF song. The literary public became acquainted
with her singular gifts some years since, under the
shrinking nom de plume of "LInconnue." A
timid de6utane, she not long in achieving even
who WELD the "srch enchauters wand" Even
while her pinions were yet distrusted, aud her real
name known to but a few personal friends, we re-
member to have heard gentleman in West Ten
nessee, in public address, speak Of her after this
wise:
But there is yet another nome, which for all
that is worthy of admiration in the world OF letters,
and for all that is beautiful in human character, all
fame would rebuke me for not naming among her
avorites, and commencing to you, Us another con
queTing olympic in the grand tournament Of Anne
rican genius. Yet young, unobrusive ~ timid
as fawn, the peerless L'lncOunuc,' even at this
good hour towers amid her rivals, like 0rzaba
among the mountains. gifted with a more power
uErasp of mind, than is ordinarily allotted to NOR.
tails OF either sex, there s vgor her conceptions,
aud stately, organ euphOny, IN her style, which
has already palsied the pen of the most iuvidious
criticism"
About ten years since, the fair authoress came
from her native Virginia. to reside in the city of
Memphis. She was accompanied by younger and
only sister, and the twain being orphans, landed
up our shores TO achieve their fortunes as best
they might, in a stranger land Amiable, winsome,
and well accomplished, they very soon won upon
the affection and confidence of our people, and
nrver since have they lacked for troops of friends
TO this sister, the last Of her household Gods, the
heart OF the young authoress seemed to cling with
love that was hallowed as it was beautiful
charming memorial OF this strong affection, occurs
in the volume before US, in beautiful poem ITO
nay Sister Lide.
''Theres charm in the CLEAN waves on the sea,
And spell in the s;ar-beam that whispers Of thee,
But as gay hours in 1, citing new bushes Of Spring
To this warm bosou's bssting in lovelnrss bring
20 it, son feelings deepen to glorious pride,
When il dreams OF ITS SnRsl-my sweet sister Lde.
The world thinks Us lonely'ti~ we're Alone
Not twin spirits only Your hearts u
With parent-no brother glad happy home;
We're the world to each other, wherever roam;
And my ung life gldes onward like Springs sunny tide
When dwell with mine own one-my love II n Lide.'"
If we remember rightly, her first contributions
to the Memphis press we're made to the "Advo-
cate, a very respectable temperance journal, then
under the surveillance Of the late lameuted Henry
Vanpet Esq. She also occasionally filled the pos
cts corner Of the " Enquirer then, we believe,
under the coutrol Of the veteran Mcmahon, whose
purse, as well as bis pen, has ever been at the dis
posal of struggling genius everywhere When it
vas discovered who the fair ineogHi;o was, whose
nom DE- plume had for a twelve month been spell
and mystery in the literary circles of the Vest.
she prevailed upon by Der friends to eontribut,
several articles to one of the Monthlies of Phlade
phs; which, tremblingy and distrustlully, che did
At this time, she and her sweet sister Lde" were
engaged in teaching school-and il was the uten-
ton of tho authoress, il her contributions to the
Philadelphia monthly bad been well received, to
adopt the congeniAl pursuits Of literature the
business Of her life In this, however, she for
a time disappointed. The pieces were published;
but did not attract the attention they deserved.
Saddened and discounted by what she regarded as
virtual rejection Of her offerings, sine was about
to turn away in despair from the seductive paths OF
poesy, when an excellent friend, who had been
since her residencs in the West her protector and
adviser, urged her to try Prentice Of the Journal
TRY Prentieel" What IA world Of high hope those
words aud tina. thought have raamed the umid
heart Of struggling genius withal, during the last
quarter Of century ''Try Prendcei" man
whoss brilliant coronal Of literary fame is rendered
sta, more bright by the fact that he has discov cred
aud generously disclosed to the sunlight more dis
Eond mines OF American genius, than any Other
deyosee Of letters in the Republic. She dad Try
Prentice-and the electric sympathies Of poets
heart flashed the conviction upon his Judgment that
the young debHtaats had genius OF the highest OF
der. None coold perceive more readily than be,
the nkiiags OF . glorious destiny. None koew
better than be, that
BsAs theashts .ud sparkling lanEuAgs ussSPrssssd,
49, altsr 10. 49, a.. Ernsr nrwna