Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-07-03
LEGENDS OF THE SOUTH, NO. XIII.
THE BRIDE OF THE sun.

ENDS OF THE SOUTH, NO. XX
THE BRIDE OF THE sun.
BY L. VIRGINIA FRENCH.
oman dreamed in early youth that she was bet
In. She built her wigwam apart, filed it wi
Of her alliance, and means Of an independel
lie passed her days, sustained by her own excl
: to her supposed engagement.
Early in the moon of flowers,
When the sweet magnolia bowers,
OF the naughty tribes Of Natchez
First were flushing into bloom,
From the land of lost E-yd-shO,*
Came the princess Kee-chiRja-Sbu,t
And her royal wigwam builded,
Where the Temples shadows gloom.
Twas a chosen nook, where flourished
All the trees the maiden cherished,
The catalpa, the palmetto,
And the dainty-leaved pecan;
Called the "Cherokee,' y encloses,
Flinging forth their boarded fragrance
In the summer early dawn.
Sweeping, broad acacia branches,
Swung Their heavy avalanchcs
Ofsweet, snowy bloom above it,
Dropping to the comic dome;
Gemmed it was with treasures floral,
Hung with webs Of dyes auroral,
And a streamlet, crystal-footed,
Crept around the maiden's home.
And the Princess ?-gems were glowing
Ger her matchecOta flowing,
And her lantu proud was woven
OF the plumes incarnadine
That be-deck the bright famingO;
And the sunsets bushes linger
Mid the jewels that are clustered
In its cirelet opaline.
Oft a strange, sybillc splendor
On her brow, appeared to lend her
Gifts, and graces, more than human,
In angelic beauty drest =
Pure that brow as sunlit crystal,
Pure the eyes with passion vestal,
While the great true heart Of tc0Dldn
Beat within her noble breast.
When the dawnings crimson tinges
Light the sky, and lift the fringes
Laid like clouds Of dewy darkness
Over eyes Of darker night;
ROBBED in white, severe and simple,
Soft she glides within the Temple,
Orisons of love to offer
To the rising god Of light.
When are DER the Temples duties,
She will sit and shape cut beauties
In the FURNISHED clouds above her,
Thinking oracles to find;
Omens in the leafs low whisper,
And the birdling's song Of vesper,-
Hidden voices in tie rushing
Dithyrambics of the wind.
Gifts the chieftains brought to greet her,
The she-she-gwan Of the meeta
Sounded loud and the chi-chi-cois
Whirled they in the may dance;
But her sweet voice did not falter,
As she sung before the altar
Other love, for naught so earthly
Wins her calm, uplifted glance.
Then the Wind that R,lsSes' DER her
Breathed his signs Of love before her
Knelt tn "Un6ending Pine" with present
For royal maiden meet;
The "LOHs Cloud" in marriage sought her
And the Sounding Serpent brought her
Belts Of wampum, looking love-words
As he laid them at her feet.
All in vain "a spirit-bridal
Welded her unto an idol,
One who ruled the sky-whose image
She kept guarded in her breast;
She was pledged,--th sun-god's loe-loun, +
And her heart may not re-won;
So her tent stood like the japu's
Lonely, isolated nest.
When, with eye-besm ike the eagle,
And with spirit high and regal,
Comes the WOMAN TO redeem Us
From old Customs scourging rod?
In her nature deep, and real,
Shrining all our bright Ideal;
Who shall dare TO be a Sun-Bride,
Dare TO worship naught but God
When, oh when shall perfect Woman
This, our darkened sphere" Hummer
When our gods Of clay and gliding
To the earth, abhorred, be cast?
What shsll be the sign, and token,
That our idols old be broken,
And that Light alone We worship,
Oh thou bright Iconociast?
Type Of womanhood's completeness,
Yet retaining all the sweetness,
All the purity Of childhood -
Like the sunny bloom Of June
In the loveliest connection
Blending summers ripe perfection,
And the Spring times dewy freshness
In q sou, YET premium HoSAs
Though the years around thee cluster,
They bat bring increasing lustre
To the heart that still keeps tunefnl
All its sweetly sounding strings;
For each year is added dover,
Unto her whole pride and power,
Meier allowed earth's dust 70 gather
On her spirits snowy wings.
As the sun-Bride watched the marches
Other lover, up the arches
Ofthe morning, when his arrows
Pierced the giant mountains crest;
Tin Its wrinkled front, and hoary,
Dripped with crimson, gashed and CORY,
And thousand streams ensanguined
Rippled down its shaggy breast
Let us watch cur dim h0FiEon.--
Soon VII come sun, surprising
All the nations with his splendor,
Armed with arrows sharp aud strong,
To destroy the ghOst'y terrOrs,
And the hOary. beaded errors,
Long By Custom tFenehed and guarded.
In the moantain holds % Wrong.
As the sun AZ rising see-eth
Hos the cd moon-shasiow iee-eth,
Ike q spectre wan. and frighted
Ger thr western hias away,
80 shah Gee Tie lghss thas guide ~
Now, yet falsely hlind, and hide ~
Ffaw he true rlHhf reFxlAfiuu--
M0uahhoods pare, aPeFteci day y
azk0,--oF Yaso0, signifies he -hons Of he
E goae."
sin Il the Great sPiris,n