The Winchester home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-28
'Wind Whispers and Mrs. l.. Vir.
ginia French.
BY AMANDA.

"'Ci o'" t"c pcuhlllul lONc' SOlb tlhl uOHl
ed out'from its joy:lqden bosom, when W,
first gaZed between the folded leaves
and read the wild witching beauties o
i"Wind Whispers" Alone we wandered
out meath the moons soft light, the price
less volume pressed closely between our
fingers, and having found low seat away
in u sheltered nook in the garden, we hid
onrsoIf in the twiIight's dusky shadows,
and opening the leaves of our treasure,
every passionate feeling of our nature
soon became absorbed in the sentiments
OF the sweet singing Spring Bird. The
dazzling moonlight was our candle, and
the spirit Of a very sweet emotion brooded
between the lids Of our heart. book we
read. Mary joyful tidngs have been
winged to US on the balmy breczes Of the
South, but none, | wcen, which could
have caused the great heart Of Tennessee,
and her sister States, to thrill with deep.
cr happiness, than when Mrs. French's
"Wind Whispers were waited like a
blessing to our homes.
Among the many rare and beautiful 20
ems that appear in "Wind Whispers"
we scarcely know which to select as the
most exquisite. Each has for US an in.
lrInsIc eXcelencc--grand, gorgeous and
thrilling, just as the subject would de.
mand. In the Wasted Heart there is q
sweet anl moumIul beauty of thought,
delicate conception, and kind Of ire.
s'stlblc dreaminess Of expression, that
sets the heart signing that listens 10 its
melody. Aul there, too, are those dia.
moni thoughts, together with an unpar
aIIeIeI Imagination, in the Spirit Lovers
and the Spirit Bridal Each sentence
in those rare gems steals npon the soul in
its dreamy moments like the music. chime
of falling waters, and fills it full Of beau
ty. And who that has read the'Lost Lou.
isiana,' can ever forget the sweeping elo.
qnence and graphic delneations Of her
pictures, in that thrilling story, when the
flaming ship wrostled with the waves?-
The 'Lyre OF Timo' is as sublime as HER
soul was when she wrote t-and then
that sweet piece to 'Amelia'-how love
hgr for singing the praises of that beau.
tiIuI heartmlnslrel. Our inmost spirits
tell Us how dceyly WE love her; but Mrs.
French, in her own sweet way, tells the
world how exquisite was the music Of
our lost Bird. ... ..G
We read the 'lron Horse many years
ago, but there is such wild, daring beau.
ty in the language of the song that we
rarely ever turn the leaves of this beau.
tiIul volume but our eye rests upon that
page. Any one who reads her 'Ghouls'
will never forget the quaint and weird
like character Of the story. |, haunted
us long after we read it, aud shows, we
think, more lofty and excited imagina.
ton than any other poem that appears in
her whole work. The Beautiful South
flashes with the patriotic feelings of her
soul' and its laughter. laden music "slides
along like a joy.going wave" DER the
fountain of our hearts, as we read it,
The South! bright, glorious, flower. burst.
ing South! is the beautiful home of our
Star We are proud of her dazzling
light, and 6 lory in her achievements. But
We had almost forgotten to mention our
pet-poem, those exquisite stanzas, My
Lide.' How sweet was the music of her
love toned Lyre, when she sung Of that /
''love Of a Lde!' An angel must have |
written with the point Of a dipmond pen,
ell, on the purest leaf of her heart book, |
when those witching strains swept out
from the bosom Of her Harp. She must
have strung it while sitting on the moss.
covered bank Of the river Of the past,
with the sunlight Of beautiful affection
cleaning amid its waters; for its breath
ngs are relolcnt with the fragrance of
thousand spring. budding emotions. Alb,
now we would love to be that sweet sis.
cr Lide,' that we might fold her to our
BOSOM, and murmur with proud, deep
Worship, 'aINEn
Mrs. Frcnch's fancy is unrivalIed inits
'Plendor, and her conception Of subject
always Of that fascinating kind that viii.
lers the listener with its wildness. Her
spirit is at once bold and independent,
and vet often gentle and dreamy as that