Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-03-17

she nleS.
Give me friends to love me not a palace of
old,
Where draPeries sweep in bright crimson
stained fold;
hich IN frescoes and gildings, with paintings
Where the sweetest perfume may be filling
the air,
And the tinkle of fountain in melody falls
Echoing themusic from its ivy wreathed halls
No! l crave not such charms, but turn glad
ly away,
To the love light that illumines life's devious
way.
Give me friends to love me and a home
full of joy,
Where kindest thoughts ever the souls harp
strings employ
A hearthstone of gladness, where our children
may come,
To deck memory's walls with scenes ofhome,
sweet home:
That the bleak world they find upon man
hoods full prime,
May but freshen to beauty throughout every
cline,
When the breathings of prayer shall sustain
the faint soul,
Till she break unto praise that shall cease
lessly roll.
Give me friends to love me let me live by
their side,
Whispering oft of joys that to earth are de-
MED
Let me pillow my head on one faithful breast.
AS the wing-broken dove seeks her leaf bow
er'd nest.
In joy or in sorrow, how secure if | find
That strength-breathing power to bright
Heaven allied;
Radiant still as | tread the banks of deaths
river,
Since love shall be mine in bright Heaven
forever. LORA.
The closing remarks of "LoRA's" beau
tiful letter, given above, brings to mind a
scathing crihque by Mrs. NJ. E. Bryan, a
sister Editress in Georgia-whose criticism
though severe, was evidently kindly inten-
ded, and should be so received by every
lady desiring to write for the Press, and be
benefited thereby. She is speaking of the
;. many female correspondents that every pa
:. per has nowadays, and says:
"Many of these write, not from the
promptings of genius, but from a vain de-
or perhaps from the want of employment
better suited to their ability. They write
u crude, unfinished articles, with no redeem.
y ing originality-mere shreds and patche.
&; that their memories or their scrap-book
|. have retained, and finding encouragement
I from the too lenient press, they ~continu'
: to write thus, without any desire or at
T. tempt at improvement. 1t is this mis-
II placed l~eniency that fosters the brood c
y. flat, insipid and mediocre writers, who hav
- considerably lowered the standard of per
odical literature in our country.
NC Even where they have talent, and per
haps genius, our young aspirants for litert
To- ry honors are in too great haste to hav
- their names appear in print-to become
as they fondly imagine, distinguished-fc
them to attain that success only to be wo
:, by patient study and practice. Pope say
>" very aptly, that
"True ease in writing comes by art, III
q As those move easiest, who have learned
- dance"
NJ, A lady once complimented Moore on tt
Ell, unstudied ease of his verse, and quoted
eal particular couplet which seemed to hay
flowed from his pen without effort or pr
- yious thought.
eI, madame" replied the poet, 'that vel
NJ couplet you mention cost me a weeks ]
VA Dor" One of our best female writers, Il
popular author of Fashion and Famine
did not venture upon publication until col
'N paratively late in life.
al She had written only for her own il
AT. provement and diversion, until the failu
of Fer husband, when wishing, with TT
wifely and womanly feeling to aid him
his struggles, she had recourse to her pr
The first article written for publication, S
cir. submitted to the revisal of the best critic
and reviewer that America has ever know
Sd He reviewed it carefully-drew his p
across whole sentences and returned it "
an. the advice, that she would read and stuC
get, but not touch pen TO paper in literary co
O., position within a year. She was not {
couraged-no true genius, who felt wit
them "the STRINGS of a gift divine" wo
slc( have been, at the first failure.
lset She followed his counsel to the lett
]it, with what success the whole reading D
,l+b, lie can testify.
Miss Edgeworth. although in the h.
uur Of writing from childhood, published M
theft ing until she was almost a middle-aged
boui man.
tho If our aspiring Young writers would
az serve something of this modesty and
"S spect for the public, we should find fe
I" half-inished productions crowding the
jectaf umns of our periodicals.
chih. -
orld, Here we have the Poets dream Of
= Phantom Ship" of life which tn,
dreamy, yet how real to the waking 81
~ Of stern reality. The lines are beautiful
mirror forth the fate of many a baroue 0
ltempestous sea of life:
To Mrs. N. R. T., of SOUTHAMPTON Co
vine Once gazing in a waking dream.
,'wine Down the far vista of the past
49, saw, as in a mirror glass'd,
The flowing of a mystic stream.
* moi On whose smooth waters seemed to
The shapes of many dear to me:
of mI And things departed seemed to be
Restored upon that silver tide,
wv card Which flowing onward to the sea
Tmaund tho cfraop, sc