The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-03-07

Ye that our souls have love and lost
Forgive the tears We shed!
They blind us to your outssretched arms;
TRAsQuILLA.
From the Sunday Delta.
Genius and Misery, Etc.
5. S. PRENTIss.
Prof J. W. Ingraham, the we'll known and
popular author, has been contributing some
sketches lately to the Southern Field and Fire
side, Augusta, GA. In the course of these, he
describes visit to the grave of S. S. Prentiss,
at Natchez, Miss, and takes occasion to explain
the secret Of the unhappy and irregular life Of
that marvellous and neteoric genius. With
what glowing admiration and with what tender
sympathy Prof Ingraham touches the theme,
the subioined extract win show :
Emerging from romantic dell, we came
upon high road, which led us toa small
brick-enclosed cemetery, haIfhidden by shrub
berry. We had inquired for Premises grave,
and we were told we should find it within
this quiet enclosure, wherein three or foar
ancient-looking moss grown tombs were yisi-
bic, half-obscured by vines. The iron gate
W - lOChCQ.
way through matted grass and tangled creepers
steod before the upright slab of white marble
which marked the resting place of the great
Orator. | barred my head in the presence of
the mighty dead for, with all his infrmities,
Prentiss was the peerof the greatest intellects
of his age. Justice has not yet been done to
his noble character. His errors are all refera-
bic to his physical infrmity. He was lame
very lame, and had been so from his birth
When he grew to boyhood, sensitive, and
talented, and ambitious, he felt keenly his
lameness; and wept over deformity which,
in his own mind, degraded him in the presence
of his school-mates. Early he learned to
taste the bitterness OF an ambitious and lofty
spirit, feeling physical inferioIity while he was
proudly conscious of intellectual superiority
When he became a man, his painful sensitive
ness to his lameness led him to withdraw
himself from all female society. Under the
cloud Of his morbid feelings, he fancied woman
scorned him. He felt humbled and degraded
in her presence. The barb thus ranked ever
in his heart. He did not know till long after
wards, when lovely woman gave him her
heart and hand, that true women is interes-
ted more by the splendor of mind In man than
symmetry Of person that beautiful women
look rather to the intellect and are dazzled
By it, no matter how plain the casket.
For thirteen years of his earlier manhood
he refused introduction to ladies'. Such was
the sensitiyeness of this proud nature He
well knew his own intellectual powers, and,
knowing them, he dispised more and more his
mfrm body, and believed that all others did.
Yet his face was WONDERFULLY handsome. His
head was large and noble and grand in outline.
His smile was beautiful His powers of con-
yersation were imperial and unapproachable.
Yet constantly feeding upon his own morbid
emotions, he despised himself He felt (ike
some mighty angeAt1 = hsN bound to a body
that lacked the full and per It impress of his
kind. This one, uncomfortable idea was never
absent from him. Once an injudicious friend,
indiscreet with wine, said, "Prentiss, what
made you lame p
Mr.. Prentiss turned upon him whitening
look Of scorn. hatred and contempt, and an
sEeredin hoarse and terrible whisper, before
which the other trembled
CO.'S catrss. SIR p 1--s
--]1hen, turning his back upon him, with q
lip tremulous from unfathomable feeling, he
covered his flce with his hands, administering
to his chamber, cast himself upon his bed in
q paroxysm Of bitter weeping. Who could
not pity such man Who shall wonder,
oh, uncharitable PhaIisee, that he sought relief
at the gaming board, stalking thousands reck-
lessly upon card or in the intoxication of
the wine-cnp? He gambled not for money ;
he drank not from love of strong drink; but
to escape the pressure of damning thought
The sight of this infirm limb at times would
drive the proud nan to fierce despair What
cared he for the sots who hocked about him
and drank at his expense They were his
tools. He made use Of them to help him
drown reflection. They drank for sensual
thirst of drink he, to quench the fires of
thought He despised them. Not one dared
take familiarity with him He who spoke
to him lightly of his lameness was-unforgyen
by him for eyermoret
Who viii fling the stone? Who will con-
denim Who can judge him, who was never
IN his place What mind can conceive the
intellectual and moral torture of this prou1
brilliant genius, going through life hating his
own form, and stunning, for years, Gods
greatest and best gift to man, from sense O.
selfdegradation in woman's presence
No, Justice has not been done to this great
and wondcfai man. He was not understood
by but few Of his nearest friends-never bs
his booa-nonspa1ions. They fancied he was
such q one as themselves, when he lowered
above them like a prince, and despised them
like god. His own brother, who wrote hi:
life in two Volumes, did not at all compre
bend his true character, and has unaware1
left false and unjust impression Of him upon
the minds of his readers.
Even the grave lifts up its voice in echo o.
the vulgar opinion which classes him with or.
binary inebriates and reckless gamesters II
was with pain read the inscription upon the
headstone !; it IS with sorrow copy it. l give
It below
HIf thou, Lord, shOuds. mark iniquity, who shall
stand
But there is forgiveness With thee that Thou may
est be feared
S. s. RENTISS,
BORN AT PORTLAND, MAINE,
SEPr. Both, 1908.
Departed
THIS LIFE
AT
NATCHEZ.
July 1850.
Had not the Holy Bible some other verses
than these bitter ones We are all sinners;
but why should this man be held up, thus as a
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