The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-04-07
The Mystical Rose; or, Mary OF
Nazareth.

ten by one of our Vermont authors. Miss
Abby Hemingway. and just issued by D.
Appleton and Co., n. Y. The subject OF
the poem, Mary of Nazareth, is one hither-
to untouched by the poet, and Miss Hem
ingway treats it with much freshness and
originality. 1t is beautiful collection of
''pious allegories," legendary and tradition
al history of the Virgin Mary, and those
intimately connected with her, woven into
pleasing. tender and devotional poetry. 1t
is book that will not be likely to captvate
the lovers of light reading, neither will it
be appreciated by a first casual peruSal. 1t
is like good picture: that which pleased
at first will grow more pleasing the more it
is studied. Although the chapters are not
of equal merit, and the effect is sometimes
injured by the too frequent use of compound
words, still there are passages of great
beauty.
Taken as whole. the book will not re-
mind the reader of anything he has ever
read; yei there are passages that remind
one of various authors. Here is one on the
chap. on " Cottage building which sounds
much like Longfellow:
| "WhO is he that frames the cottage.
| Dreams beside the pool of lilies.
! In the shadow of the palms.
| And who names the name of Mary?
/ Is he worthy? Is he worthy?
He who wedS the rose of Jesse.
Pure should be in flesh and spirit,
| He should be more saint than human
More al angel than man.
Here is passage where the wise men in
search of the infant Saviour, approached
the stable and heard
''The singing that drifted in sweetness
! From within to without
Forgetting the costly offering they had
brought, they paused at the entrance and
-" Held their very breath,
Silent as the pulse of death,
Till the sweet. ETHEREAL lay
! Melted in the air away.
Then with foot unsandled, bare.
With uncovered hOary hair,
Reverent crossed the corridor.
Stood entranced upon the floor,
All their souls with wonder laden.
Gazing on that Blessed Maiden
On whose velvet bosom Law
Lowest born of human clay
Here is passage at the death of Joseph
1t is mastery picture worthy even of Poe
1.-The death-candle it is lighted
! In the cot on Nazareth hill:
Never burned death-taper, never bright a:
there;
LO, an angel stands unseen, but standing
Feeding slow the flame, murmuring as ht
feeds,
Joseph! Just Joseph! Joseph the Just!
Asleep on the bier,
Hands folded gravely, eyes closed deeply
Long snOw-beard drifting Silly over tht
breast,
Over the winding sheet;
Mary and Jesus kneeling there;
The light from the death-candle, lamben
and soft,
Falling over the bier and its watchers,
Praying there till the dawn,
The angel still feeding the flame.
Murmurlng the silent prayers between,
Joseph! just Joseph! Joseph the just.
The women of wailing come
Disma and slow;
The funeral women come with the daWn-
Locks dishevelled and torn, covered Will
ashes,
Garments of sack-cloth and sorrow, trailing
and rent
Come forgetting to weep.
n strange calm over faces distorted ant
! weird.
The swallow twitters sweet from his mes
meath the caves,
The brown bees hum mid the flowers at tn
door,
And honey bird hovers over vase of lille
at the head of the bier;
Nature may sing when a saint Journey
! home"
Even if the book was not SO well writ
ten the subject is one that should plac
f it in every family library. Our advice
that if you are in quest of books of mer
buy the Mystical Rose and read it.
F. B. G.