Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-28

THE RISING POETEss OF THE SOUTH
Miss MoLLIE f. MOoRE.-The late wsr
not only brought forth the south in her
proper light before the world, as 8 chiv-
alric people, capable Of sustaining any
sacrifice for patriotism, but proved her to
be the land of song and poesy. The
country of flowers and sunshine, Of ro-
mantle dales and majestic rivers-the
home of all that is good in bravery and
lovely in beauty-and, immortalized by
her war ballads, for a country without
songs is like a wOman without smiles.
In our war poetry we were far ahead of
the north. Some of their best reviewers
have acknowledged this; but our object
is to bring more prominently before the
public one Of the sweetest poetesses Of
our southland. We have, as q people,
yet had but few opportunities to make
our s~ong-birds known, for we have
lacked those facilities that our northern
Deighbor5 hsve-cheap literature but
the day is not far distant when we shall
be able to compete with them, even in
this matter. Among the many famous
song-birds of the south, such as Mrs.
Clarke (Tenellsl, Margaret J. Preston,
Fanny Downing, L. Virginia French,
Rosa Vertner Johnson, Annie Cham
bers Ketchum, Catharine NJ. Warield,
Maria IACost and others. One star is
rising with effulgent light from the
clone sta" state, to take its place be-
side, if not to rise above, the bright con
stellation we have naned-we mean
Mollie f. Moore, of Texas. She is
already recognized in her state as the
first among the foremost disciples
Of the muses.. There is a vigoT
in her thoughts, q pathos in her
expression, a melody Of rythm,
a richness of language, and a facility and
fidelity of rhyme, that are not surpassed,
and have been bestowed upon few of her
contemporaries. This is saying q great
deal, but nothing more than she de-
serves. She has acquired this at an age,
too, when she can scarcely be considered
to have matured her thoughts to those
grander purposes, which she will attain
If she lives, and does not allow fattery,
the natural enemy Of talent like hers, to
spoil her future career. The subject of
our sketch il yOung-younger than her
would lead one to believe; but as
a lady's age is a piece Of imperti-
nenoe we do not wish to father, we will
say, she is scarcely upon the
90 fence of her teens.n She is a native Of
Alabama, and while she was quite
young, her family moved to the young
state of Texas, first residing in San Mar
and afterwards in Smith county. 1t
was here that she published her first
effort, in II of the local papers, at the
age Of "sweetsixteen." Her talent soon
attracted attention, and her poems COM
menced to be copied and commented on
by the leading journals of the state.
Among the press the Houston Telegraph
was one of the first to discover that the
Of Mollie +. Moore was not of the
ordinary kind, and managed to secur
her rs a regular contributor, a monopoly
was held until 1866. This
was one OF the greatest errors
she ever made. such talent as hers
should have burst the bounds of Houston
and sought a channel that would have
reached the entire reading public Of the
south. She aided to build the paper, bat
her reputation as a great writer wa re-
.arded yet, genius, like sunshine, is
bound TO burst through the clouds, and
hers is just beginning to become na-
.ional. But if Miss Moore has talent she
has charms that are equally as valuable
TO her. She is in every sense Of the word
a perfect lsdy-free from OstentatiOn and
without any Of that affectation that
the unbalanced mind. She pos
sesses those qualities which endesr her to
al who are worthy Of her esteem. She
mas remarkable powers Of conversation,
being very entertaining, yet so modest
hat she does not seem to feel the charm
IF her own genius. A true southern girl,
The gloried in all the lauFels won by the
louth and wrote songs to immortslize
1ur heroes. Such is the sweet song-bird
If the southwest and the rising poetess
IF the south. We have written Of her
and now to the test, We have
not at our command the selections we
ihould like to make from her pOesy, but
give one Of her most stirring battle
,des, Lee at the Wilderness" 1t has
he fire Of Tennyson's "ChRrge Of the
Light Brigade" and rings in the senses
ike a battle cry Of triumph
Z At THE WILDERNESS,