, 1874-10-04
PLEASANT MEMORIES CT HISS EDNA DEAN
PROCTOR.

in tie lingering edGies TINT are Etill whirling
! aboyo ono OF the greatest mora! shipwrecls OF
the age, must be 7 matter Of much surprise to
those who have known Miss Edna Dean
Proctor through the sweet grace OF her pen.
But that = life 60 exalted, 80 characterized by
all the best attributes of womauhood, 30
peacefully and pleasantly anchored, il the mid
day OF its popularity, mid the wcll-carncd ec-
curty Of in.<lliScn. eocicty. influential friend,
and admirers, should bc caught in the round Of
these eddics, and drawn down till compelled 10
cry: Help" from the 1ax, is matter Of ave and
c12azcmcilt to these rho have known Mss Proc
tor iu person.
Years aga Owecty OR more, pcrhape,) met
Mss Proctor Il. the Residence OF friend, a few
miles distant from CINCINNATI, whcro I had
gono IL spend short echool-vacation.
she Was engaged ut that .ine in teaching m1,si :
in Cincinnati, and, like myself, lad como to sAis
plea=an. ccuatry-homo for C. little sca,on OF
rest.
ILo few days of delightful intercourse With
this brilliant, beautiful yoa=s woman 1o1m one
OF the cca:e5l aud t:lgn:cat raroelec.;ou Of an
Incvc:iscsi ra.t.
Miss P.cc or IVES 10. ut that ti.ae known as q
writer, but W:y Gay 4 Ioor: hinEc yol1nS girl,
who had co21o Wtst III search uf cmp!oyl1leut.
g:nse.y Of fields, for music WAS 4 mere ''sile-
s!!J, III Tic Cincinnati glrl education in those
d.s;7- Her l.Logs weto uos crowned vita 2uy
particular SUCCESS, AID she SOON returned to her
Eas;e!'n home, and engaged G.; Gorerncss Cf
:.,!*saLo mott in Alr Eeccacr's family io1 tlsne
1icr Lent for writing Eoou lei her ialo other
lieaaa:4tcr PATHS end sio rapidly to d:silur
tiu:l III tie literary field
IL speaking Ut Hiss Proctor as be.ut;lui
womai, mean it il tho mos. corDyc!cuslyc
-hrrI3i1r jnfptrrfua rts-t1+
ly! l!cr eyes We're large aEd DIRK, and the most
cAanSclp!o eyes in tilo world Answering in
quick sacccs=inn, i'll u.:mi=sa:ssb!e sis.:a. c.c!
impulse Of her lears: COW deep. E:ili, aad ten
danciaS and merry. Her hair uas dark, g;os9:
and plentiful, u;:ti, WON in y simple ''frcnc.
twist" ttAo fashion Of tnc ta3). showed CT to
sued Advantage Ae7 thaDeiy Gsad. Her
mouth. taouya leraa;:s Eos . little, pucterel-
up rose-bujoN=s good, c5inior:ab'e nsut:,,
tc -c,tncss OF wilo.e iina showed in bcauti-
It'll contrast villa Ler perfect set OF
cleaning, "l'ito teeth. Her complexion was
liz: su@A :8 to sI5,Tr4st diet Of '1ose3 top7ed
IN SILVER GcH =" Ter cheek wore not the pu2-ly
p'Ea Of seasi2cl.s, but was soft. roUas aad
Uliyo with eyer-rcaiy diurle cr tMo, that
ios med nvi,ing little cups to catch tho drops
that fell from her soulful eTes III her sudden
transitions from tca-s 10 ulir,..; for Miss Proc
tor was pcrfec: A"rl day, AID vcrt Or
lau3hed Ct tho vii It her SURROUNDINGS. But
her peculiar charm lay noe iu her c-:ngeful
tscs. Lcr itch hair, her lovely mouth. or Le-
graceful, s:l! .l-liAc figure; 52s il: the Eost
angular, musical rosco that c;cr l.c.:cd
E@1uan. / tan ncvcr forge: atr !cau'ilul rcc;.1!
OF Edgar T. Ioea - Slice! c-.' ca:4 a.Eort hear
the echo lf tAusc sta;az.s co-:l::.: tsow1a - mo
now, over tho ItnS stretch c: y<i:s t!l:.- hare
s.clcn IL ''tEixt :.o;s a:.u :i:4:i:
And softly dripping. dro, !:- drop,
1rou the quiet nlo.i4t::u-t7n,
s,tais dsontiiy suu zu,ls:c1!.J
Inso the universal valley.
Whonoycr, in later years. hsyc cEancod t;25n
this poem, 1t has called up the memory OF ti.a:
brief bat pleasant visit. wi.cn I1;Se!f, and
o.Lc;s equally cnanorti OF t,i:ss I7octor's
gc,.ius anu beauty, sat the bright, ample ti.es
out, Until l=:e into I'll: nJSa:s, listening to
her rcc:a!s vi ycrEc, so1g, ard sentiment, from
the most popular authors, of Which her mind
sarz.1cI i Vas. .al c,Eaus.!css s.o.caouso. How
iiain@y can SEQ her :'ow, as sAo G.t ia the
tickle dance O.: the :rei:c.::, n Ec- nc.t-tit:lus
blue merlno dress, vita starry Nnite crysai4-
tEcu.uUl tucked E1iec tho ve!vet-b2nd that
sian,ed Lcr round head. :od another at
her belt viii her delicate, wLito Lands
cl2spcd, III real Sill-ssslion. over her ance aud
Swinging to and tro in tho 10" willow rocking
chair her speaain: eyes upIilted. If following
her non! up into tho regions Of mourolul
,ninstrelsy OF happy song. lis true saw her
Through the unprscticed eyes of \ very young
girl. aud sue WIS tle ye,y embodiment Of beauty
to ne, fs2a The cEssanthernun over lcr brow t,
the very too If h:E little morocco-sliprcr. Du.
the memory is ~ lair to no to-day ca she original
Of that night.
In manner, 2:ia. Proctor wss warm aud cor
dial, without tee ulishtcni anl'rcsch to familiar
lily. Few Young girls, 80 SooI~louhiog. 50 alive
with impulse. 80 alone, entilely without pre-
ccdent, could tl.ve borne themselves j;l.coua-
II, or have left behind them i memory so sweet
null blaul"Eess, as Miss Edna Dean Proctor wien
shs left Cincinnati. In justice to that sweet,
pleasant memory, and to right this gifted woman
IN the estimation OF those VINO only know her
through the recent disastrous mention of Ter
na1ne IN various newspapers, offer this faithful
little picture Of her as she was years ago.
We have been widely separated since then. but
I have not lost sigh. OF her; and mitch or her
subsequent life has been made known to me Ly
ul1cnlable authority
WIKI vorshi.f full love for genius, and 4 soul
finely and nicely att7ncl to Ell tia. III beautiful
and exalted in Nature or AK. ono csz readily
understand 3[,ss Iroctora ready appreciation for
that talent which could sway the multitude, or
bring ,lesa aHIsreciatire world it's knees
but thar she should worship tic man, the physi
ca1 mar. ID out OF all llkeepiEg with Miss I7Uctors
proycriial Eeculiaritics. There is not grain or
atom OF anything III her nature to Slyo hack Gn
echo to any appeals carna1 in character.
How stran%o tina. her little budget OF ;'Bacch- |
crisms. which Uas such . tender. graceful conf
p;iment to hor pastor and friend, aud which has
formed no small stone i'll the masonry (oata AZ
home and abroad) that has upiiftcd him to
stone that was CAST at her t
! knew Miss Proctor at llor most family age;
when impulse was unsclloolel; Ehcn tho blood
UaB riotous with youth when the emotions were
yet justified by the cooling hand Of tlnlo; wien
nature most yielding aad imrresabo; and
yet an angel could not have been moro inan-
proachab!o. There was never : word, a look, tho
repetition Of i questionable septiment, or tho
slightest cosni:ntce Of irdeliCate illusion, TO
b-oken any in,p:'ri:y OF heart, and I feel that
to-ttay those hands are sinlcss ard white as
y hen they lay over her lap, in tae old /
gir!ieh way, on that evening in tho |
pleasant lo:g ago. Sctions thought .nd sober |
years spent in Christian huusehoIe:s in The tr.n-
ing Of children. OF II literary labors, conld only
1avo fostered the good Of her being; for how |
could g strcam 30 pure at its fountain. that has
,h&I,nnlca its courre through the sweet, clean
fields CT only pure AMI lofty Thought. have caught
he sta;us from the Filth CT tie fen end tho !
uoor2
:. tangled ne. Of strange circumstances hos
allen ebout d f,cautifut and useful life, wflcse
ntricaclcs pray the deft hands OF TIC Law may
oon unravel. and restore to 7Ee u1nroscu tic
ID idol Of la7 e:rlllood's worship.
Nus. C. L. ST.. J.
Il Letter frn.;a LoN!s Ro1sIsfsa.
/ letter froc, II. Lcris Kosac.h Oh the etua-