The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-11

CROWDED Iall, or listening TO the trump
of deathless fame" she would not claim
one thought:
But when the busy crowd is gone,
And brightly on the western sky
Tho changeful sunset hues are thrown =.
Oh, wilt thou thither turn thine eye
And send one gentle thought to her
Whose spirit ever turns to thine,
Like Persia's idol worshiper,
Or Moslem to his prophets shrine p
The correspondence continued thro'-
out the year, growing more and more
interesting. The gay badinage ceased
and was succeeded by earnestness on
both sides. Though still preserving
her incOgnitd, and shielded by her as
sumed name, we find the lady growing
timid as the poet grows ardent in his
protestations of admiration and esteem.
Atone time she says: every step that
I have made in your acquaintance. has
increased my timidity. With a reckless
laugh 1 flung my first offering on the
current of accident, little thinking it
would ever bring me back tears and
smiles, anxious thoughts and fevered
Dreams" Toward the end of the year
she intimates that the terms of her priv
ilege will soon expire, and that the cor
respondence must close. The poet re-
plies, urging its continuance, and speak
ing of the happiness it has afforded
him, and the desire to know her per-
sonally. She replies 81 certainly
did suppose [ had written to Mr.. Hal
leck for the last time but you know
before I confess it that am but too
happy to be convinced by your profound
logic that it is not only my privilege
but my duty to respond. Your witty
assumption of your extensive privilege
has delivered my wOman's pride from
'the bastile of q word, for whose ada
mantine bars, perhaps, / have not shown
a proper reverence" After the inter-
change of few more letters, the poet
announces his intention of seeking the
home of his fair correspondent, and
meeting face to face the lady whom, as
"ElIen Campbell" he has learned to
highly esteem. This proposal filed
Miss Flanner with dismay. Remem-
bering that she had commenced the &C
quaintauce, she reflected that tacit
agreement to the poets visit would
place her in the character of wOoer. An
ardent admirer of Halleck's poems,
nothing could have afforded her more
pleasure than to have met him, bat under
not encourage his coming. Her reply
was posted at Washington, whittier she
had sent it in care of a relative, and to
that address the poets subsequent let
tiers were addressed. She eluded all
his efforts to discover her identity, and
remained to him always "Au Ellen of
the mind" pa being of the air." They
never met; a wealth of possible happi-
ness was left untouched.
For him the aloe never bloomed.
She married late in life, a man her
equal in station, but her inferior in
natural gifts and IN culture. Whether
her brief married life was congenial
and happy we do not know. The leaves
of this part of her heart-history We may
not turn. We can but wonder if she
whose thoughts found such natural
expression in poetry, never, in looking
back over the years of the past, re.
peated to herself the lines by Owen
Meredith
"Whom first We love you know we seldom
Time changes all, and life, indeed, is not
4he thing we planned it out ere hope was
But then, we women cannot choose our lot.
7imight have been,-ab, what, dare not
think.
We are all changed. God judges for US best,
God help us do our duty and not shrink,
And trust in heaven humbly for the rest"
,. The poet, in writing to a friend on
the subject, years afterwards, alludes
to her as "the heroine of one of my
life's most cherished romances, whose
memory has heretofore been numbered
among the dearest of inconsiderable
Joys" and mentions his exceeding
grief and disappointment at being
unable to obtain further clue to her
identity.
Miss Abbie FIanner, at the time of
her correspondence with Fitz- Greene
Halleck, was about twenty three years
of age. She is described by one who
knew her then SIS tall, slender and
graceful, with cordial and engaging
manners. She had bright, hazel eyes,
attractive features, and a peculiarly
sweet smile. When silent and thought
full, her face wore a pensive, sad ex-
preston, but when engaged in CONVEX
sation it lighted up with animation and
Intelligence. She was exceedingly SEN
sitive. When her feelings were
wounded she would put her hand to
came trickling between her white fin
gers. She had unusual mental gifts,
was a fine conversationalist, and the
queen of the circle in which she moved.
The necessarily brief extracts from
her letters given here afford little idea
of her talent and culture.
Her family belonged to the Society of
Friends, or Quakers. She had two
brothers and three sisters. The broth
ers were both eminent physicians-the
eldest died of cholera when the disease
was prevailing at Pittsburg. She lived
but year after her marriage. Her
death was marked by that peace and
perfect trust which characterizes the
last hour of a christian.
Above and back of the Ohio river is a
bluff commanding a wide view of the
surrounding country and the misty blue
hills of Virginia. Here, beneath the
Swallowing tree, in whose branches the
birds sing al day long, is the grave of
Abbie Flanner.
Graen ba the turf ebOve fbee