The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-06-26
Homes Of Genius.

Genius is no aristocrat. She doe,
not seek marble PALACES or turfeted cas-
ties to dwell with, king or noble but
loves rather to inger in the humble
home of the peasant, among the pool
and lowly. OF course there are eEcep
tions to this, as to every other rule, and
many of the rich and titled have become
famous, but generally the favorites Of
genius are those who have no long line
Of ancestors to look back upon with
pride, no Golfer whose golden contents
are never exhausted.
One of the trials, coming hand in
hand with the fame and success which
ever attend men and women of genius,
is the curiosity of the world. fheil
private life mnst be fully ufifolded to
Che public gaze, and they patiently Oh
not, must sub1Iit to the ride scrutiny.
This curiosity, to some extent, Belongs
to every one we all have a desire to
know what Shakespeare did when a boy,
what he said and how he acted if Mil
ton was happy in his home life if Mo
Fart ever quarreled If Michael Angelo
ate and drank like other men, and q
thousand other similar questions pre-.
sent themselves to every mind while
thinking OF the lives of the greAt and
famous.
We should not seek to raise the veil
which shields home from envious out
siders but since it has been already
uplifted, there surely can be no impro-
priety in taking peep beneath.
In an old-fashioned country village,
among the hills of Yorkshire, stands q
quiet parsonage. where dwelt the author
of "Jane Eyre" The house is of gray
stone, strongly rooted with flags in or.
der to resist the winds which sweep
fiercely across the fnooflands. The
church is on one side, the school
house on the other, while the purple
moors stretch far away beyond. Undei
the windows of this parsonage grew q
few plants, hardy ones, for such only
could endure the cold and rigorous
climate.
In this dreary and desolate place
lived, wrote, and died, that woman OF
true genius, Charlotte Bronte. The
bad roads cut off all communication
with the surrounding country. and all
the intellect and education of the Bronte
family were far superior to their neigh
bors; their lives, one might say, were
bounded by the home circle. Their
father spending all of his time in his
study, the mother On invalid confined to
her room. the brother and sisters early
learned to depend upon themselves.
After the death of her mother and two
elder children, Charlotte supplied their
place to her younger aisters, and the
cares incident upon such position
caused her to become old and thought
full beyond her years. Such were the
home and circumstances of Courier
Bell" and both had their influence
upon her works and character. The
bleak, cold winds infused some of their
own vigor and strength into her writ
ings, the purple heath some of its fra
GRANGE and beauty; her isolated position.
SO unusual for q young girl, gave her an
originality and freedom of thought that
has made her famous. Yet, when we
think of her small circle of acquaint-
ances, it seems truly wonderful that
one, thus situated, could have given to
the world works of such thrilling inter-
est and power as "Jane Eyre, Evil
1ette, and Shirley
The home of Mrs. Browning, one OF
the worlds favorite poets, was in Eng
land, but more beloved than her native
soil was the land under 1talia's sunny
skies. For Italy's freedom she wrote
and prayed, and it is truly fitting that
the last home of this "soul of fire en-
closed in shell of pearl should be in
beautiful Florence.
"where olive orchards CLEAN and culver
Along the banks of Amos river"
she now sleeps, with the bright Etruscan
roses bending over her, and the sweet
music of the golden river to sing her
requiem. ---
4 clay-built cabin in Ayrshire was the
birthplace of Scotland's greatest poet,
Robert Burns. He was simple peas
ant boy, but, nevertheless, genius had
endowed him with that immortal fire
which 80 few possess. He deserted the
plough for the pen, and the Scottish
rustic became the renowned poet. His
fame, however, brought him no pros
perity feasted and lattered for time
he was soon neglected andforgotten, and
died in obscurity and poverty.
That genius is not always so tickle
and cruel to her favorites, is shown by
che life of Washington Irving. His lest
days were spent in his Beautiful resi-
dence, Sunnyside, on the banks of the
Hudson, where the
Soil is rich with Fancy's geld,
And stirring memories OF CID.
and around which, cluster historical
stories and romantic legends.
There seems now to be ringing in our
ears the familiar strains of Home,
Sweet Home :" and we think of its
author, who never experienced the de-
lights and comforts of which he sings,
never knew what it was to have a home.
A wanderer all his life, he died at last in
a foreign land but We wish that all men
and women of genius, be their homes
in poverty or in wealth, SO lived that it
could be said of them as of John How
ard Payne =
True, when the gentle spirit fled
To realms beyond the azure dome,
With arms outstretched, Gods angle said,
Welcome to heavens Home, sweet Homo.
CuprNrAnu nv GOrvroN A cOrraa-