Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-02-09
BOOK NOTICES.

|
in accordance With lis recommendation.
BOOK NOTICES..
= Virginia BOOK OF Poems.
MISSION OF SONG.
''ctc has holy mission !, it is hers
70 speed u'er every Land, and cline, and race
| And rescue from Oh irlon, change sid years,
The noble ard sublime of every age and place.
| When marble falls and cruMbes into dust,
Sougliving song, shall guard with care hcf trust"
Page l0l.
"HEARr LIFE IN Song" is the appropriate
title OF volume Of poems just issued By Turn
bull Brothers, publishers. Bal imoro, from the
pen Of Miss Fannie II Mari, Of Warrenton,
Fsuouier county, Va. Miss Mari is evidently
new risen star in the poetic ornament where
arc shining so many fixed and burning lights.
She has been sent u the South on the mission OF
song SC beautifully announced by her II: The
lines placed AT the head of this article, and we
| trust the Southern people, or ut lest the South
ern soldiers, ''if the sleepy Grcnch of that for
gettui lake benumb not still, will recognize
and adolt the inspired prie=tcss who comes t"
us il. obedience to u divine impulse lc emtody
| in The everlasting forms of poetry the spirit of
our short but glorious nationality. She herself
| tells Us
Lends have no history that have no song;
Trc:r heroes lie forgotten in their srs.Tc:;
| No living voice awskens in their young
The emulating zcml that dareS and braves.
| The thou sht ulsarncrrI, and the deed III" ing,
! Are treasures to he wi:dS and waters hung"
[Page lob.
Miss Mari was sister to the late Hon. John
! Quincy Mar, delegate II, III F,.uquier County,
Va to the Secession &, nTent!oi!-a body most
memorable in the history o. the Stale. Mr.
Marr WAS highly appreciated At home, rs may
we'll be supposed. ard WAS one OF tue wl.est
| members of the Convention. As soon re II
.ina received to draw tn" sword in v!ndcatlon
| o. her honor and liberty words Of equal import
| in her bright lexicon-ard called her martial
sons ar u1d her, sir. Marr, Ms capaa OF the
| Warrenion Rifles WIS auons the fist to take
| the field of war; and w&S the very first 20 shed
! his life blood in the sacred cause Tor which he
| bucN!ed on the sword.
Another son Of this highly gifted family was
Lieutenant Robert Mari. OF the United States
| Navy who was lost vt sea in the sloop ot-"a'
| Albany in 1854 but still lives in the memory
and admiration OF his friends, ADD VINO is recall
ed By some Of tie sweetest and saddest lines that
| tall from his sisters pen. Sprung from this OF :
her, ic stock, what the brother was in council
aad in war IN sister Is IL song. The deep un
dertone OF her poetry Is sorr1w-the So'I9" ot
An unconouered and powerful nature. Blu. .ct
her in her own fashion, tell her sad t.!e:
II did not weep when vandsl hands
| Ny treasures bore away.
! Nor when saw the lullI flames
| My home in ashes lay
| But on the ruin gazed. and said,
| o. native land, Tor thee
Far more than this I'd gladly bear
Ii thou may'st Jet be free
II did not weep when sorrowing men
With slow and measured tread,
Brought back the strong man Of my house
To lay hin: with his dead;
But stied the beating Of my hear,
And stiff ID down the sigh,
And said, IT'S great and glorious
For ones own land 10 die '.-[Page 81.
"And when the bitter ending came,
And sll Was given aid lost
And l was like severed leaf
By wind and tempest lost;
| gathered up my strength and said,
The future yet remains.
And in her opening hands are LAID
Strong, honest labor's gains '-lPase %.
The extracts given sre al from the shorter
poems in the volume, in which are to o. fouHd
other pieces, showing the authors capacity Tor
more elaborate and sustained efforts, but which
are characterized by the same deep pa:hoS.
Among these l would call particular attention
to The Brothers Revenge" the tragic power
of which when read to a select and apprecstive
sud ence in Philadelp his drew tcsrs from every
eye. But, gifted as is the genius who has been
selt to Us to
"Tsge with decay and chsnge = ceasele:s strife,
And give the dead the form, the voice of life"
ye, will her mission be unfuliled unless we 0fthe
South accord to Miss Mari that generous en-
couragement which will enable her TO carry /:
out For listen to her
"Wili wall of lamentstion,
Whose depth OF agony nj sh. move - stone
[Psge o.
when for m ,nent Hope fed
"But when re!t the bitterness
Ofunrequi!ed toll
And saW the base and wicked rise.
Rich with the orphans spoil;
" hen stsrv!ng children cried for bread,
And there was none to give,
And sill the weak were tramp.e1 down,
Jus. that the strong might live.
when every coming year disclosed
More labor and less gain
And lie WAS but smother name
For WEAKNESS and pain:
When love a. death bequeathed 70 love
Such heritage Of VICE.
The tears hat Hope 30 long had stayed,
Despair allowed 10 flow. y Page q.
Let US, then, soldiers Of TIE South be true 10
ourselves, and transmit L ou~ posterty trs-
ii,on of our young and Siau Uttered na;lon
clothed il it, NOS! attractive AND enduring form
Without. Homer. buried Troy, NJ she sleeps by
tie He!lespcnt woaid De unknown 10 the ia
tons, snd Hector, ard the S,rrow< OF andre
mache, unchroEicled, would nave been 'orgot-
ten. Irelaad-conQGere lrelsnC-in her ne?clc
struggle with the Saxon, owes - be! melodies
she extorts from every generous heart. And
snail we Of the South turn sn unwilling ar d cold
ear to this Prleste>s % Apollo? No In her