The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-09-13
The Children of the Poets.


LDanbury EeNsI
4here Is something so free, so happy,
so unconventional, so altogether spon-
Scaneous and natural about children. that
lew, even of the prosy ones of us, can
resist their charms. We Law dawn our
pen when we hear their sparkling laugh
Ter, or close our book to listen to their
Wise prattle; and we feel amply repaid
Ior the lost time by the feeling of
hghtness and brightness that STAYS with
Us Us after they have gone their way.
mere Is no music so perfect as the
laughter of happy child 1t ripples
up from their pure throats like the
songs OF forest bird, but with more
meaning. 1t is a psalm and a prayer
ana a blessing. And no brush can re-
produce the beauty of child's face
~ Dalies even comprehension. We only
ieeI 1t, and are glad. No chisel can
mould form equal to the child's in
grace. The most perfect imitation
merely recalls to us the perfection we
see every day, every place we go; for
me children, thank God, are every
where.
1t Is but natural that children should
mold an equal place in the love of the
poets with the birds, Natures own
poets; the flowers the brooks. bright
days and perfect seasons. They grace
the ballads of the lOftiest bard, and in
Splre the sweetest strains of the hum
blest. Campbell wrote not only of the
Pleasures of Hope nor were all his
poems warlike. He seems particularly
susceptible to the charm of childhood.
He
held il a religious duty
= 10 love and worship children's beauty"
Perhaps no other poet has sung so
/ mucs in praise of childish grace as he.
his poem written 90 ON getting home
the portrait of female child six years
OLD, and commencing with the lines
Type OF the cherubim above,
Come live with me and be nay love, ="
abounds with praises that seem ex-
trayagaQt to those who er;>-s mob i" =yrr=-
pathy With the poets feeling:
'.Thou hast not, TO adorn thee, girl.
Flower, link OF gold, or gem or PEARL
would not let ruby speck
The peeping whiteness of thy neck,
Thou needst no casket witching elf
No gawd-thy toilet is myself
my arch and playful little creature,
Thou hast % mind in every feature,
Thy brow with its disparted locks
Speaks language that translation mocksi
Thy lucid eyes so beam with soul
They the canvas seem TO roll,
Instructing both the head and heart
To idolize the painters art
Inspire me, child, with visions fair;
For children, in creation are
The only things that could be given
Bacs, and Acknowledgements heaven"
What has ever ms gired a poets mind
with a grander thought than this that
finds expression in the same poem?
d" lie 1narshals mind to beauty s feast,
He is Humauity's high priest,
" no proves, by heavenly forms on EARTH
How much this world Of ours is woIt tn"
1t is seldom indeed that we find the
love of children 50 nearly a passion than
II Is in him, although he assures US that
ave love them not in earthly fashion,
But with beatihc passion"
as these lines from His - Child Sweet
heart Will bear witness
"The Ii tie charmer to my view
Was sculpture brought to life anew;
Her ewes had poetic glow,
Her p0uting mOutk was Cupid's bow,
And through herfroCk could Jescry
Her neck and shoulders symmetry,
Twas obvious from her walk and gait
Her limbs were beautifully straight"
Sir Charles Sedley, the wit and poet of
the court of Charles ii, does not seem
ingly agree with Campbell in regard to
intantile beauty. In addressing q young
lady, he says:
50 Your charms in harmless childhood lay
Like metal in mine
Age from no face took more away
Than youth concealed no th1nr!'