The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-18

uhWH VIII Her i0yeT auQ Cnosf she loves X
interview. Itwas only. the 2Sth OF May
that the centennial Of Moore's birthday
came, and. as your. readers know, 1t was
property and enthusiastically celebrated.
would have reioiced to have seen Lake
lDrummondi on that day. But to see it now
was delight enough. To behold so sweet &
scene OF ore OF the poets triumphs was g
great happiness and cannot forego ,he
/ pleasure of reproducing his pretty poem
concerning the lake story. It will be pea.
SAINT TO many of your readers. Here it is:
- ~ n Ballad.
r BY THOMAS MOORE. ~
THE LAKE OF THE DISMAL SWAMP. ~
WRITTEN AT NORFOLK, IN VIRGINIA
They tell OF a young man who lost his
mind upon the death Of girl he loved, and
who, suddenly disappearing from his
friends, was never afterwards heard Of. AS
he had frequently said in bis rawlings that
the girl was not dead, but gone TO the Dis
NAL swamp. it is supposed that he had wan
dered into that dreary wilderness and had
died of hunger or been lost in some OF its
dreadful morasses.
LA pocsie scs ulenstres comme Ia nature"
-D'Alembert.
They made her Sruve too cold and damp
For soul so warm and hrne
And she's gone to the lake OF he Dismal swamp,t
Where. ali night long. by fret lamp,
She paddles her white canoe.
ss. and her freely lamp soon shall see,
And her paddle soon shall hear; Ia
Z Long and loving our life shalt be. - i'Ff -
And I'l hide the nlaid IN cypress'iree;,.., -
t'i3 Whom the footsteps OF death are Rear!n =
~ Away to the Dismal swamp he speeds, ~
- His path was ragged ana sore; 30 ltlIt',, -.
Through tangled Juniper beds Of reeds, =.
Through nauy fen where the serpent feeds
- And man never trod before! &r2~3! 4 -
= And when on the earth he sunk to sleep,
II slurnter his eyeIids knew, ~ -.
He lay where he deadly wipe doth weep =
It's vepomous lear, and nightly steep =
The flesh with bitstering dew!
=. And near him the she wolf stir'd the brake,
: And The coDper sDake bresth'd in his ear
Till he starting cried. from his dream awake,
"Oh, when shall see me dusky lake 49,
: And the white canoe OF my dear -
He saw The lake, and meteor bright ~ -
Hnd1he dim shore echoed for many = night,
e, The name of the death-cold maid. ,,.....a.
Till he hollowd 4 boat OF the hirchen bark, t
Which CARRIED him off from the shore;
Far he fOlow'd fhe meteor spark,
The wind was high and the clouds were dark,
- And the boat reurn'd no more. '."-
But oft from The Indian bunter's camp
Thislover and maid so true ' ',.'
Are seen at the hour OF midnight, damp,
To cross the lake by a FREELY lamp,
p Ana paddle their white canoe. ~ - !.
The great Dismal swamp Is ten or twelve miles
distant from Noffalk. and the lake in the middle Of
It aoout seven miles Iong) Is called Drurnmond's
pond. .' t."'.'.
1t ts somewhat gratifying TO me to pay
even this humble tribute to the memory OF
the Lord Of sentimental ballad poetry.
There have been at different times in the
past very naturally some singular notions
ir,rr tho rn1ntjnns hot fhp tide
OF the ocean and the water Of the Dismal
Swamp lake, which is twenty-one feet higher
than the ocean. 1t was thought at one time
that the wafer OF Lake Drummond was sim
gularly exempt from the effects OF high
winds, such as never failed to agitate more
or less the waters Of the sea. Among the
and learned men who
either partially or openly eSpouSed this idea
was the distinguished Littleton Waller
TaZewell. He was most gifted and inf1u-
entail statesman. His mind was OF very
turn. He was fond OF discus
sing questions admitting OF doubt and dis
putatlon, whether on philosophical, lite
rarv, or scientific subjects, and would
almost swap sides rather than discon-
.inue discussion. He was rs fond Of dis
putting upon Il geographical point as Sen
lter Benton. His Lake-Drummond theory
was faYorite with him. And one evening
at dnner-party at his house he broached
the subject, and entertained his guests in
his Incompatible manner by unfolding to
them the remarkable freedom OF Lake
from the effects of storms. He
declared that at times, when the storm had
aroused the ocean into angry and towering
waves. the waters of Lake Drummond
was rs serene and placid as those OF
a summers sen where not breath |
of wind disturbed its surface. The
strange statement. made in the fascinating
language Of MIR. Tazewel. enchained the
OF the guests. Dir. TaZewell was
in his finest temper, and was enjoying |
something like triumph. 1t seemed that
he needed but one gentle touch TO illumi- |
nate the genial pleasure OF the evening, and |
that be essayed to give it. Turning to q
distinguished naval commander who was
present, he remarked that he was gentle
man OF great experience and close observa-
ton. besides being great traveller. He |
felt sure that he could with confidence ap-
peal to him TO confirm the truth Of what he !
had said concerning the natural phenomena |
of the Lake Drummond waters. !
The bluff and pain-Spoken old Commo-
dore thus appealed to stated, in reply, that
he had seen Lake Drummond under circum-
stances which certainly deprived him OF the
authority TO deny the proposition so hand
somely stated by Senator TaZewell. When
he saw the lake at that time the ocean was,
under the force Of a powerful storm, rent
into mountain waves while the surface OF
Lake Drummond was undisturbed and i'm
perturbable-nay, as smooth and as polished
as mirror. He knew 1t was exactly what
it seemed to be, and raised no question
about it; for the lake was frozen over. .,
This sequel convulsed the intelligent
company, and no one enjoyed the plea
saniry more than Senator Tazewell him
self. 1t is needless to say that this affair
was one of the liveliest events OF the even
ing, and went far in helping to make lo-
vial as we'll as brilliant night at 4 time
when Virginia hospitality was at Its bright
est and happiest age.
But think have said ut present rs much
as Commodore Parks can tolerate about
Lake Drummond. RAMBLER.
A Great Sever.