The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-27

common Ial Aee sneer NJ the south.
Who reads a North Carolina book"
is the sueer OF some who are neither
of Old England Ter New England. In
each instance there Is perhaps enough
of truth 10 add = sting and smart TO the
invidious and arrogant a~rraignment.
Southerner> therefore, aud North Caro-
linians in particular, are glad 10 well
come each addition TO the circle OF
Southern writers. when the new conner
does credit 20 his 'hrungin'-up.'
As a %Southerner and a North CAROLYN
ian We take pleasure in the neat volume
on our desk,-thc enlarged edition OF
Mr.. Theodors II. HIS poems. lti>
most handsomely brought out by Philip
W. Wileys presses and the dedita-
ton. TO Mr.. John II. Bonner, iauth"r
OF "Swananoa. nymph of Beauty and
other poems) is a graceful tribute from
one Carolina reed" To another
Just here we are minded 10 pause and
in place Of Il own Judgment, give the
critiques of two Northern newspapers,
on two books. on similar topics, with
nearly similar title,-one by woman,
the other by a nan
THE NORTHERN IDEA OF passion.
Springfield, Massachusetts. Ecpubt-
can thus speaks OF a book which i all
the rage in lankeedom at the present
time =
1T i slightly comforting TO see BY her
motto that Ella Wheeler does not feel
quite happy in her own mind about her
Poems of Passion" The title page
bears two lines from Bunyan's doggerel
verse:
some said, "John, print it," others said, NO,
Some said, 1T might do good; - others said mo"
But comparison with Bunyan must
cease here. unless we take the pilgrims
| experience in VANITY Fair for likeness.
Vet that would not Ven suggest the
reality of Miss Wheeler's tancles Then
she asks in her dedication verses if hel
readers suppose she sings what she
! feels. and assures them thai she doesn't.
that they can't tell what she is by
them. For the comfort OF womanhood.
it is to be hoped not. These poems
of passion are almost well named !;
they are pulsing hot with a rage OF
emotion. they burn, they throb, they
rave. they gloat. they lose themselves
in imagination of passion they are not
often the realities OF passion. they APP
pear rather the evidence OF morbid at
tempts to realize it.
And on nights like this, when my blood runs riot
With the fever of youth and its mad DESIRES
" hen my brain i'll vain bids my heart be quiet,
When my breast seems the center of lava fires r.
ctc.,-this is the keynote of much Of
this book OF verse. This poet is always
'.burning.' Elsewhere she declares
that if her ..fond love" should be sent
to 1.-THE furnace flames below 1t would
grow thereby
For from its very birth 1t fed on fire.
Hell has no terror to change or alter a
so help me-
To know for an hour you were mime completely,
Mime IN body and soul, my own,
l would bear amending fortunes tweetly,
With not a murmur and not d moan
Here is a poem to Delilah in which the
same charming state of feeling is por-
trayed:-
If l by the furnace should behold you
Smiling up with those eyes loved so well.
Close, close i'll my arms | would fold you,
And drop with you down to sweet Hell.
There are quite a number of poems to
show how woman may love TO the last
surrender a succession OF men, these
are delicately fitted with Italian names.
We need not follow Miss Wheeler fur
Their through what is nothing better than
a miaSmatlc waste OF evil and sickly
fancies. in whose mischievous vapors
what real ability the author has is
smothered.'
TIE SOUTHERN VIEW OF Passions"
And now we will quote from the
American Register, of Washington City,
the following review of Mr.. Hill
poems:-
A OOK ROM HI SOUTH.
The time was, perhaps, when an Amer
lean poet could be born las Poe said of
Edward Z. Pinckneyj too far South, The
great critics pointed epigram signifed "a
good deal when it was written, but would
hardly be understood if applied to .
Southern author of the present time.
Books from Dixie now cross the famous
but fading ante.Jehum line with every
assurance of friendly circulation iu the
North, and their authors follow them to
enjoy honest and hospit able welcome.
Passion Flower and Other Poems is
the title of a volume Of verse by Theo.
II Hill, of Raleigh, North Carolina,
where the book was printed by T.. w
Wiley. The mechanical execution Of
the publication Is an evidence of the new
spirit OF enterprise ID the South. 1t Is
printed handsomely, on heavy tinted
sized and superintendent paper, bound
III ruby and black and gold, full gilt. with
bevel edges. 1t contains. unfortunately.
a few typographical errors. the most ag-
gravating of which is a Roman 5 In an
Italic word Beside.
From It's suggestive title, and coming
from 1.-THE Sunny South" one would ex-
pect to find in the book something Swim
burnlan-p passionate poetry-but it con
tainsnothing ofthat sort. For all the sen
suousness the poems breathe, Whittier
himself might have been their author.
Passion Flower" is the name of the in
troductory poem, which is purely religi
ous-a kind of penltential hymn. There
are other religious pieces, such as abide
with U.s." The Mothers PRAYER
Flea OF the Prodlgal,n Salad for Lent
The star above the Manger," "Vicisti
Me, Galile;e." Within the Veil" and
Rainbow OF Revelation" all of which
evince a deeply devotional spirit; and
some OF them are sacred views so forcibly
drawn that even the scotfer must pause
before them to mediate, his casual eye
caught by the pleasing fancy and imagi-
nation which cha>tely adorn the lines.
An air OF purity and truthfulness per-
Y ,des the entire book. Some of the
themes are old, but all of the treatment
Is new and there is an absolute idelity