The Washington critic., 1886-07-08
THE DEATH OF A POET.
Paul II. Hayne Closes His Peaceful
Life at Copse Hill.

THE DEATH OF 4 POET.
Paul IL. Hayne Closes His Peaceful
Life at Copse Hill.
Paul Hamilton Hayne, known as the
poet laureate Of the South, died at so'clock
Tuesday night at his home, Copse Hill, near
Groveton, and not far from Augusta,
Georgia. He died among the signing pines,
which he had sought for the benefit of his
weak lungs, and where some of the ten
derest OF his sonnets were sung. His home
was very primitive one. The inside walls
of its rooms were papered with prints cut
from illustrated publications and their
effect was very pretty. A northern writer
who recently visited him had never be-
fore seen anything in that line OF decora-
tion, and was peculiarly struck with 1t, the
prints being artistically arranged and good
taste everywhere dominant. With his wife,
Mr. Hayne lived almost in solitude. With
n gun on his shoulder he hunted many
long day, and this exercise and the health
giving odors of the pines doubtless pro-
longed his life.
He was 55 years OF age, having been born
in Charleston in 1881. His father was a
lieutenant in the U. s. Navy, and his uncle
was Governor X. Y. Uayne Of South Caro-.
lima. He was educated in Charleston, and
at an early age became frequent contrib
utor to the Southern Literary Messenger and
other periodicals. He conducted the
Charleston Literary Gazette for time, and
was afterwards connected with the Charles
ton Literary Ne,ps. From its foundation he
was the principal editor Of RusseUs Maga-
zine, published in Charleston. He con-
tributed, but not frequently, TO the literary
publications of the North before the war.
OF late years, however, his work has been
in great demand in that section. His first
volume OF poems was published In Boston
In 1854, and his second in New York in
1857. These volumes are made up of brief
poems, sonnets and lyrics, "The Tempta-
tion of Venusn being the longest of them.
In 1853 he published q third volume, ell
titled "Avolio and Other Poems" Iu
1873 was published hi edition of Henry
Timrod's poems and in the same year his
fourth and last volume, "Legends and Ly-
rics," came from the press There are eX-
tant, however, sufficient number of his
fugitive pieces to make another volume.
Mr.. Haynes life was very simple and
quiet one. His poetry runs the whole
gamut Of the passions, but there is nothing
of the sepsual school in them. His pathos
is touching and his descriptions most excel
lent Here is one of his pastoral pieces,
which he called "October:"
The passionate Summers dead; the skys
aglOw
With roseate fiushes of maturcd desire;
The winds at eve are musical and low
AS sweeping chords of a lamenting Tyre;
Far up among the pillared clouds of lire,
Whose pomp in grand procession upward
grows,
With gorgeous blazonry of funereal shows,
To celebrate the Summers past renown.
All me! how regally the heavens look down,
0'prshuUpviup bpantiful niltumnnl woods
And harvest-ields with boarded increase
And deep.toned majesty of golden floods,
That lift their solemn dirges to the sky,
10 swell the purple pompt that iioateth by.
He was strong sympathlzer with the
Confederate cause, and wrote, during the
war, a great deal of martial verse. One Of
his poems during that period was "The
Black Flag" and 1t had for its refrain these
somewhat blood'suggesting lines;
Then up with the sable banner.
Let IL thrill to the War.Gods' breath,
For we march to the Acknowledgements
And we follow the captain-Death.
When, in 1862, the Confederate Army had
met with severe reverses, Mr.. Hayne made
this stirring appeal.
Come, rush from the mountains, the lowlands,
the valleys,
Rush on, like the avalanch freed from its
And lash the base cohorts who throng to en-
slave us,
With stripes that shall give them foretaste
of hell!
The Confederate soldiers were grim
good deal by calling his war ballads
humorous poetry" but he afterward
laughed about it, especially when he
was told that the poor fellows in the
trenches at Richmond whlled away their
time, when not fighting by reading dog
cared copies of Victor lIugo's great work,
which they called Lees Miserables."
Mr.. lIayno married Mary Middleton
| Michel on May 20, 1852, immediately after
being admitted to the bar, She was the
| granddaughter Of General de Michel of the
| imperial army Of France. The couple were
| devotcdly attached to each other, and she
| always inspired him with hope and relieved
| the burden Of his invalid hours by unweary-
| iLg waiChfuness and care.
| The following tribute to lIaynswas writ
ten but a few days before his death 10y
James Chester Rockwell of Wilmington,
| n. c.;
| q singer, whose sweet songs have Cropt
Into a lonely heart that slept,
| And caused n dreaming soul tolcap
| From out "a sad and troubled sleep,
That heart would bring TO you to-day
| laurel wreath from far away,
What though the miles that lie between
| My heart and thine are long and dreary
The laurel leaf Is not less green
| Because the giyer Is not near.
Though distance checks the weary feet,
The soul may take its tireless flight
| Through valleys fair and me idows sweet,
And reach the goal of its delight.
| And though my face Is far away,
| My heart Is at your feet to-day.
Aud fondly there would ever kneel,
And listen to the strains that steal,
Whpun'pr magic fingers