New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-15
RECENT POETRY.

THE CRUISE OF TuE MYSTERY. ana osnSr poeMWss.
Hv CELIA THlxrrR lGmo. PIP i2i housa'on' MIL
ain 4 Co. ,smo
m vi, i8I White, stokes Allen.
rus VISION OF GOLD, and other poems BY LiLL LA,
RozELL MkssESoER. l2m0' pp' SiiA' 1'" W.
Tha story OF tho phnn tom slavc-ship. winch eiNos
title to Mrs Thaxters volume oil poetry =, 'o'
with 6no spirit; the narrative 10 simple anu u''o"
the movement 10 Qu.ok. incidents are iei' " Wv
duoe their n atural impression without suporh"o"'
commentary. aud every stanza counts 10 inc s0"-
a,aI esct The force Of the legend increases 100 ~
the end is approached. The slaver loses ner VINO 9
cargo in the horrors Of the middle passage ana sS
b.camed in the tropic sea when she Is snuee"y
surrounded by the ghostly forms OF the muroei'u
victims:
From very side came catherine fast
Tho sea was peopled with the dead
That to It's cruel deeps were cast .
xy,,ho,t n sound. they swarm oil over tho SNIP
from keel 10 topmast they bind the mastor. whie
tb los. oniltv crew escape in the boats ana 80 tne
Mystery sails on forever
Her CAPTAIN in the dead mons grip
Never 10 any port came she
This dcnoucment shows vigorous magiha''o"'
and 10 effectively worked out. In the other poems
.-.end oua,ities for which Mrs. Thsxtcr has been
bs,tar known than for tho vividness OF such gf"o
go. +ol.s The freshness OF spirit, tho warmth
ard xho,esomepess of sentiment, the Keen ENJOY
,pent of nature and the gift of suggestive aeso4p
fion which have been so much au"iio" AZ Az
verses are all fully illustrated III THIS ne" oo'0
sion Tone does not tire of her pictures oi 'He VIM
coast the garden, the lane the changing soA'
hooaros thew are something more than inventories
.s .ha lardscane, they nearly always bring nome
a. sc .o,ue simn,e human emotion and ntne leei-
inc which they express is not varied, az Ieas. ~ 40
.,most ALWAYS true. Mrs. Tbaxter rarely striAes
false note. A. pooL
aCap and Bells"i q title by which MT iech
bardly does Justice to his clever verses no DS''
of then, belong TO light aud merry mooa. nu' ''oS
ars not the diversions Of Jester lhey lack 'oii0
Of the fine point and gossaner touch OF tno 'u0
cors de societe, yet at the same tlmo the' ""'o "
ring of sincerity which does not belong W '"''0
elegsnt tribes The poet of this pretty Voiu"0 10
for the most part blithe love- CHASING oiuo '9 GO
ond stealing kisses, and showing us now and then
49, none the less full of sensibiliy because 1t Is
olsn tull of happiness. His lines have singing
Quality, he knows the secret OF rhythmic grace !;
no ses ALTERATION with such discreet art that we
ra only conscious of the music without seeking lls
.,,rcc The book contains too much; we mean too
many pieces below the authors most careful work
and if the selection had been made moro vigorously
Tho oroduct would have seemed more promising
aThe Vision of Gold " may be recommended 10
any ono who wishes to exercise his nina. Tue
measures in which it is written are pretty lame
INIT the dicton is afiuont and distinguished, anu
seryes to stimulate expectation during the some
what painful process of tracing out the course Oh
the authors thought. 1t is not often that httie
fragment of an idea has the honor of being hlddeh
IN such yolumnous wrappiDgs OF hrst-ciass IAN
puage