The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-04-27
AM% eHIOrTdi- Sidf
A SAD HEARTS WALL.


ful, fascinating aud intellectual, yet
fallen woman of Baltimore. IL is
one of the most perfect poems ever
produced in this country. The
writer was known az Zelda Steel
man by her companions, but what
her real name was we eve heard.
Soon after writing the poem, she
attracts ed the attention of a gallant
gentlemen, Capt. M. 7. Stanton OF
the Confederate army. He advised
her TO abandon the life she was
leading, assuring her that If she
would do 30, be- would freely give
her a portion of his ample fortune.
She accepted the kindly offer of her
b~enefactor, who complied With his
promise in the most minute partic-
uIar. After the var Zelda Steel
man went to Washington City and
engaged IN literary pursuits, becom-
ing the Washington correspondent
of a number of first-class uewspa-
pers aud occasionally contributing
poetic gems to the literature of the
country. In 1878 she accepted a
position as companion to an invalid
lady of wealth and position, aud
went with her to Europe, and in the
city OF Paris the beautiful and in
tellectual Zelda Steelman became
weary of her life of sorrow aud dis.
appointment and committed sui
eide by taking prussic acid. Her
last words we're, as reported by
one who vas in the room with her
when she took tue fatal dose, ~
am dressed for the feast, and now
! 60 without escort"
The iron voice from yonder spire has
hushea it's hollow tone,
And midnight finds me lying here in si-
lence and alone;
The still moon, through my window sheds
its soft light on the floor
With q melancholy paleness / have new
er seen before.
And the summer wind comes to me with
it's sad, Eolian lay,
As if burdened with the sorrows of a
weary, weary day,
Yet the moonlight cannot soothe me of
the sickness here within,
Aud the sad wind takes no portion from
my boSom's weight of sin.
quietly to rest,
That l scarcely feel them beating in my
arms or in my breast;
And these rounded limbs are resting now
SO still upon the bed,
That u would think to see me here that
l was lying dead.
What if 'twere sof What i'll died-died
as l am lying now,
With something like a virtues calm upon
this marble bro VT
What if / { died to night Alb how this
sloathful heart begins to beat
A fallen wretch like me, to pass from
earth too sadly sweet.
Yet l am calm-as calm as clouds that
slowly float and form,
To give their fearful strength to some un-
plying summer storm
As calm as great Sahara, ere the simeon
sweeps its waste,
Or MS the wide sea, ere the white waves
all its shores have laced.
Still, still l have NJ tears to shed, these
eyolids have no store
The fountain once within me is q fonn-
tain now nc more.
The moon alone weep for me now, the
pale and Thoughtful moon;
She weeps for dying Mary, through all
the nights sweet
What if ! died tonight, within these
gilded, wretched walls,
Upon whose crimson trappings, no eye of
virtue ever fallsf
What would its s~ou.less inmates do when
they bad found me here,
With cheek too white for passions smile,
too cold for passions tearf
Oh! one would come and from these arms
unclasp the baudle bands;
Another, wrench the jewels of my fairer,
whittier hands;
This splendid robe another's form would
grace, oh long before
the foori
And. when they laid me down in earth
where pauper graves are made,
Beneath no bending willows angel-haunt-
ed shade,
Who'd come and plant a flower DER poor
Mary's frisndless grave,
trim the summer wild grass that no
summer wind could wavef
Who'd raise n stone to mark it from the
ruder graves around,
That the passing strangers footsteps
might respect the spot of groundf
10 tone would stand above us, no little
waving trees;
70 hand would plant a flower Ger a fall
len wretch like me.
What If l died tonight Aud when to
morrow's sun had crept
Where late the softer moon in virgin
beauty slept.
come and find me herel OH who
would weep 10 see me deadf
Who'd bend the knee of sorrow by the
pulseless wanton's bedf
here's D would come-my mother
God bless the angel band
hat bore her ere her daughter fell, to
yOnder quiet land. j
hank God for all the anthems that the
gladdeued angels sung
When my mother went to heaven, and l
was pure and young. ]
nd there's another, too. would come I,
a man upon whose brow
" shame has brought the winter snsw
70 rest 50 heavy now
rs, he would come, with manhood's
tears all burning down his cheek
lad reasons kingdom stronger been
where virtue grew so weak.
y sisters and my brothers all, thank .
God, are far awaY; 9
hey'll never know how died the one
who mingled in their play
never know how wretchsdIy their .
darling sister died.
be one who smiled whene're they smil-
ed, who cried whene're they cried. {
all alone tonight How strange Ii is 4
thai / should be alOnei 4
splendid chamber seems to vast 4
some roue's w0ated tone :
N soundiess mirror, with its smooth =
and all nnvarnished face, y