Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-10
A Literary Estinats Of the Late Colonel H.
Chester Parsons.

"A Literary EstiIuhto W Wv $500
Chester Parsons.
ERNEST Newton Bragg. In Literary week
ly. July 7th)
There was published not long ago !"
New York city a understanding Voiume
of poems, the title OF the nrst' Inc
Reaper" being given to the coiiecuon'
which contained lines Of more IMAM orai-
nary music and power.
81 say nothing to the public" said the
touching preface. "for this little doom
will not be offered for sale; but 10 you'
my friends, 1 would explain that these
lines were written because the writing
rested me. Let no one think that 1 am
self-decelved or deluded into new paths
from the daily work which SATISFIES my
need and my ambition. Perhaps IN the
warmth of your fireside these pages may
glov with a light that Is half their own
and circle draw closer and the hour pass
pleasantly; perhaps one who reads aiohe
may find something here written 'na'
will turn his thoughts tenderly to the VIZ
etnia mountains. o. give him a clearer
,.,,, or a brayer heart. Then l shall be
glad" a. beautiful,
Friday, June 18th, near MS peau'i,u'
home at Natural Bridge, va, oieu Va.
author of these poems, Colohei i,eniy
chester Parsons a busy, active ralIroau
,rotac,or and a man of large affairs,
whom many of his acquaintances httie
suspected OF possessing or evincing tne
noetic temperament gentler spirit
| truer friend to the State or MS adop.ioh
| which he loved quite as earnestly as nc
| did the green mountains or MS NATIVE
| soil-a more home-lovlng, loyal. ana pa
| triotio citizen never lived WITHIN the
borders of the Old Dominion. HIS nome
| lie was the most beautiful poem OF any
| of his poetic thoughts. He gave his best
mowers and hours TO the devoted wire anu
! three gifted daughters. TO whom ne mas
more than once paid the tribute OF an
| inspired pen. He was generous 10
| fault and did more than any other nor IN
ern man for the uplifting OF virginia
from the depression caused by the civil
war He revived her tagging industries
| by building the Richmond and Aleshahy
| railroad on the tow-path of the historic
| Janes- River canal He used strength
| and voice and pen unsparlngly In the
cause OF Republicanism az wisest ana pest
| ultimately for southern interests anu
| progress.
Yet with all his varied spheres of use
| fitness, with his military, political, ana
| legal activity, he found time to LOOK
| steadily into the tender eyes and loving
heart of Nature and put into true music
| what he saw and heard. THE Brown
Blue and Gray" and 1.-THE Prayer for
Frost are the most famous OF his
| poems, both having been widely copied
into papers throughout the country.
Leading magazines have published some
charming fugtives which fled FAR ana
wide throughout the journalistic world.
Colonel Parsons once asked a young
man who had been acquitted OF murder'
| "How does il feel to be free|' and the
| answer he put into the following stanZas.
entitled The Prisoner Released
/ could stand and look at the stars all
night
Where tides run in wreaths to the rivers
and riils;
Where the sea breezes play with the
wind from the hills
Where by land or by sea man can so
where he wills:
I'm a free man again, and free man Of
right
l could stand and look at the stars all
night;
For months that were years they nave
prisoned my stars:
MY silver-yeiled Venus and red-hooded
Mars
Were fretted and framed by the mer-
CHESS bars
That shaded their glory or shivered their
light
will stand and look at the stars all
night;
I will wait in the shadow and lee OF the
tower,
Till morning shall come with his magi-
cal power;
Perhaps in the fame of that wonderful
hour
The prison shall trembe and pass from
my sight.
In the prime and flower Of a life OF
radical usefulness and great mental ac-
tivity, he has suddenly taken his depart
ure to the other Side. to use his own
| words In the beautiful poem on 1.-THE
Hindoo's Search for Truth:
| Where all the rivers are alight where all
the sands are gold,
| The groves Of God eternal stand. and
there the truth is told!