The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-21
rHE rTRGINff POET-PEIEST.
4 Visit to the Rev. John y. Tabb in His
Amelia County Home.


At turn I'm long. quiet road in Anne
| , ...t.. .
ii" county '"'' VIM"
| You. that intcrsects the county from the
Southern To- the S0uthsile railroad. one
| d. mes almost unawaros on another road,
not wide enough Go ho licninei with the
/ name. perhaps and yet not SD underlined
that DO need Doe described cas- merely
path. A cigar box with touching nal
veto is nailed against the tree at TINS
turn and here the United States maxi
| is DEPOSITED. so that IL the tOurant would
communicate with the new poet tine
| Rev John H. Tabb this is where your
/ i,ticr voi.i be deposited
| Dd Won send a reporter the better
| wav DE- must take the path and follow
! it "a milo ana half through I'd stretch or
/ woods. and then along Che edge of
wheatield. tin be- finds himself in the
midst of a deep forest. 20 deep that ho
/ ,vil bo nut to Gee thc low WOODEN house.
s1uattlna close 10 the ground. as ls the
/ fashion here. and spreading itself over "a
Way OF added rooms and porches So
| characteristic of the community u.s. THE
| Forest 10 could have mo- other uamel. that
/ one feels the same sort OF surprise thII
| Mr. Frederick MYERS notes whom boz found
Abbofsforl in possession OF loug-yestei.
! etralcht-c0atrl jesuit fathers 500 as $50
| in tuIu come upon half a dozen young
| priests sitting under the shade of these
/ protecting oaks. and when one i4 greeted
I
/ lrCfcncal. the incOucrWty becomes mys-
| tcrious. IL is not explained I'm deep
mellow voice falls ON the ear, and "a tall
I ish man comes forward. "a man with
somewhat slopiug shoulders q sfoop iu h.s
| figure the scholars stoop. brown eyes
that remind one OF the depth OF stream
ON whose SURFACE the Sunshine chances
/ bat does not penetrate and "a head which
Inc italian provorb describes as a height
| where the lrass has censcd t8 grow. N
| is well "A tonsured crown is nor IA usees-
I sftv of grace for if il were by nature
| Father Tabb would be- amone the with
/ out
but these observations do not come az
/ first glance. The first glance reveals
/ the priests garb. the familiar sound iu
the voice is the hOpeiessy eraIIcahle
NIrefnia accent aud fho greeting b. fn.
ono looked for ~ Won have l.an fn th.
! state "a f,rtnithf
..fIov.aaa h,v.loo. MIGHTY clad "a see
! Won Hero J4ek. I.rs I-f4al. hora
| irre eomebody come take Ar so-and-
-nie hore.. -
gI. sctrf,fnr of foot the instantaneous
t.srof.. ii fha shane or "a hf.Dl- man
Two on three of him. "a black Lov trin-
Its. is also eNpectci Ths horse tr5ts
atav with corslomcrafo mass of lovs
and mon rolling at his heels Won stan
uuou fhe norcn where fIara ara "a Laff
dozen cartscateI chairs. "a Ions. bench ana
bucket of fresh water. and tou
make YOUR condiments IOu have
-.au an Of IL I.fer, IL This is mot ,..fir
dr.r iav i'm VIRGINIA
lNulin fhrre fs only one familiar pres-
euce-a Nirsin and child lu a ann gold
frame ON "A dim old wall All tho rest
81 tha thfuos ar. Of tha r.rir, s.ff,o
s.4affyl trarafll faaIf1r ef fft,- ,.asr,
aso
..srfora are mn doubt .+h.. f.,bl.e ,.rd
chairs ia the world th4t arc uuif. as
good as we are" The, saw in stridcut
mute voices "Iut thev are tafirs AND
chairs OF our own time ana society. We
belong here and we are only OF u4. her.
and mo more need r,c0verIue 0r rfVar-
uisniug than our mistress. Dr. S.. had ono
would need hair dye or paint"
"Happv the man." sang Nirul "vho
has gained a kuOulaIee Df the .sllsas of
things. and trampleI an fcsr under fcot
and risen above relentless fate. Vet mot
less blcst Dice VINO knows the rlsfi. gods.
even Pan and Old SyNauus. and The sis-
tor nymphs.' They say the poet is the
prophet, Or so. perhaps The author OF the
EcIOgucs and the HucoIICs nld this lat.4t
singer ln mind. Certainly, Of deep splf.-
UaI experience ana inward Wrestliug- dee
VelOp the soul. while communion with
nature quickens the observation and the
fancy. Mr. Tahb is doubiy endowed for
Lis high calling as a poet thiuk IN
was in 1871 that his first poan '.rhe
CLOUD appeared ia Harpers magazine
and [ am sorry that DO Is too loug fo
quote an unusual circumstance. for of
the collected poems Ia tlc volume recent
rs published by Alessrs. Copeland *
Day IL is one OF the few 10 which space
might not bee given iu "a brief criticism
Most II them are from four 10 eight lines
10 write poem on the cloud o. nEc
daring 10 create a new prOmctheus. but
somehow. the fact OF Shelley ana that
lninitable song does not suggest Itself
iu compc titiOn when one reads these love
ly verses The form. the imagery, "tue
r.fs.H. fIaH ttHff 81