The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-14
POEMS. BY limos Randolph. WI
liams 6: Wtlkins. Of Baltimore. pub

lian1s &. wilkins, Of Baltimore pub
fishers. s1.00.
Virginia and the South have had many
sweet singers, but none sweeter or
truer of note than the poet whose name
stands at the head of this review coll
umn. The preface to the little volume
In which the verse; Of the poet have
been gathered into fragrant sheaf
has tender and beautiful sketch writ
ten by the son of lines Randolph. He
refers to his fathers .upbringing as an
old fashioned Virginia gentleman.
touches upon his service in the confed-
crate army, upon the conditions that
confronted him when such service
ceased: of his removal TO Baltimore
from Richmond, and the after struggle
in his life between his love for art
and poetry and music and the daily
demands of the law. which he had
adopted az a profession.
The preface goes on to tell much OF
interest In regard to the poems which
follow It. Twilight at Hollywood.
one is informed was penned about a
year after the close OF the War Be
tween the States, and read by request
OF the Hollywood Memorial Association
a the celebration OF an early Memorial
Day, above the Confederate dead that
lay buried on its slopes. One can mag
ine the thrill in the tones OF the reader
Confederate comrades that:
Their fame has not need of scuiptured
urn.
For they have lived such lives and
wrought such deeds
AS venal history cannot lie away"
The lines to John Marshall" II is
said. were written Immediately after
active hostilities had ceased, and the
whole South was aching under the hui
initiation OF defeat" The ache ia ap-
parent in the lines which say OF Wash
dngton that:
could he see his sons In their deep
disgrace.
Would he ride 30 proudly there?
He would get him down from his big
brass horse
And cover his face at our shame.
For the land OF his birth is now Dis
trict One
Virginia was once the name"
The poems. one and all. are filed
with the very breath OF old Virginia
days. and tho pictures and the memo
ries that the days recall. so that to
single out any one from the others
seems unjust: yet the rhythm OF THE
Back Log" carries with 1t its own apol-
ogy. as the image OF Thornton Hall"
rises in the mind, and the lips uncon-
sciously frame the words:
Wide open swung the great hall door
Before the cast was gray with dawn.
And sieighs with argosies of girls
came jinslins up across the lawn;
Came youths astride OF pranc!ng steeds,
Came cousins TO tho tenth remove,
With cousin greetings by the sweet
Lip services that cousins love
The silver tankard went around
To every lip with brave good cheer,
According ~
For Christmas comes but once a
year"
The par. of this edition o. Mr.. RAN
dolph's poems that has been recently
placed in the Rich mond book stores for
sale was brought out some years ago,
and is now being disposed of for Mrs.
Randolphs benefit. The poems are
truly historic and invaluable. and no
Nirginian with a love for the past
should neglect an opportunity to secure
a copy of a book that cannot be bought
at any price in a little while. for the
number of copies offered is limited.
PURPLE AND HoMEsPuN. BY sam
uel NJ. Gardenhire Harper & Bro
theirs. through the Bell Book and Sta
,onery Company. of Richmond. $3.50.
A striking caption is used TO illus
trate a manY-sided story. in which high
life and low life the self-made man
and the born aristocrat, are brought
into contact and opposition Political
life at Washington is depicted. and the
threads of interest and adventure are
so multiplied that 1t requires consid-
cradle skill on Mr.. Gardenhire's part
to keep them individualized in the mind
of his reader.
The two principal men of the book
are Marshall freeman. an American.
and Captain Travers, an Englishman.
The two female characters are Rose