Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-12-19

mag inatiOn'E myers pressed
The ivory'd keys of thought
nd 10. from Natures manuscript
poct-priest was wrought.
q. w. j. Jr.. In southern woman'i
Magazine.
1t has been eleven years OF chaos.
ocial and political revolution. hor-
ors unspeakable and hloodsicd never
auaied in the history Of III. world
incc the earth blinded eyes OF John
'annistcr Tabb. poet. priest and sol
Ter. opened 10 the light celestial.
.lcvcn years have passed since ,hs
onS OF one of Americas greatest
yrc!st was stillcd. az men term It.
tut who can stlll that which Is nor
{ earth?
because Father Tabb looked Into
he face or the Divin. Savior and
aid. like the Magdaien. "I,abbono."
'as the song OF that. the purest Of all
alive poets. hmshed forever? No:
"a who bent his dcvout ear to the
Dice Of God: he who would s,oop
own TO catch the Divine mcssag.
remblinG on the petals OF Hover;
nurmuring In the voice o! the brooks.
r hear in the song Of the bird :.
whisper from the throne. his life he.
IAN III what we call death,
We do not have TO know man or
woman In Il personal sense in order
o love them; that Is. II they have
ashioncd by word or deeds some last
ng benefit to man. Character like
he soul, liz eternal. The soul, taking
ts highi. like the butterfly, leaves To
:arth its chrysalls. Character Is the
'aFthly armour OF the soul; love It's
perfume. The character OF man
mirrors his sou, to future genera
Ions. So II is with Father TAI. and
more. Tor In his case his poetry Is
The cioister from which his spir.;
took Hight. The door TX ajar. and
reading. We see within the exquisite
chamber that once was It's terrestrial
.hnbitai!on.
Above the Commonplace,
In the poetry OF John Bannister
Tabb we md a elevation of thought
4 divine Are: n rhythmic perfection.
a soul-passion, after the beautiful
that has kent the garments OF his
lyrics from the polluted paths Of the
common place. Rhythm and meter
TO this poet were az subconscious as
his breath. AS 10 his metaphors. ne
heard and drew them from the mil
lion facets OF nature. y quatrain.
for the most part suffces TO couch an
exquisite thought; to hold captive
Teaphor o: the rarest beauty. His
poems have been called canoes. true
and one might add, silhouettes OF
word painting and mosa!cs that
charm the mental vision in their en-
tircty and Still invite n minute In
spection or each separate biz OF the
thought fabric OF which they are
woven.
with the igher instinct vouch-
safcd TO Il chosen few he knew that
II sublime elevation of thought. the
spiritual note that burns it's way into
the soul! cannot be consummated in
the long poem. The mechanical effort
required IN length breaks the CON
crete beauty OF single supreme
thought into fragments of sugges-
ton that fail to carry the reader to
the heights or stir the emotional
response that is the true purpose of
poetry.
Horn in Amelia Counts.
Doubtless the crocuses and Little
wood vioiets were just pceping out
"Th. Forest" at M,ttoax, Amelia
County when John Bannister Tabb
was ushcred into the world. March
,22. 1915. y noble hirthright was his;
the Washington and Randolph fami-
lies being allied with his house. To
say nothing of his own name. Tabb.
one that Virginia's history has grown
around The future poet-jurist was
the third child OF Thomas Yelverton
Tabb and Mariana Bertrand S,,cher
The atmosphere OF luxury familiar
to that period surrounded the early
life of little John. Slaves were his
when very young and he played in
the woods and through the meadows
OF his fathers estate, and during this
iimpressionistic age he drank in the
glor!cS OF nature, which in later
years he was to etch 80 cxouisitely
with word needles and inspired non
pen.
The poets first teacher was that
most beautiful of all 3receptor gwen
to man. mother! She taught him to
Jead and write and tnosc simple
prayers that reach the ;lrcnc Of God
before all crecds or confessions of
Il private TUTOR was en-
gagged. and with the Nther children of
the community he developed his fac
ult'es of mird and lmas nation. Mis-
love of poetry was foste-ed, one III
OGrapher tells us. by Colonel Frank
G.. Ruffin, who revea:a!! to his young
mind the beauties of WordswC-th
and Hood. and later his brother Will
liam Bnrkstlale Can alumnus OF the
University IF Eirgin:al led him to
Tennyson and oac, the later pet
in years to come ne was IL daf:.d so
brilliantly against the columny of
Harry Thurston Peck in the Hall Of
Fame controversy.
AT Is, the first shadow fell across
his pathway. His eyes became i'm
paired. the forerunncr OF Il total
eclipse OF sight in the last year Of
his life. AT this sign of afliction his
studies were pursued by having
tutor read to him and at this period.
also. his musical gifts were cultivated
with the assistance OF aunt judith
tAMrs. Judith c. Blair. OF Lexington,
Va. There was no blood kInship be.
tween the two; they were just spirit
motifs were music and literature. This
friendship was ono among the many
thnt Frightened his career.
Fought for Virginia.
Life went placidly on for him until
A. I~.l -