Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-03-23

prepared by Lieut.. Francis B. Sim
kins, for the Edgefeld chapter Unit
ed Daughters of the Confederaey by
zspecia Invitation:
Ancient Athens after the storm and
tragedy of the epic struggle for ma
:tional existence with the Persians,
settled down to the peace of the gold
zen age of art and literature of Peri
cles. Safety came with the passing
of the fleeing Xerxes beyond the
Hellespont; then the men of Athens
were able to devote their energies to
sculptoring, and portrayal, in the i'm
mortal phrase of the Attic drama, the
subject matter of their recent strug-
gle. 1t has become truism of liter
ary history that periods of calm al
ter battle have been the time In which
the great constructive part OF the
worlds great literature has been Gre
ated. The deed is done by the young
man, and the old man lives to tell 1T
in a manner unequalled by those of
us who attempt to narrate from the
experience of others. Charleston,
like Athens, has had her periods OF
epic woe to be followed by golden
alternate periods of peace, wealth
and prosperity. First, came the strug-
gle with the Indians and Spaniards,
followed by the quiet prosperity OF
Charleston before the American Rev
solution; next, the American Revolu-
tion-the bombardment of Moultrie,
the heroism of Jasper, the shelling OF
the city and the humiliation of alien
occupation followed by the. brilliant
prosperity of ante-bellum Charleston;
lastly, the War of 1860 was Charles
toms perfect Illiad of woes. Gay
spangled ladies, Owen Wister tells
us, with non-chalant vanity enjoyed
the investment of Sumter from the
vantage of Battery Park; later these
same ladies, with equal non-chalance
in misfortune deprived themselves of
dress and luxury in order to minister
to the wants of the men of Sumter,
Morris Island and Northern Virginia;
wealth and light resolve turned to
heroism that would have done credit
TO the Spartan matrons of Troy or to
the women of Carthage who sacri-
feed their black locks in order to
make ropes for the defense of the
betrayed city. Surely such a story
of alternate prosperity and sorrow
Shonld be theme to inspire the gen.
Sus of native Sophocles, Aristo-
phones and Eschylus. Surely from the
capitol of slavery-the fosterer of
wealth, luxury and idleness for intel
3ectual pursuits-there has grown
the wild flower of poetry and imagi-
native literature. In the beautiful
park of Charleston, her old forts,
wide country places and ornate town
mansions, her beautiful harbor and
murmuring sea lies covered and un-
covered the seeds of song and ro-
nance. In her storied churches is the
atmosphere of celestial lyrics. In
that city have lived far more liter
ary genius (Mrs. Ravenal in Charles
ton: The Place and People follows the
habit of many historians in mention
ing only politicians in the chronicle
of greatness) than the average
South Carolinian realizes, although
sound, critical judgment prompts me
to remind the listener that the liter
ature of that city does not bear COM
parison with the literature of Athens
the city of parallel history. 1t is
my purpose in the limit of the next
few pages to barely indicate the
poetic genius that was product of
the place and its history.
.Preeminent among Charleston's
POETS was of course, Henry Timrod,
whose tragic life, genius and poetry
issbut an epitome of the dark shad-
ow under the which the city labored
in the period of the poets flower,
and whose classic dirge pays highest
tribate to the martyrdom of Confed-
crate heroes buried in Magnolia Gem
etery. For second time in code"
he wove poetic fancy around this
same beautiful depository of Con-
,sederate dead and memories. Charles
ton has honored Timrod with shaft
on which are emblazoned the above
mentioned best tribute of Southern
poet to the cause Of his state. On the
top of the shaft is bronze bust of
the poet; in the countenance we can