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Oct. 26, 1850.] ©|>r .&* «'&££. 741
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tetwrn
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We should do our utmost to encourage the...
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THE PRINCESS. She wore a gown of silver ...
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VIVIAN ON THE WYE. Ff/tte Third. On Thur...
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CHAUNTS OF THE ANGELS. The fountains and...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Oct. 26, 1850.] ©|>R .&* «'&££. 741
Oct . , 1850 . ] ©|> r . &* « ' & ££ . 741
Tetwrn
^ nrtfnlin .
We Should Do Our Utmost To Encourage The...
We should do our utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . —
The Princess. She Wore A Gown Of Silver ...
THE PRINCESS . She wore a gown of silver grey ; A simple vest , nor grave nor gay , Which robed her like the morning sky , And kissed the envious ground . Yet , from beneath , her tiny feet And slender ancles , sandalled meet , In graceful motion met the eye . A crimson net her hair unbound , — Her hair , in bands of richest brown , Shading her temples like a crown . Her brow was high , and full , and white ; Her eyes were thoughtful grey , and bright With endless meaning , and her smile , Like moonlight through the roseate veil Of Evening o ' er some southern , isle ; Mixed with that human element Which Nature ' s beauties lack , and fail To till the heart with sweet content . Her voice was soft , and o'er the park Rang like the carol of a lark ; And when she laughed , ' twas like a run Of gliding notes , struck one by one From silver-toned harmonicon . Her cheeks were fair , as rose-leaves dying With morning ' s dew upon them lying ; But when she gaily smiled and spoke , A gentle tide of blushes broke Over their rounded loveliness . Her mouth seemed half-severe , and half , In its uncertain playfulness , The expectation of a laugh : Yet in its curves there was exprest The sadness of a deep unrest . With quiet , dove-like stateliness , She walked along the shaded ways , Like one who mused upon her days , — A Princess , not by royal blood , But royal right of Womanhood . Sept . 16 , 1850 . George Hooper .
Vivian On The Wye. Ff/Tte Third. On Thur...
VIVIAN ON THE WYE . Ff / tte Third . On Thursday morning , after a pleasant breakfast chat with the Dragons , McPousto and 1 started for Monmouth along the banks of the Wye , which , by a vicious pun , he characterized as a truly Baconian procedure of interrogating nature . The walk was charming ! The Wye in its undulating beauties presents a succession of views , which , especially when Autumn has varied the banks with her endless diversity of tints , may fairly be called unsurpassed in prettiness—it is not grand , it is graceful : it has no towering
mountains , craggy sides , or ruined castles to make it imposing ; but it is sweet , sylvan , sequestered ; the windings of the river convey the idea of a succession of lakes ; and as the bright sun poured down upon us , and our spirits leaped to embrace the enchantment of the scene , we emphatically resolved every year to make a similar tour , so vividly were we impressed with the superior enjoyment of pedestrianism . Our eleven miles were little more than a prolonged ejaculation of delight ! We reached Monmouth with the heroic capacity of walking twenty miles further " at need . "
At Monmouth our trunk awaited us . A wholesome ablution , and thorough change of linen , prepared us for luncheon . After which I wrote to ; and reread the letters that had been forwarded to me . Ah ! such letters ! ... Our next stage was Ragland . In passing through the town of Monmouth we each made our observations—McPousto as a philosopher , I as an Artist ( with a big A ) . Peter was struck by the various nods of friendly recognition which even the humblest passer by saluted us with . " It appears I am Jcnown here , " said he ; " my work on thePhanomenology of Cognition must have produced a greater effect than I thought possible . Yet these men do
not look like metaphysicians : how one maybe deceived ! " How , indeed Considering that the sale of this great work advances at the velocity of one or two copies per annum , I thought it not impossible that the nods might be acts of simple courtesy , but I did not venture to suggest such an idea . The result of my own survey of Monmouth I find thus recorded in my notebook : — " This can scarcely be called a lively town , since three men and a dog give quite a populous air to a street ; the trade appears to have a
briskness commensurate with the population , but the Division of Employments is conducted on a peculiar principle , seeing that butchers sell potatoes , and ropemakers vend hares . " The walk to Ragland , is pretty but not remarkable—except for the dust . It is high road all the way ; and Peter , whose thoughts had been sweeping the spacious circle of philosophic speculation , grew solemn as he grew tired , and insisted that Welsh miles were of quite different measurement from English . Indeed that pleasant fiction of " feeling up to twenty miles" when we left
Monmouth was somewhat rudely contradicted by reality as ; the shades of evening descended and the village of Ragland persisted in retreating from our advancing steps . We were hot , hungry , thirsty , weary ; yet onwards and onwards stretched the weary road , and milestones lengthened the interval between them . True we did meet with one rustic inn , where cyder washed with refreshment our parched and dusty mouths ; but like wandering Jews we were forced to take up our sticks , and carpet bag , and trudge , trudge , trudge along the white infinite of road . Our cheated hopes encreased the weariness . In the dusk a clump of shadowy trees bore very much the aspect of a ruined castle , and Ragland Castle was the beacon that we sought ;
but the hope no sooner rose in our breasts than it fell again , to be renewed , and again defeated . What terrible miles the three last were ! Peter was pathetic upon blisters , I was morose upon stiffness of joints . We bore all , nevertheless , with a certain gloomy stoicism , and tried to while away the sense of weariness by " thoughts that wandered thro' eternity . " Peter was involved in his explanation of the " architectonic paralogism of ^ Esthetic Intuitions —( a subject I thought somewhat deficient in clearness)—when a turn in the road brought Ragland into view ; the discussion ceased at onceand to this ( Jay I am in darkness respecting that great philosophical discovery which is to immortalize Peter ! The bounding elasticity of spirit with which
we entered the village ! The sudden oblivion of weariness , dust , everything but hunger ! The savage velocity with which we moved onward to our inn . ! And then the inn itself— The Ship—the most primitive and inviting of hostels ! We were introduced to a large , low-roofed , dimly-lighted room-rwith a sprawling black sofa—fabulous furniture—and in the hearth a blazing fire sufficient to roast an ox . Smoking cutlets and redundant toast , flanked by eggs , broiled ham , and a pantomime loaf , were swiftly set down before us , while the landlord and his wife—an ancient and primitive couple—sat down bvthe hearth and interchanged meteorological remarks with us , together
with some observations on the state of the roads , and the distances to Monmouth and Abergavenny . Peter was sublime at this moment ! He talked for both , and ate for twenty . Attacking a cutlet , he finished it almost as soon as his sentence . They gazed on him with evident admiration . In ancient days , when wandering gods took quiet seats at the hearth , the honoured hosts must so have gazed at their visitors . With my usual reserve I ate in lonely quietude . I marvelled at Peter ' s command of language and mastication ; and silently wondered when the countryman who was singing 1 in the kitchen , to the delight of congenial boors , would conclude that fatal
string of verses which composed his song . Tea over , we were left alone to our brandy-and-water and , cigars . Stretched upon the sofa , I smoked , listening to the pleasant crackling of the fire and ticking of the clock , only now and then exchanging a remark with Peter . The countryman had not finished his song ; but its drawling dismal monotony no more interfered with the current of our thoughts than would the tic tac of a millwheel . The landlord ' s niece , whom we learned was a bride , moved noiselessly about the room , and we invested her—quite gratuitously—with some romance . Altogether that scene made a very peculiar and a very lasting impression 011 me . As the clock struck ten we rose to go to bed , leaving the countryman still droning away at his song . But the adventure of this night will occupy too great a space for narration this week , so I must break off here in order to do it justice in my next .
Chaunts Of The Angels. The Fountains And...
CHAUNTS OF THE ANGELS . The fountains and the forest flowers , rejoicing in the noon , Forget the chill of morning , or that evening cometh soon : They but feel the heavenly influence , and take it -while they may ; So do thou , encompassed -with ills , enjoy thy life ' s brief day . Sorrow and joy are strangely linked , and may not come apart ; But the benison is theirs who gnin their lesson for the heart . If thou wrestlest for the "blessing , God will surely give it tliee In high and chaste affections , and a spirit calm and free ; He will lead thee to those fountains that are never , nevex dry , — To those holy heights of Being where all resentments die ; He will crown each earnest effort with a rich increase of faith , And teach thee how to listen to what the Spirit saitt i . Therefore , weep not o ' er the Past . As the mountain ranges tell Of the earthquake and the avalanche that left them beautiful ; So let suffering leave its impress , in a calmer , holier brow , Telling still of fires beneath , but of fires subdued and low . Grief , error , wrong , are needed to crucify the flesh , That the fountains of Salvation may freely flow afresh . Thank God for each experience , however sad it be , The clouds that darken thine own 6 oul will teach thee charity ,- — Will teach thee to compassionate those feebler wills who cower Bc-ncath the force of circumstance , and forfeit their high , dower . As the seeds of future foro . « ts come with devastating tides , So full oft a frowning countenance a father ' s kindness hides . And do thou brinish pride » nd scorn , those weeds that choke the flowers Of Faith , and Hope , and Charity , and cramp the Spirit ' s powers . " God ' s laics arc perfect and convert" lot these avengers be ; More godlike far a pitying lovo than loud-voiced contumely . With those who cherish lowliness all holy angels dwell , Whose deep-toned voices still repeat , " God doeth all things well J "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 26, 1850, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26101850/page/21/
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