The ladies' garland. [volume], February 23, 1828, Page 146, Image 2

About The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828

Image provided by: West Virginia University

                
.ill .ii seemed Id -pn-mi llii.ii.Ji ti.e uhole
yi'.up Ali ili** accu.stonnil Mii.ri-i". wcri* se
lecting within illi1 msi'li i• s their most favorite
' n , m llie i li":' ul a ii-.'iij -t lor their strains ;
■ ml ill i ■ -rs ivre *• Id mi lilted up ill
trove to r>—al 1 • > :i > n.'in sume ancient
dill*,. I I tlni i i. iiiii.*; their impellent
skill m II.i* l.-t ui Ii uinony. ( • iiinum•> were
isked a id pi i* i c! (lie sweetness ul tin- music,
md ti■ ■ In auly ol ’die pm:!!y of some popular
uouha d-mr, and i a i inns were the p issages and
•alienees gently trilled as specimens Air parti
alar admiration. Invert a brook, whicl) hither
to imiii* had In aid, now rippl. d and trippled
over it' -h,allow lied, ami sang its tinkling Jin*i >
dy In the del-ahted rashes, that I mill and iinifi
ml to il~ ii.ei i v me ainleriii,;*. The attention of
I lie Ci nip.my ivas rnnv di rented I i a vouth, who.
with little entreaty, prepared to comply with
tin* napiest made hy the lady, that lie should
relieve her from the embarrassment of !he ad
miration she had excited hy immediately com
rnencing a song, and the smile aad Ann,lier in
limit: n ol the head that followed the sohcil'i
tim.. w o -nl:vmnt to show that not onlv a
riemlly mtimacv snh between them to
ust dy h . pi..r.i| t deli: ir. I, hat Ik it lie was aa
- dept in tin: *ci i;o‘. J!e Has a vouth of t
'orrn. with a p'oA; .- a ot light hair euii'.inr ami
win mg in er a lull blight hazel eve. whose eiear
irclied hrow anil smooth fm ehcad spoke of hap
piness .mil heart's ease. ( lose, to him 'id a lair
riil with a hand closely locked in hi-, and look
jiir at him so fondly, and an-uering his speak*,
mg and laughing glanees so tenderlv and intel
iiitihly, that it was no difficult mailer to ^nr-i
they were lovers —happy, undivided lovers —
''he stole a shmt gentle w hisper in lus ear, and
fresentiv all listened to
TliK I.OVKil'S SO.Mi
\\ hat .itr the s::mn;cp ski. sto me,
Though bright and beaufful llicv !><
Whit s'e tin- garden's freshest (lowers
\11< 1 tlie km-iing- brer .. ol its greenest bowc.
I li<mt^li beauty ami fragrance n.i ngle there.
Ami sweet is the ot the amorous air,
Vet (lowers were never so glowing and sweet
\s my ! e.ly's bin ’1 when alone we meet.
\nd wli.it is the kiss of the softest bret -e,
l'o ni\ l.nly’s los i.i such in;:! ts as these ■
'Mill never so bright were the summer skie-'.
Vs the living light ol my lady s ctes.
Sweet are the beams of the early sun,
•f'.re the hum of the waking w nrld’s begun.
And p a ir t 1! us the mermaid’s song
fan rahn the v, i!d sea as it rolls along,
fhen swe t is the swell of each quiet wave,
As if fraught with a sigh for the shores they lave —
"mt 1 know a ^isorn w hose r in 1 fall
fan mum.1. a s:gh tliat’ssuve’er than ail,
Vnd coni : yon hut hear :m latly sing,
Vtitl’d hat ■ ears for no oilier rarrollmg:
While the tm.; i r.g beams would vipouis be,
' the light of tny la.h ’a s.-.il,- on me.
This song, which was given with all the tut
• mi skill ol :t practised singer, now dying anav
i lotv yet clear tones, then gradually rising to
the I ri swell of the voice, aided hv the well
timed paw.es and finished execution of a cor
rect ear, so pleased those who were listening
'iiat an universal hurst of approbation brought
the whole company into motion The attend
mis presented the wine cups, the ladies shifted
heir positions, as the gallants, becoming em
boldened, and somewhat inspired by the songs,
the time, and the place, were gathering closer
to the fa«r creatures ; and many were the delt
cate fingers that endured the pressure of more
nervous ones, almost to tlinching But whoever
a,, s. ''Hight' d With the efforts of the last
singer, none Her: more so than the lair gill
that sat close to lum ; a; -J as he hail extolled
the lady's carolling, no one lor a moment nn
aginrd that any other than that lady could be
meant: consequently entiealies lor her melody
poured, in from every quarter; but the poor
girl, tar from attempting t > prove her lover s
taste, sat trembling and grasping his arm, and
giving breathless negatives to every request,
and chiding the laughing youth now that she
discovered the situation his praise had placed
her in; hut in a well phrased pica from him,
and a voluntary ,,)ler of a song from another,
relieved the timid girl,and the party were again
preparing for silence. The person who had
proposed himself was a swarthy muscular young
man, with short curled black hair ami heard, a
l:ce.unceremonious deportment,and altogether
w,tilth - appearance, of one who had not at
ways been nr the land of Ins birth. Ills lace
showed the linge of an eastern sun, and the
bulb-ling of rougher winds than those that
shake the branches of an Italian forest. It ap
peared in hi - travels he had once hren capture.d
by a band of marauders, and in their retreat
lord learned from their leader the only song he
ever knew. 1’ was a wild and rugged air, par
tubing more of the rolling of the sea, anti the :
dashing of the cataract, than the low voiced
stream and the playful fountain. He rested ,
again-t the stem of a mighty elm, and in a
sleep toned and harmonious voice, sang—
TIIK ROIiliER S SONG.
Wo are the souls that tear not fate,
And the blasts oflifedefv;
We’ve hearts for love, and brands for hate.
And can reckless live or die
tin' lives have all an earthquake been,
I .cl the timid then shrink and wail;
Hut we, tv ho the worst ol the storm have seen.
Will ne’er at its thunder quail.
Then laugh, In! ha!
Then diini: ho! ho!
To sorrow’s overthrow.
Wht droop the hea 1 ;tt a woman's frown
Here’s enough in the world to smile:
The revenge of the scorned is the ivy crown,
And kinder lips tile while
Then as on the sea oflife we sail,
l.'.t m not heed the wind or sky:
Hut mount with the billow, and Hy with the gale,
Nor fear the wreck to die.
Then laugh, ha! ha!
And drink, ho! Iio!
To sorrow’s overthrow.
This song did not find that favor with the La
dies the two preceding ones had found, though
the gallants were loud in their praises of his
powerful cadences, and the deep intonations of
ins voice : nor was the singer displeased when
one compared his tones to the hoarse roar of
the for -t lion, hut laughed right jovially, and
a-onhed any fault that might be found with ins
style to Ins bandit tutor, and seemed particu
larly tirkled hy the remarks on his strenglh of
voice, as the forte tune his conversation after
wards assumed fully proved. The company
were now t ery urgent to prevail on some lady
to attempt a gen lc strain, and bring back their
thoughts and feelings to love, and sighs, and
tenderness, from which the rough rolling sound
of the robber’s'■ong had roused them; but in
vain—none would at present trust their delicate
voices to such an overwhelming contrast; and
after much debate and entreaty, a youth, who
had taken little interest in the proceedings of the
party, carelessly assented to a general solicita
tion that he should be the next singer. He was
reclining on the ground, resting his face on the
palm of his hand, and looking through a space
iii tlie foliage above him at a bright .st ir. which
hxcd in that 'pot oi the heavens, seemed watch
mg him like an eye He was a well prc.por
boned youth, with dark ehesnut hair, fhat, part
ing in the centre of Ins forehead, hung almost
to his shoulders in graceful curls, llis full deep
blue eye overhung by a straight broiv. black
and narrow, which would bend and answer the
curl of his proud lip when (lie frivol jus speeches
of some of (he. young gallants reached his ear,
and then, with a sigh almost like a groan, he
would (urn to the favorite spot of the blue sky
above him, and gaze at the star shining there,
as though he wished to breathe his very spirit
intuits white beams. His young cheek was
pale and rather wasted, and the two deep lines
engraven theie told of bitter scorn, passionate
thoughts, the sorrow that kills, and the proud
heart that deeply feels but wails not. He press
ed his hand to his forehead, and, still keeping
his reclining position, appeared to make an ef
fort not to be totally a misanthrope where a!.'
were so happy, seeming to entreat himself for
once to unbend and become like those abuu‘.
him, and in a not unmusical voice, but law ami
carelessly, was sung—
THE POET S SONG
Alas for me! ajeloud has hung
O’er all mine early days;
And if perchance a light has flun •
Across my path its rays,
I’ve wished that it had never been- ■
For like a flame at midnight seen,
I have not found, when it hath past
A deeper darkness round me cast.
Alas for me false hearts I've fount?.,
Where 1 had deem’d them true;
And stricken hopes lie all around
Where’er i turn my view.
There have been some that I have iov'c
And whose returning love I’ve prov’d
Far above sounding words;—but the;'
Are dead and gone, and past away
Alas for me! — I cannot think
Of happy moments fled;
Or sigh to look o’er that dread brink
Where sleep the countless dead.
My joys have been by sorrow crushed;
My heart’s best sounds have all been hushe^’.
Its strings are strained, and so my grave
Will welcome be—in earth or wave.
Alas for me!—’tis pity, too,
As youth is still mine own,
Then 1 should think as now I do,
And know what I have known.
Hut still I to this earth must cling,
While brooks and trees and blossoms splint,
And while the sky, the rocks and sea,
\re such sweet, silent friends lo me.
Thus the night wore away, their songs, then
pleasant tales, their happy taikings and laugh
ter, so enchanted the time, that the gay morning
carne upon them like a surprize. Hearts were
conquered, friendships made, and loves con
tinned, that lasted through a long life ; and of
ten, in after days, did the memories of those
who were of the gay company revert with tic
light on the merriments and the songs of a Sum
mer Night. J. B B.
Hymrncal Co-partnership.—Mr. William
Edwards, of New Marlborough,Mass, here
by gi'es notice to his numerous friends,
that, <m Tuesday of last week, he entitled
into copartner hip, * for better or for worse,’
for life, with Miss Jcrusha Tobey, of West
Stockbridge.