O friend! O sister! to my bosom dear
By every tie that binds the soul sincere;
O, while I fondly dwell upon thy name,
Why sinks my soul, unequal to the theme?
But though unskilled thy various worth
to praise,
Accept my wishes, and excuse my lays.
May all thy future days, like this, be
gay,
And love and fortune blend their kindest
ray;
Long in their various gifts mayst thou
be blessed,
And late ascend the realms of endless
rest.
Among her papers, also, after her decease, was found a pastoral on “Disappointment,” which here follows, evidently written during her seclusion in Danvers, with this brief and pathetic letter in stenographic characters:—
“Must I die alone? Shall I never see you more? I know that you will come; but you will come too late. This is, I fear, my last ability. Tears fall so fast I know not how to write. Why did you leave me in such distress? But I will not reproach you. All that was dear I forsook for you, but do not regret it. May God forgive in both what was amiss. When I go from here, I will leave you some way to find me. If I die, will you come and drop a tear over my grave?”
The poem, which continues in the same moving strain, is touching and tender, and betrays a heart full of refinement and sensibility.
Disappointment.
With fond impatience, all the tedious
day
I sighed, and wished the lingering hours
away;
For when bright Hesper led the starry
train,
My shepherd swore to meet me on the plain.
With eager haste to that dear spot I flew,
And lingered long, and then in tears withdrew.
Alone, abandoned to love’s tenderest
woes,
Down my pale cheeks the tide of sorrow
flows;
Dead to all joy that Fortune can bestow,
In vain for me her useless bounties flow.
Take back each envied gift, ye powers
divine,
And only let me call Fidelio mine.
Ah, wretch! what anguish yet thy soul
must prove!
For thou canst hope to lose thy care in
love;
And when Fidelio meets thy tearful eye,
Pale fear and cold despair his presence
fly.
With pensive steps I sought thy walks
again,
And kissed thy token on the verdant plain;
With fondest hope, through many a blissful
hour,
We gave our souls to Fancy’s pleasing
power.
Lost in the magic of that sweet employ,
To build gay scenes and fashion future
joy,
We saw mild Peace over fair Canaan
rise,
And shower her pleasures from benignant
skies.
On airy hills our happy mansion rose,
Built but for joy—no room for
future woes.
Round the calm solitude with ceaseless
song,
* * * * *


