William Baxter Pen Portraits (1852)

FROM THE

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S O U T H E R N   L I T E R A R Y   M E S S E N G E R.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM--JNO. R. THOMPSON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
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 VOL. XVIII. RICHMOND, APRIL, 1852. NO. 4. 
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PEN PORTRAITS.
 
KATE.
 
Light and gay, sad and tearful,
Hopeful, hopeless, gloomy, cheerful,
Now all joyless, sadly singing;
Then all joy, her sweet laugh ringing:
Now all pensive, soon all smiling;
Ev'ry heart to mirth beguiling;
Be her mood, or gloom, or gladness,
All must love her--love to madness.
Thus we see in April weather,
Rain and sunshine,,both together;
Pleasant both, when they come single;
But perplexing, when they mingle;
Still, I love both shine and shower,
Though the cloud may darkly lower,
For when rain and sun are given,
Then, the rainbow glows in heaven.
 
 
ANN.
 
Silent, sad, and melancholy,
Hope within her heart is dead;
Resignation pure, and holy,
Marks the face whence joy has fled.
If perchance, a song she waken,
'Tis not one of careless mirth,
But like some sweet dove forsaken,
Mourneth she to flee from earth.
Her's is a sad voice of sighing,
Springing from a wounded soul;
Like the swan's sweet notes when dying,
Floats the strain she can't control.
She is a fair, fragile flower,
Meekly bending to the blast;
May she bloom in that bright bower,
Twined by angel hands at last.
 
 
VIRGINIA.
 
Ever gay, sad thoughts can never
Find a dwelling in her heart;
On her brow there fall no shadows,
She, and sorrow, dwell apart.
Storm-clouds never gather o'er her,
Bright and sunny are her skies,
On her face, bright hopes sit smiling;
Tears dim not her laughing eyes,
And her voice is like the warbling
Of the birds, in spring's bright hours,
Cheering hearts with sorrow laden;
As the dew cheers drooping flowers,
Gloom abides not where she dwelleth--
Sadness fleeth at her voice
Sunlike, she all clouds dispelleth,
And bids all around rejoice. [230]
 
 
MARTHA.
 
Calm and serene as summer's morn,
Methinks I see her now;
Dark passions dwell not in her heart;
Or clothe in frowns her brow.
Though calm, and deemed by many cold,
Her soul dwells in her eyes;
And love within their deep, clear depths,
In sweet concealment lies.
She like some ancient vestal seems,
Whose pure, sweet thoughts, are given
In matin songs and vesper hymns,
Like incense sweet, to heaven.
As deeper streams no murmur give--
So you can never trace
The thoughts, the dearest to her heart,
On her calm, thoughtful face.
AZIM.

 

[Southern Literary Messenger 18 (April 1852): 230-231.]

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

      William Baxter's "Pen Portraits: Kate, Ann, Virginia, Martha" was first published in the Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. 18, No. 4, April 1852, pp. 230-231. This volume, published in Richmond, Virginia, was edited by John R. Thompson.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page.

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 5 May 2000.
Updated 28 June 2003.

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