Part 7 — TO MRS. P——, OF CHESTNUT STREET.
Reading edition
Gentle as Aurora’s dawning,
Ere she wakes the blushing day,
Broke the light of girlhood’s morning
O’er her bright exulting way:
All her hopes were buoyant—glowing;
Rapture plumed the winged hours;
And, with mirth and music flowing,
Every foot-print filled with flowers.
Such was E—’s spring-day dreaming
As her path, through smiles and tears,
Beckoned her to visions beaming
On the front of after years:
O’er her form while Time was breathing
All of Beauty’s affluence now,
Grace and loveliness were wreathing
Garlands round her sunny brow.
’Midst her tresses archly smiling,
Love, the wily urchin, played;
Through her eyes he peered beguiling,
Round her lips he ever strayed:
In each limb, o’er every feature,
Unrestrained he seemed to move,
Till at length the peerless creature
Yielded all her soul to love!
Again her bark is on the billow,
Where the pageant Pleasure glides;
Not a thought disturbs her pillow
As she skims its sparkling tides:
Not a shade of earthly sorrow
Dims the wonder of her eye,
While its lustre seems to borrow
Radiance from tranquillity!
Still, at times, a touch of sadness
In its calm expressive beam
Strives to pale the light of gladness
That illumed her early dream:
And ’tis said she’s lost to feeling—
Spurning Nature’s high behest:
Ne’er by look or word revealing
Aught of passion in her breast!
Nay! though summer’s pride may wither;
Azure skies may lose their blue,
And the bee no longer gather
From the flower the honey-dew;
In her world of bright emotion,
Woman’s heart must beat the same,
Cherishing some deep devotion
With a pure undying flame!