TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST.

SIR,
The following Poem is the Introdution to ! somewh!t longer one, for
whih I sh!ll soliit insertion on "our ne#t o$en d!". The use of the Old
%!ll!d word, &'!die&, for '!d", is the onl" $iee of o(soleteness in it) !nd
!s it is $rofessedl" ! t!le of !nient times, I trust, th!t *the !+etion!te
lo,ers of ,ener!(le !nti-uit"* .!s /!mden s!"s0 will gr!nt me their
$!rdon, !nd $erh!$s m!" (e indued to !dmit ! fore !nd $ro$riet" in it.
1 he!,ier o(2etion m!" (e !ddued !g!inst the 1uthor, th!t in these
times of fe!r !nd e#$et!tion, when no,elties &e#$lode& !round us in !ll
diretions, he should $resume to o+er to the $u(li ! sill" t!le of old
f!shioned lo,e) !nd, 3,e "e!rs !go, I own, I should h!,e !llowed !nd felt
the fore of this o(2etion. %ut, !l!s4 e#$losion h!s sueeded e#$losion
so r!$idl", th!t no,elt" itself e!ses to !$$e!r new) !nd it is $ossi(le th!t
now, e,en ! sim$le stor", wholl" uns$ired 56 ins$ired7 with $olitis or
$erson!lit", m!" 3nd some !ttention !mid the hu((u( of Re,olutions, !s
to those who h!,e resided ! long time (" the f!lls of Ni!g!r!, the lowest
whis$ering (eomes distintl" !udi(le.
S. T. /O'ERIDGE.
O le!,e the 'il" on its stem)
O le!,e the Rose u$on the s$r!")
O le!,e the Elder8(loom, f!ir M!ids4
1nd listen to m" l!".
1 /"$ress !nd ! M"rtle (ough,
This morn !round m" h!r$ "ou twin*d,
%e!use it f!shion*d mournfull"
Its murmurs in the wind.
1nd now ! T!le of 'o,e !nd 9oe,
1 woeful T!le of 'o,e I sing: ;
H!r<, gentle M!idens, h!r<4 it sighs
1nd trem(les on the string.
%ut most, m" own de!r Gene,ie,e4
It sighs !nd trem(les most for thee4
O ome !nd he!r the ruel wrongs
%efel the d!r< '!die4
Few sorrows h!th she of her own,
M" ho$e, m" 2o", m" Gene,ie,e4
She lo,es me (est whene*er I sing
The songs th!t m!<e her grie,e.
1ll thoughts, !ll $!ssions, !ll delights,
9h!te,er stirs this mort!l fr!me,
1ll !re (ut ministers of 'o,e,
1nd feed his s!red =!me.
O e,er in m" w!<ing dre!ms,
I dwell u$on th!t h!$$" hour,
9hen midw!" on the Mount I s!te
%eside the ruin*d Tow*r.
The moonshine, ste!ling o*er the sene,
H!d (lended with the lights of e,e,;
1nd she w!s there, m" ho$e4 m" 2o"4
M" own de!r Gene,ie,e4
She le!n*d !g!inst the !rmed M!n
The st!tue of the !rmed >night88
She stood !nd listen*d to m" h!r$,
1mid the ling*ring light.
I $l!"*d ! s!d !nd doleful !ir,
I s!ng !n old !nd mo,ing stor",
1n old rude song, th!t 3tted well
The ruin wild !nd ho!r".
She listen*d with ! =itting (lush,
9ith down!st e"es !nd modest gr!e:
For well she <new, I ould not hoose
%ut g!?e u$on her f!e.
I told her of the >night th!t wore
@$on his shield ! (urning (r!nd.
1nd how for ten long "e!rs he woo*d
The '!die of the '!nd:
I told her, how he $in*d, !nd !h4
The dee$, the low, the $le!ding tone,
9ith whih I s!ng !nother*s lo,e,
Inter$reted m" own4
She listen*d with ! =itting (lush,
9ith down!st e"es !nd modest gr!e.
1nd she forg!,e me, th!t I g!?*d
Too fondl" on her f!e4
%ut when I told the ruel sorn,
Th!t r!?*d this (old !nd lo,el" >night)
1nd how he ro!m*d the mount!in woods,
Nor rested d!" or night)
1nd how he ross*d the 9oodm!n*s $!ths,
Thro* (ri!rs !nd sw!m$" mosses (e!t)
How (oughs re(ounding sourg*d his lim(s,
1nd low stu(s gor*d his feet.
How sometimes from the s!,!ge den,
1nd sometimes from the d!r<some sh!de,
1nd sometimes st!rting u$ !t one,
In green !nd sunn" gl!de)
There !me !nd loo<*d him in the f!e
1n 1ngel (e!utiful !nd (right,
1nd how he <new it w!s ! Fiend,
This mis*r!(le >night4
1nd how, un<nowing wh!t he did,
He le!$t !mid ! l!wless (!nd,
1nd s!,*d from outr!ge worse th!n de!th
The '!die of the '!nd.
1nd how she we$t, !nd l!s$*d his <nees,
1nd how she tended him in ,!in,
1nd mee<l" stro,e to e#$i!te
The sorn th!t r!?*d his (r!in)
1nd how she nurs*d him in ! !,e)
1nd how his m!dness went !w!",
9hen on the "ellow forest le!,es
1 d"ing m!n he l!")
His d"ing words88(ut when I re!h*d
Th!t tenderest str!in of !ll the ditt",
M" f!ult*ring ,oie !nd $!using h!r$
Distur(*d her soul with $it".
1ll im$ulses of soul !nd sense
H!d thrill*d m" guiltless Gene,ie,e88
The musi !nd the doleful t!le,
The rih !nd (!lm" e,e)
1nd ho$es !nd fe!rs th!t <indle ho$e,
1n undistinguish!(le throng)
1nd gentle wishes long su(du*d,
Su(du*d !nd herish*d long.
She we$t with $it" !nd delight88
She (lush*d with lo,e !nd m!iden sh!me,
1nd li<e the murmurs of ! dre!m,
I he!rd her (re!the m" n!me.
I s!w her (osom he!,e !nd swell,
He!,e !nd swell with inw!rd sighs88
I ould not hoose (ut lo,e to see
Her gentle (osom rise.
Her wet hee< glow*d) she ste$t !side,
1s onsious of m" loo< she ste$t)
Then suddenl", with tim*rous e"e,
She =ew to me, !nd we$t)
She h!lf8inlos*d me with her !rms88
She $ress*d me with ! mee< em(r!e)
1nd, (ending (!< her he!d, loo<*d u$,
1nd g!?*d u$on m" f!e.
*Tw!s $!rtl" lo,e, !nd $!rtl" fe!r,
1nd $!rtl" *tw!s ! (!shful !rt,
Th!t I might r!ther feel th!n see,
The swelling of her he!rt.
I !lm*d her fe!rs, !nd she w!s !lm,
1nd told her lo,e with ,irgin $ride)
1nd so I won m" Gene,ie,e,
M" (right !nd (e!ut*ous (ride.
1nd now one more ! t!le of woe,
1 woeful t!le of lo,e, I sing:
For thee, m" Gene,ie,e4 it sighs,
1nd trem(les on the string.
9hen l!st I s!ng the ruel sorn
Th!t r!?*d this (old !nd lonel" >night,
1nd how he ro!m*d the mount!in woods,
Nor rested d!" or night)
I $romis*d thee ! sister t!le
Of M!n*s $er3dious ruelt":
/ome, then, !nd he!r wh!t ruel wrong
%efel the D!r< '!die.