GKAHAME'S "SABBATH.' 



139 



in the ardour of composition, of the 

 leading idea altogether.' 



" Mrs. Hemans' voice was pecu- 

 liarly musical, and I would have 

 given anything to have heard her 

 recite some of her own poetry ; but 

 I did not dare to hazard such a 

 request ; and feeling that I had 

 intruded quite long enough on her 

 time, I intimated my intention of 

 taking my departure, when she 

 begged me to partake of some re- 

 freshment. 



" I must not omit to mention, 

 for the especial benefit of my fair 

 readers, that Mrs. Hemans' dress 

 was simple enough. She wore a 

 white gown (I am really not learned 

 nough in such matters to say whe- 

 ther it was of cotton or muslin), 

 over which was thrown a black lace 

 shawl ; on her head was a cap of 

 very open network, without flowers 

 or ornament of any kind." 



An American visitor gives the 

 following description of Mrs. He- 

 mans : 



"I cannot well conceive of a 

 more exquisitely beautiful creature 

 thau Mrs. Hemans was. None of 

 the portraits or busts I have ever 

 seen of her do her justice, nor is it 

 possible for words to convey to the 

 reader any idea of the matchless 

 yet serene beauty of her expres- 

 sion. Her glossy waving hair was 

 parted on her forehead, and termi- 

 nated, on the sides, in rich and 

 luxuriant auburn curls; there was 

 a dove-like look in her eyes, and 

 yet there was a chastened sadness 

 in their expression. Her com- 

 plexion was remarkably clear, aud 

 ber high forehead looked as pure 

 and spotless as Parian marble. A 

 calm repose, not umningled with 

 melancholy, was the characteristic 

 expression of the face; but when 

 slii! smiled, all traces of sorrow 

 were lost, aud she seemed to be 

 but ' a little lower than the angels' 

 fitting shrine for so pure :i mind. 

 Let me not be deemed a flatterer 



or an enthusiast, in thus describ- 

 ing her, for I am only one of many 

 who have been almost as much 

 captivated by her personal beauty 

 as charmed by the sweetness and 

 holiness of her productions. If 

 ever poesies were the reflex of the 

 beauties, personal and mental, of 

 their writers, they were indeed so 

 in the case of Mrs. Hemans. 



" We talked, of course, a great 

 deal about poetry and poets, and 

 she asked me if I had seen Words- 

 worth. 



" On my replying that I had not, 

 she said, 'You will be almost as 

 much delighted with the man as 

 with his works. He is delightful. 

 I once saw him at St. Asaph, and 

 he spent half a day with me recit- 

 ing his own poetry.' 



"We talked of L. E. L. Mrs. 

 Hemans said she had received 

 several letters from her, contain- 

 ing pressing invitations to visit 

 London. ' A place I never was 

 in, and never wish to be,' she ob- 

 served. ' My heart beats too loudly, 

 even in this quiet place, and there 

 I think it would burst. The 

 great Babel was not made for such 

 as I.' " 



GKAHAME'S " SABBATH." 

 When James Grahame composed 

 the poem of The Sabbath, he sent 

 it to the press unknown to his 

 wife. When it was issued, he 

 brought her a copy, and requested 

 her to read it. As his name was 

 not prefixed to the work, she did 

 not dream that he had anything to 

 do with it. As she went on r 

 ing, the sensitive author w.-'i' 

 up and down the room. At length 

 she broke out in praise of the poem, 

 and turning to him, said, "Ah, 

 James, if you could but produce a 

 poem like this!" Judge, then, of 

 her delighted surprise when she 

 found he was the author. The 

 effect upon her, it is said, was al- 

 most overwhelming. 



