332 John Bachman. 



of this poetry ? ' He replied : ' The fellow who 

 wrote it would, probably, do better at the plow? From 

 that time I saved quires of paper, and much precious 

 time." But his home effusions were given to far less 

 critical ears, and were received with hearty greet- 

 ings and followed by genuine applause and merri- 

 ment. 



Mrs. Bachman's poetry was very simple, written 

 for the pleasure and amusement of the home circle. 

 One of her best was : 



" The Appeal of the MirabU-is" (Four O'clock). 



Dr. Bachman had become weary of these fragrant 

 flowers that grew year after year in the little plot 

 before his study windows, and he bade the gardener 

 pull them up. But the little silvery tongued mes- 

 senger came in and appealed to so many tender 

 memories in his heart, that the gay old-fashioned, 

 unpretending flower was allowed to remain and to 

 bloom, undisturbed, year after year. 



To MRS. LUCY AUDUBON: 



March 30th, 1856. 



As your old and faithful correspondent and friend, 

 is now, by the will of a Wise Providence, deprived of 

 the privilege of writing to you or to any one else, I 

 write to give you the sad particulars. 



When she was at New Orleans, on her way to 

 Cuba with our dear Eliza, her foot slipped and she- 

 injured her right arm in the fall. At first she com- 

 plained of the pain at intervals of three or four 

 months, then more frequently ; but for two months 

 past, the pain has been incessant, and the hand has 

 become helpless. 



