worth. She is said, like Mrs. Hemans, to have been acquainted with domestic sorrows, and, like her, even in the midst of many cares and trials, possessed traces of considerable beauty.

The latest production of Mrs. Sigourney was a volume entitled "The Faded Hope," a record of the life and virtues of a beloved son, who died aged nineteen.

Mrs. Sigourney, as her letters will show, was well aware of Lady Blessington's admiration for the writings of Mrs. Hemans. That lady was never spoken of by her except in terms of the highest praise, and her admiration for the poetry of Mrs. Hemans was no less enthusiastic than just and discriminating. In one of her works she says, "The exquisite poems of Mrs. Hemans affect one like sacred music; they never fail to excite solemn feelings of an elevated and spiritual character, and sentiments of a pensive cast, of calm resignation and serenity." The mind. of this gifted woman, with all its treasures of innate melody, she compares to an Æolian harp, that every sighing wind awakens to music, most sweet but melancholy, the full charm of which can only be appreciated by those who have sorrowed, and who look beyond the earth for the solace of their cares.*

It is worthy of observation, too, that the genius of Mrs. Hemans was fully appreciated by Lady Blessington at a period when it was underrated by many of her contemporaries.

She was wont to speak of Mrs. Hemans and Miss Landon as two of the most gifted women of our time. She thought the intimate relationship of their genius, the kindred nature of their tastes and pursuits, of their sorrows and the similarity of their destinies, of their claims on the sympathies of all people of literary tastes, naturally associated their names and memories.

In Anne's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, I recently found a tablet in the wall in commemoration of the genius and the virtues of Mrs. Hemans.

The well-remembered traits of beauty and of talent, and of care and sorrow that clouded their brightness-the sweet traits that belonged to her whose name is on this sepulchral tablet, came full before me while I read the inscription on it; and they

The Idler in France, vol. ii., p. 62.

reminded me of those beautiful lines of hers on the loved looks

of a departed friend :

"They haunt me still, those calm, pure, holy eyes;

Their piercing sweetness wanders through my dreams;
The soul of music that within them lies,

Comes o'er my soul in soft and sudden gleams.
Life-spirit life, immortal and divine,

Is there, and yet how dark a death was thine."

Few things in life are more mournful to reflect than the destiny which links the " spirit life" of such a being as Felicia Hemans with cares and sorrows that darken life, and even bring additional gloom to death itself. "How is the laurel shaken" over such a tomb!

INSCRIPTION ON THE MURAL TABLET IN ANNE'S CHURCH, DUBLIN. In the vault beneath

are deposited the mortal remains of
FELICIA HEMANS,

who died May 16th, 1833,
aged 40 years.

Calm in the bosom of thy God,

Fair spirit, rest thee now;

E'en while with us thy footsteps trod,

His seal was on thy brow.

Dust to its narrow house beneath,

Soul to its place on high!

They that have seen thy look in death,

No more may fear to die.

LETTERS FROM MRS. SIGOURNEY TO LADY BLESSINGTON.

"Hartford, Connecticut, June 10th, 1841. "MY DEAR MADAM,-Had it been possible, before my departure from London, I should have done myself the honor again to have paid my respects at Gore House, where my call with our friend, Mrs. Hall, is remembered with much pleasure. Your kindness of manner was most charming to a stranger, and the warmth with which you spoke of my dear Mrs. Hemans quite opened my heart. I may truly say that I love those who love her. I was disappointed at not being able to see, while in Great Britain, Mrs. Hughes, her sister and accomplished biographer. Your ladyship's writings, and some of the splendid works which you have occasionally edited, are known in this country; still, I should like to have them more so, for the young, green West is

inclined to appreciate genius and taste. Might I ask that if you condescend to reply to this, you will send me, at the same time, a few lines of your poetry? I was delighted with England, the Great Fatherland,' and thankful for the privilege of visiting it.

"Remember me with much regard to your nieces, the Misses Power. I should be pleased to hear of the welfare of their talented little sisters, some of whose developments were related to me.

"With gratitude for your attention, believe me, most respectfully, your friend, L. H. SIGOURNEY."

"Hartford, Connecticut, August 12th, 1843. "Last December, being in the city of Boston, where my Pleasant Memories of Pleasant Lands' were in the process of publication, I put on board the steam-ship, then on the verge of sailing, one of the first copies that I obtained from the press, directed to yourself, to the care of John Murray, of Albemarle Street. Was that also unfortunate in its destination? I am inclined to think that ill fortune in such matters pursues me, as I received only by the last steamer an acknowledgment from a friend in England of a similar volume having but just reached her, which was sent eight months since, in the same package as your own. . . . Are you aware how much your novel of

'Meredith' is admired in these United States? I see it ranked in some of our leading periodicals as the 'best work of the noble and talented authoress.' This they mean as high praise, since your other productions have been widely and warmly commended. We are, as you doubtless know, emphatically a reading people.

"Our magazines, and many of the works that they announce, go into the humble dwelling of the manufacturer, into the brown hand of the farmer, into the log hut of the emigrant, who sees around him the dark forms of the remnant of our aboriginal tribes, &c., hears the murmurs of the turbid Missouri, perhaps the breaking billows of the Pacific.

"I have recently become interested, for the present year, in one of those periodicals published for ladies in New York, which announces two thousand subscribers, and assumes to have ten times that number of readers.

"I hope your beautiful nieces are well. I wish to be remembered to them. Have you recently heard from the brilliant one in the far Orient?

"I write this with one of the pens from the tasteful little writing-box you were so good as to send me, and repeat my thanks for that gift, so acceptable in itself, and so valued as from your hand. You had not been quite well when you last wrote. I hope you have long ere this quite recovered, and that you will soon write me so. L. H. SIGOURNEY."

"Hartford, Connecticut, May 28th, 1842. "Your letter was received with much pleasure, though it grieved me to hear of the severe indisposition with which you had been suffering. I trust

that long ere this your health is perfectly restored. How shall I thank you for the sweet poem you were so good as to inclose for me? Still, the very sweetness of its nature has frustrated my hopes. I had desired to adorn a periodical, circulated very widely among American ladies, with some original effusions of yours, but the very flattering manner in which it alludes to me, and which would be considered on this side of the water as exceedingly beyond my deserts, will oblige me to confine the tuneful guest to my own portfolio. I have been reperusing lately, with new interest, some of your new works, especially your Conversations with Lord Byron.' Are you well acquainted with his sister? I had hopes of seeing her while in London, but was prevented by her ill health.

"I received from Mr. Murray a gift of his elegant edition of Byron, which, with the beautiful 'Italy' of Rogers, highly valued as a present from the accomplished author, form quite a tasteful range in my plain republican library.

"Do you know that you quite won my heart by the enthusiastic manner in which you spoke of my dear Mrs. Hemans when I was at Gore House. I pray you accept, as a little mark of this gratitude, the last American edition of that beloved author which I have seen, and which is, in its style of execution, more à l'Anglaise than our publishers on this side usually favor us with.

"I should like to be kept apprised of the welfare of your younger niece, now absent from your country, and of the progress of so precocious and original a mind.

My friend Mr. Goodrich, of Boston,* will deliver to you the accompanying volumes. L. H. SIGOURNEY."

"Hartford, Connecticut, October 31st, 1842.

"I very highly value all the marks of your remembrance, and your expressions of interest in the literature and welfare of my country. You can scarcely imagine with what enthusiastic gratitude I think of Lord Ashburton and the results of his embassy. May the amity which has sprung out of the ratification of the treaty be perpetual; for, besides the inexpediency and impolicy of hostility between our nations, it would be to me, since my delightful visit to the glorious mother-land, a deep and sore grief of heart should aught be suffered to embroil our relations, or embitter the blood that flowed from the same old Saxon fountain.

"I have seen, with great admiration, your 'Keepsake' and 'Book of Beauty' for the present year, which are embellishing the centre-tables of some of our aristocracy, for we are not so pure a republic as to have no shadow of aristocracy, and we give too much prominence, perhaps, to that which is based solely on wealth. The beauty of your engravings might almost discourage our attempts at Annuals on this side of the water. I searched, and read first all from your pen which those volumes contained. Is the Miss Power who has written an interesting article in the 'Keepsake' one of those beautiful

* Peter Parley.-R. R. M.

nieces whom I saw at Gore House? May I ask where Walter Savage Landor is now? He was on the list of distinguished persons whom I desired to see while in Great Britain, but he was not there at that time.

"You are very kind to desire an engraving of me. There is none with which my friends are satisfied; but there is one now in progress, in Philadelphia, from a likeness taken in London, which, should it be more successful, I will have the honor of forwarding to you.

"I am so pleased that you liked my friend, the Hon. Mr. Goodrich. I have not seen him since his return, but he wrote me of your politeness to him. He is a man of original and versatile talents, and uncommon energy of character.

“I recollect your requesting of me, when in England, a lock of hair, which was forgotten to be sent while I was there. Will you now allow it to cross the ocean in the form of a simple bracelet, accompanied by a bottle of the pure otto of rose, which I have recently received from Constantinople? Your acceptance of these trifling mementoes will much oblige me. My best regard to your nieces. When you send to the little distant one in whom your description so much interested me, will you please add, with my love, the purse which my young daughter sends, and which derives its only value from being the work of the poor aborigines of the country? L. H. SIGOURNEY."

"Hartford, Connecticut, September 13th, 1845. "Your last kind letter was truly welcome. It came opportunely to dispel some dim fears of forgetfulness, which were gathering like chilling mists around your protracted silence.

"Accept my thanks for the elegant copy of Heath's 'Book of Beauty,' which derives its principal interest, in my view, from your supervision.

"I felt quite humble at the tameness and unappropriateness of my own little poem, at the 271st page, and the more so from the circumstance that the omission of one of the lines, at the close of the fifth stanza, deprives it both of rhyme and meaning. I have not been as tardy in acknowledging your gift as it would seem. It did not reach me until July, though your letter was dated in May. I was then on a summer journey with my young daughter, and soon after my return was attacked with severe illness, from which I have only yet sufficiently recovered to take a short drive on a fine day, and to write a little at long intervals. I was grieved to hear of the delicate health of your sister, Lady Canterbury, and hope she has, ere this, perfectly recovered. I was sorry to see in the public papers that our friend, Mr. Willis, had suffered from ill health soon after his arrival in London. I trust, from the naïveté of his public letters, that he is quite well again. We consider him as one of our most gifted writers, and of course follow all his movements with interest. It gave me pleasure to be informed by you of the successful enterprise of Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall. They are excellent people, and I rejoice in their prosperity. Mrs. Hall showed me much friendship when I was in your country, which I shall never forget. L. H. SIGOURNEY."