Metadata
Title
Anna Hansen Devacy to Sarah Josepha Hale
Date
1838-07-12
July 12, 1838
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-200
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Baltimore July 12 1838
To Mrs. Sarah Hale
Much esteemed Madam
I apologise, and regret intruding on
your valuable time, but circumstances render it in a measure necessary
In April last I sent a communication for the "Lady's Book," - a scrap of
of poetry called - "Sunset among the Alps" which was written during
severe illness. As my husband is a subscriber to the Lady's Book, and
his partial eyes discovering merits in the poetry which perhaps it does not
posess [possess], he wished to see it published therein, but it seems as if it were
thought unworthy of a page, and so far from feeling sensations of anger
or mortification that it has not appeared, I am grateful to your
discriminating judgement for laying it aside - There is too much
hackneyed sentiment and indifferent poetry crowding our Periodicals
and papers already - I do not wish to increase it. Since ill health
has been decaying my frame, writing has been one of my principal
amusements - Shut out in the bloom of youth from the real any
spirit has oftentimes exulted in its capability of enjoying the invisible
ideal. Altho incapable of expressing the beautiful things of of that
bright world my heart has been filled with them, and I fain
would have written its poetry, but thought is sometimes too mighty
for words. Owing to the precarious state of my health - not knowing
at what hour I may be called hence - my husband is anxious
to collect every little scrap - or the originals of every piece I
have written - I had no Copy of the piece I sent, will you be
kind enough therefore to return the manuscript - Directed to
L. Dorsey Esqr. Once more Madam I apologize for troubling you
and thank you for the many pure lessons I have learned from your
gifted pen - As a daughter - as a wife - I have endeavoured to profit
by them - and as one, who will in a few days be called to fulfil
the solemn responsibilities of a Mother, her heart retains them with
gratitude to its teacher -
Very Respectfully yours
Anna Hanson Dorsey
To Mrs. Sarah Hale
Much esteemed Madam
I apologise, and regret intruding on
your valuable time, but circumstances render it in a measure necessary
In April last I sent a communication for the "Lady's Book," - a scrap of
of poetry called - "Sunset among the Alps" which was written during
severe illness. As my husband is a subscriber to the Lady's Book, and
his partial eyes discovering merits in the poetry which perhaps it does not
posess [possess], he wished to see it published therein, but it seems as if it were
thought unworthy of a page, and so far from feeling sensations of anger
or mortification that it has not appeared, I am grateful to your
discriminating judgement for laying it aside - There is too much
hackneyed sentiment and indifferent poetry crowding our Periodicals
and papers already - I do not wish to increase it. Since ill health
has been decaying my frame, writing has been one of my principal
amusements - Shut out in the bloom of youth from the real any
spirit has oftentimes exulted in its capability of enjoying the invisible
ideal. Altho incapable of expressing the beautiful things of of that
bright world my heart has been filled with them, and I fain
would have written its poetry, but thought is sometimes too mighty
for words. Owing to the precarious state of my health - not knowing
at what hour I may be called hence - my husband is anxious
to collect every little scrap - or the originals of every piece I
have written - I had no Copy of the piece I sent, will you be
kind enough therefore to return the manuscript - Directed to
L. Dorsey Esqr. Once more Madam I apologize for troubling you
and thank you for the many pure lessons I have learned from your
gifted pen - As a daughter - as a wife - I have endeavoured to profit
by them - and as one, who will in a few days be called to fulfil
the solemn responsibilities of a Mother, her heart retains them with
gratitude to its teacher -
Very Respectfully yours
Anna Hanson Dorsey