{"id":2071,"date":"2014-11-11T06:47:16","date_gmt":"2014-11-11T06:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/?page_id=2071"},"modified":"2014-12-28T07:34:59","modified_gmt":"2014-12-28T07:34:59","slug":"eliza-since-the-day","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/?page_id=2071","title":{"rendered":"Eliza, since the day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A11303.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u001b<\/p>\n

Eliza, since the day when first,<\/em><\/p>\n

I saw thy lovely form and face;<\/em><\/p>\n

My heart has lived upon they love,<\/em><\/p>\n

And with my growth, has grown apace.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And though stern fate has shaped my course,<\/em><\/p>\n

Through paths with rocks and thorns thick strewn;<\/em><\/p>\n

My love for thee mid grief and pain,<\/em><\/p>\n

No doubt, nor wavering has known.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Still you know well how sad for me,<\/em><\/p>\n

Were change which short years brought forth;<\/em><\/p>\n

Proving that young Love\u2019s brightest smiles,<\/em><\/p>\n

N\u2019er last long, and are little worth.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Then, like the weary mariner;<\/em><\/p>\n

When stormy clouds around him rise;<\/em><\/p>\n

Shutting out e\u2019en the star of hope,<\/em><\/p>\n

From his care worn, yet searching eyes \u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Who, while he gives up all as lost,<\/em><\/p>\n

Will hope, through hoping against hope;<\/em><\/p>\n

That some bright change will bring him strength<\/em><\/p>\n

Gainst his misfortune yet to cope.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

So I, without one ray of light,<\/em><\/p>\n

Whereon to base my hope the while;<\/em><\/p>\n

Mid fortune\u2019s darkest frown still hoped,<\/em><\/p>\n

To see that frown change to a smile.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And though kind friends, and nature, oft<\/em><\/p>\n

Tried hard my constancy to shake;<\/em><\/p>\n

They found my heart by fetters bound,<\/em><\/p>\n

Too strong for earthly strength to break.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The bonds of love, when early forged,<\/em><\/p>\n

And bound to hearts both young and true;<\/em><\/p>\n

As years roll on, increase in strength,<\/em><\/p>\n

And time cannot their links undo.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"A11309.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Eliza, years ago, I felt<\/em><\/p>\n

That my heart thus was bound to thee;<\/em><\/p>\n

And that while you should single live,<\/em><\/p>\n

I n\u2019er could hope to see it free.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Fair forms, around me flitted, oft,<\/em><\/p>\n

With hearts as pure as heaven above;<\/em><\/p>\n

Tempting me from my constancy.<\/em><\/p>\n

I loved them \u2014 yet I did not love.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

For, what I saw in them to love,<\/em><\/p>\n

Fond memory showed more bright in thee;<\/em><\/p>\n

And thus was I more strongly bound,<\/em><\/p>\n

By the means used to set me free.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Full oft have I, in silence wished,<\/em><\/p>\n

That thy young heart, when it was mine;<\/em><\/p>\n

Had been by love, bound with such ties,<\/em><\/p>\n

As those which chained my heart to thine.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Years fraught with deep distress to me,<\/em><\/p>\n

Though happy years they\u2019ve been to thee;<\/em><\/p>\n

Might by us both have then been passed,<\/em><\/p>\n

In joyousness and ecstacy.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Those who through long and varied lives,<\/em><\/p>\n

Have seen both storm and sunshine, say<\/em><\/p>\n

That e\u2019en the darkest night, is oft<\/em><\/p>\n

Succeeded by the brightest day.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And may not I now truly hope,<\/em><\/p>\n

That Fate\u2019s dark frown has gone for\u2019er;<\/em><\/p>\n

And that my future life may be,<\/em><\/p>\n

From clouds of trouble, ever clear.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes \u2014 for you\u2019ve promised, my reward,<\/em><\/p>\n

Shall be that pure and priceless gem;<\/em><\/p>\n

The heart that I more highly prize,<\/em><\/p>\n

Than earth\u2019s most precious diadem.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And with your heart you give your hand,<\/em><\/p>\n

Which joined in mine, I nightly pray;<\/em><\/p>\n

May through long years of happiness,<\/em><\/p>\n

Remain as down life\u2019s stream we stray.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And may our hearts be filled with light,<\/em><\/p>\n

From heaven to guide us on our way;<\/em><\/p>\n

And may our hands be blessed with strength,<\/em><\/p>\n

To do our duty day by day. \u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Thomas_Cole,_The_Voyage_of_Life,_1842,_National_Gallery_of_Art\"<\/a>

The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842. “Childhood” is depicted in the header, “Youth” at center page, and “Manhood” in the image above.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tristrim Lowther Skinner to Eliza Fisk Harwood, September 26, 1848. <\/em><\/p>\n

Excerpted from Mary Maillard, ed., The Belles of Williamsburg: The Courtship Correspondence of Eliza Fisk Harwood and Tristrim Lowther Skinner 1839-1849<\/em><\/a><\/span>\u00a0copyright \u00a9 Mary Maillard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u001b Eliza, since the day when first, I saw thy lovely form and face; My heart has lived upon they love, And with my growth, has grown apace. \u00a0 And though stern fate has shaped my course, Through paths with … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2073,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":""},"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P4M6TH-xp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2071"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2071"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2320,"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2071\/revisions\/2320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}