{"id":3614,"date":"2016-02-13T16:18:24","date_gmt":"2016-02-13T16:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/?p=3614"},"modified":"2016-02-13T17:30:38","modified_gmt":"2016-02-13T17:30:38","slug":"marriage-proposal-1848","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/?p=3614","title":{"rendered":"Engaged, 1848"},"content":{"rendered":"
Tristrim Lowther Skinner to Eliza Fisk Harwood<\/div><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

Detail from “Childhood,” The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842, National Gallery of Art.<\/p><\/div>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Thomas_Cole_-_The_Voyage_of_Life_Childhood,_1842_(National_Gallery_of_Art)\"<\/a>

“Childhood,” The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842, National Gallery of Art.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

“Youth,” The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842, National Gallery of Art.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

“Manhood,” The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842,National Gallery of Art.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

 <\/p>\n

\"Thomas_Cole_-_The_Voyage_of_Life_Old_Age,_1842_(National_Gallery_of_Art)\"<\/a>

“Old Age,” The Voyage of Life by Thomas Cole, 1842, National Gallery of Art.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tristrim Lowther Skinner to Eliza Fisk Harwood, September 26, 1848.<\/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> copyright \u00a9 Mary Maillard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  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.     And though stern fate has shaped my course, Through paths … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[328,556,133,555,557,365,558,559,98],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4M6TH-Wi","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3614"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3637,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3614\/revisions\/3637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skinnerfamilypapers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}