Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/576

 LOUISE ESTHER YICKROY. Louise Esther Vickroy, daughter of Edwin A. and Cornelia H. Vickrov, was born at Urbana, Ohio, January second, 1827. While Louise was yet a little child, the family migrated to Fern Dale, Columbia county, Pennsylvania, where they yet reside. Being one of twelve children, and her parents not affluent, she yet availed herself so well of her share of the means of improvement, as to have become an excellent scholar ; and made such familiars of the beauties and sublimities of nature about her, as to have strengthened and greatened her spirit to a high capability. Her mind has had a healthy growth among the wild and romantic scenery of western Pennsylvania. There is a feel of mountains in it, and a smack of forest streams. It impresses you with a sense of reserved power, sufficient for much more than it has yet achieved. Her genius is manifestly cultivable and improvable. It grows. She has been writing now only about eight years, it is true ; but most of our poetesses weep all "the dews of Castalie" away in less time — or get married: she has done neither. But she has continually developed in the art of expression, and her latest productions are her best. "The Spirit Home" and "Shadow-Light," her most recent publications, in the articles of choice rhetoric, delicious rhythm, and dainty imagina- tion, surpass any thing else we have seen from her pen, and are symptomatic of the fever of genius. But poetry with her is evidentl}' an art, and not a woman's passion. Not that she is an unexpert in love, by any means ; but that she can see other divinities than Venus on the mount, Parnassus. She cultivates poetry as one of the liberal studies — one of the humanities ; and does not seem to regard it as the mere spontane- ous combustion of a love-lorn heart. Indeed, she gives lectures on "Poetry and Poets," and proves that she knows how to analyze thoughts and criticise thinkers. Miss Vickroy's present home is Richmond, Indiana. Her profession has been that most noble and womanly one of teacher; but more recently, as just intimated, she has adopted that of lecturer, in which she is said to excel. We think we can confidently predict for her poetic future, excelsior. THE SPIRIT HOME. I THOUGHT, I knew not if awake or sleeping, I saw the spirit-home prepai-ed for me; In a deep forest of majestic palm-trees It rose ; no ai'tist's dream of ecstasy Might ever picture what its fair propor- tions And beauteous adjuncts were, nor may I tell In mortal words of its soft flowing waters, Its lilies pui-e, its wreaths of asphodel. (560 )