The Poets and Poetry of Cecil County, Maryland Part 24

Soft are thy rivulets, gentle thy water-falls, Rippling so merrily toward the broad sea; Fringed with bright daisies, which bloom on thy borders, E'en Nature herself pays a tribute to thee.

Sweeter and lovelier than all thy fair sisters, Thy gentleness surely hath fame for thee won, While thy star, not forgotten, shines forth in a glory That crowns the best flag that waves under the sun.

Thy name brings a scent of the dogwood and myrtle, The jessamine, too, comes in for a share, With great yellow petals so heavy with perfume, That can with the tube-rose's only compare.

Tho' large be the family, there's room for the fairest; No house is too small for a family with love: So Florida, thou who art brightest and dearest, The "Pet of the Household" forever shall prove.

Thy rivers are broad and thy lakes fringed with gra.s.ses, The glint of the waves of the bright Santa Fe, With her edging of cypress and long-floating mosses, Forever are murmuring a sonnet to thee.

While high on a hill sits the Queen of the Villas, Sweet Melrose! whose name is the least of her charms, Waves a welcome to all, to come over the billows And find a safe home 'neath her sheltering arms.

And so they are coming, the weak and the weary, From near and from far, the strong and the brave, All ready to drink of the life giving breezes, The only Elixir that truly can save.

EVENING.

'Tis Evening! soul enchanting hour, And queenly silence reigns supreme; A shade is cast o'er lake and bower, All nature sinks beneath the power Of sweet oblivion's dream.

The Sun--the hero-G.o.d of day, Has from this happier half of earth, Pa.s.sed on with sweet life-giving ray, To smile on millions glad and gay, In sorrow or in mirth.

While in his stead, the Heavens above Are shaded with a silver light, So soft, so pure--that angels rove, To guard from evil those who love The G.o.d, who made all bright.

Then soon that planetary sea Is studded o'er with diadems, Shining alike on land and sea.

High, high above the loftiest tree; Proud Nature's priceless gems.

Who would not leave the crowded room, The grand, but cold musician's art; To wander 'neath the calm still moon.

When nature speaks 'mid wild perfume, So sweetly to the heart.

Who would not shun proud Fashion's hall, Escape her cold and torturings ways, To calmly rest where dew-drops fall; Perfumes that mind and soul enthrall, Beneath fair Luna's rays.

Who would exchange a home of flowers, Down in a pure and modest dell, For palaces 'mid art-reared bowers, Washed o'er by artificial showers, Where naught but sorrows dwell.

Blest hour of thought! to thy pure scene A mild and soothing charm is given, When hearts to hearts in love convene, And roses deck the silvered green Of mingled Earth and Heaven.

The truth--that plainly proves a G.o.d, Not chance, performed the better part Which teaches us His Heavenly Word: Breathes magic for the singing bird, And links us heart to heart.

REV. WILLIAM DUKE.

The Rev. William Duke was born in the southern part of what is now Harford county, but was at the time of his birth included in Baltimore county, on the 15th of September, 1757, and died in Elkton on the 31st of May, 1840. He became enamoured of the doctrines of Methodism in early youth, and allied himself with that denomination before its separation from the Protestant Episcopal Church, and was licensed to preach by Rev.

Francis Asbury when he was only seventeen years old. Mr. Duke's name appears upon the minutes of the first Conference, held in Philadelphia in 1774, as one of the seven ministers who were that year taken on trial. The next year he was admitted to full membership, and remained in connection with the Conference as a traveling preacher until 1779, when he ceased to travel, and subsequently took orders in the Protestant Episcopal Church; being impelled to do so by his opposition to the erection of the Methodist Society into an independent Church.

Mr. Duke became Rector of North Elk Parish in 1793, but resigned the charge three years later, and removed to Anne Arundel county, but returned to Elkton about a year afterwards; soon after he removed to Kent county, where he taught a parochial school for a short time, but returned to Elkton again in 1799 and opened a school, and preached during the three following years at North East, Elkton, and at the Episcopal Church near New London, Pa.

In 1803 he was appointed Professor of Languages in St. John's College, Annapolis, and had charge of St. Ann's Church, in that city, until 1806, when he returned to Elkton, and the next year took charge of the Elkton Academy.

Mr. Duke remained in Cecil county until 1812, when he took charge of Charlotte Hall, in St. Mary's county, and continued in charge of the school at that place until 1814, when he returned to Elkton, where he officiated as aforetime until the Spring of 1818, when he was appointed Princ.i.p.al of the Academy. He continued to reside in Elkton until the time of his death.

In 1793 Mr. Duke married Hetty Coudon, the daughter of the Rev. Joseph Coudon, a former Rector of North Elk Parish, and the ancestor of the Coudon family of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Duke were the parents of Miss Hetty Duke, who was their only child, and who died in Elkton, February 19th, 1875.

Mr. Duke was a very learned man, and is said by the Rev. Ethan Allan, the Historian of "The Old Parishes of Maryland," to have been more of the student than the preacher. He was the author of a pamphlet published in Elkton in 1795, ent.i.tled "Observations on the Present State of Religion in Maryland," which is now of great rarity and value. He also published a small volume ent.i.tled "Hymns and Poems on Various Occasions," which was printed by Samuel and John Adams, of Baltimore, in 1790; and several other poems of considerable length, the most popular of which was ent.i.tled "A View of the Woods," which was descriptive of the adventures and experience of Western emigrants in the latter part of the last century.

The following selections have been made from "Hymns and Poems on Various Occasions."

HYMN.

And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned; but now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly.

--Hebrews 11:15,16.

Abr'am, the father of the Jews, The servant, and the friend of G.o.d, When call'd from heaven, did not refuse To leave his Syrian abode.

His father's house and kindred dear Plead, and dissuaded him in vain; Neither could earthly hope nor fear The n.o.ble enterprise restrain.

Nor he alone; a host of saints Renounced the world, and n.o.bly chose That heavenly inheritance Which neither death nor sorrow knows.

No intervening dangers check Their ardent progress to the skies, Well may they venture, who expect An heavenly and immortal prize.

When faith to their delighted view Their future blissful portion brings, They, firm and cheerful, bid adieu To sin, and self, and earthly things.

Happy to leave the world behind, Their conduct speaks a n.o.ble aim; They seek a city, and shall find The promised new Jerusalem.

Nor yet does impotence or fear Their sense of earthly bliss restrain, Did they not heaven to earth prefer, They soon might wed the world again.

In heaven their treasure is laid up Beyond the reach of accident, There shall their lively glorious hope Receive its full accomplishment.

HYMN.

But yield yourselves unto G.o.d as those that are alive from the dead; and your members as instruments of righteousness unto G.o.d.

--Romans 6:13.

My heart, the world forsake, And every earthly toy; The Lord of all thy portion make, And in Him all enjoy.

May sensible delight, Corrected and refined, A thirst of n.o.bler joys excite, And urge the lingering mind.

Should ardent love impel And actuate my soul, Still may celestial fires prevail, And every thought control.