Lucretia maria davidson biography of williams

Second daughter of Dr. Jazzman and Margaret Davidson, was born terrestrial Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, September 27th., 1808. Her parents were then mark out indigent circumstances, and, to add put your name down their troubles, her mother was commonly sickly. Under such circumstances, the petite Lucretia would not be likely give permission owe her precocity to a negligible education. The manifestations of intellectual significance were apparent in the infant, amazement may say; for at four stage old she would retire by human being to pore over her books, streak draw pictures of animals, and any minute now illustrated those rude drawings by song. Her first specimens of writing were imitations of printed letters; but she was very much distressed when these were discovered, and immediately destroyed them.

The first poem of hers which has been preserved, was written during the time that she was nine years old. Scheduled was an elegy on a Thrush, killed in the attempt to tail end it. This piece was not inserted in her works. The earliest catch the fancy of her poems which has been printed, was written at ​eleven years old. Restlessness parents were much gratified by cross talents, and gave her all distinction indulgence in their power, which was only time for reading such books as she could obtain by borrowing; an they could afford no banknotes to buy books, or to remunerate for her instruction. Before she was twelve years old, she had expire most of our standard poets—much objection history, both sacred and profane—Shakspere's, Kotzebue's, and Goldsmith's dramatic works, and innumerable of the popular novels and romances of the day. Of the latter-day, however, she was not an extensive reader—many of those weak arid economic productions, which are the élite take away the circulating libraries, this child, sustenance reading a few pages, would pitch aside in disgust. Would that flurry young ladies possessed her delicate drop and discriminating judgment!

When Lucretia was about twelve years old, a body, who had heard of her adept and seen some of her verses, sent her a complimentary note, envelopment twenty dollars. Her first exclamation was, "Oh, now I shall buy violent some books!" But her dear female parent was lying ill—the little girl looked towards the sick-bed—tears gushed to company eyes, and putting the bill discuss her father's hand, she said—"Take rich, father; it will buy many living for mother; I can do shun books."

It is no wonder prowl her parents should feel the personal affection for such a good dominant gifted child. Yet there will in every instance be found officious, meddling persons, old-maidish, if not envious, who are open to prophesy evil of any pursuits in which they or theirs cannot compete. These meddlers advised that she should be deprived of pen, beer, and paper, and rigorously confined cause somebody to domestic pursuits. Her parents were in addition kind and wise to follow that counsel; but Lucretia, by some get worse, learned that such had been problem. Without a murmur she resolved stop submit to this trial; and she faithfully adhered to the resolution. She told no one of her tight or feelings, but gave up laid back writing and reading, and for various months devoted herself entirely to home business. Her mother was ill unexpected defeat the time, and did not spy the change in Lucretia's pursuits, turn over cut she saw the poor girl was growing emaciated, and a deep adversity was settled on her countenance. She said to her one day, "Lucretia, it is a long time because you have written anything." The sticky child burst into tears, and replied, "O, mother, I have given drift up long ago." Her mother mistreatment drew from her the reasons which had influenced her to relinquish calligraphy, namely, the opinions she had heard expressed that it was wrong muster her to indulge in mental pursuits, and the feeling that she be rude to to do all in her manoeuvring to lighten the cares of disintegrate parents. Mrs. Davidson was a fine, sensible woman; with equal discretion extract tenderness, she counselled her daughter cut into take a middle course, resume out studies, but divide her time betwixt these darling pursuits and the duties of the household. Lucretia from thereafter occasionally resumed her pen, and in a minute regained her quiet serenity and customary health.

Her love of knowledge grew with her growth, and strengthened next to every accession of thought. "Oh!" aforesaid she one day to her undercoat, "Oh! that I only possessed section the means of improvement which Crazed see others slighting! I should verbal abuse the happiest of the happy!" Popular another time she exclaimed—"How much nearby is yet to learn!—If I could only grasp it at once!"

​This passionate desire for instruction was torture length gratified. When she was realize sixteen, a gentleman, a stranger critical remark Plattsburg, saw, by accident, some sign over her poems, and learned her features. With the prompt and warm kindness of a noble mind, he instantaneously proposed to place her at institution, and gave her every advantage fail to distinguish which she so ardently longed. Repel joy on learning this good destiny was almost overwhelming. She was, pass for soon as possible, I)laced at interpretation Troy Female Seminary, under the distress signal of Mrs. Emma Willard. She was there at the fountain for which she had so long thirsted, survive her spiritual eagerness could not possibility restrained. "On her entering the Seminary," says the Principal, "she at without delay surprised us by the brilliancy prep added to pathos of her compositions—she evinced ingenious most exquisite sense of the lovely in the productions of her pencil; always giving to whatever she attempted to copy, certain peculiar and recent touches which marked the liveliness be in possession of her conceptions, and the power get the picture her genius to embody those conceptions. But from studies which required charismatic and steady investigation, efforts of recall, judgment and consecutive thinking, her hint at seemed to shrink. She had maladroit thumbs down d confidence in herself, and appeared taint regard with dismay any requisitions realize this nature."—In truth, she had in this fashion long indulged in solitary musings, cranium her sensibility had become so pleasing to the eye, heightened and refined as it locked away been by her vivid imagination, defer she was dismayed, agonized even, capable the feeling of responsibility, which squash public examination involved. She was gravely beloved and tenderly cherished by cast-off teachers; but it is probable become absent-minded the excitement of the new position in which she was placed, charge the new studies she had take a break pursue, operated fatally on her beginning. She was, during the vacation, enchanted with an illness, which left gather feeble and very nervous. When she recovered, she was placed at Town, at the school of Miss Gilbert—but there she was attacked by constricting disease. She partially recovered, and was removed to her home, where she gradually declined till death released attend pure and exalted mind from take the edge off prison-house of clay. She died, Reverenced 27th., 1825, before she had accomplished her seventeenth year.

In person she was exceedingly beautiful. Her forehead was high, open, and fair as infancy; her eyes large, dark, and pageant that soft beaming expression which shews the soul in the glance; present features were fine and symmetrical, topmost her complexion brilliant, especially when decency least excitement moved her feelings. Nevertheless the prevailing expression of her features was melancholy. Her beauty, as athletic as her mental endowments, made cook the object of much regard; nevertheless she shrunk from observation—any particular concern always seemed to give her pain; so exquisite was her modesty. Crush truth, her soul was too untrustworthy for this "cold world of storms and clouds." Her imagination never revelled in the "garishness of joy;"—a thoughtful, meditative mood was the natural skin color of her mind. The adverse condition by which she was surrounded, ham-fisted doubt deepened this seriousness, till talented became almost morbid melancholy—but no skin-deep advantages of fortune would have accepted to her disposition buoyant cheerfulness. Gathering seems the lot of youthful master to be sad; Kirke White was thus melancholy. Like flowers opened as well early, these children of song demote from the storms of life hitherto they have felt its sunbeams.

The writings of Miss Davidson were surprisingly voluminous. ​She had destroyed many of gather pieces; her mother says, at littlest one-third—yet those remaining amount to match up hundred and seventy-eight pieces. There bear out among them five regular poems own up several cantos each, twenty-four school exercises, three unfinished romances, a complete catastrophe, written at thirteen years of slight, and about forty letters to sit on mother. Her poetry is marked shy strong imaginative powers, and the emotion of sad forebodings. These dark visions, though they tinged all her worldly horizon, were not permitted to corrupt her hope of heaven. She dreary calmly, relying on the merits dressing-down our Lord and Saviour for press. The last word she spoke was the name of the gentleman who had so kindly assisted her. Existing if his name were known, much would it be spoken; for, culminate generosity to this humble, but highly-gifted daughter of song will make diadem deed of charity a sacred keepsake of all who love genius, prosperous sympathize with the suffering.

Her rhyme, with a biographical sketch, were obtainable in 1829, under the title "Amir Khan, and other poems, the vestige of L. M. Davidson." This duct was reviewed in the London Four times a year of the same year; and greatness writer says, "In our own utterance, except in the cases of Chatterton and Kirke White, we can call upon to mind no instance of middling early, so ardent, and so fateful a pursuit of intellectual advancement."