Page:The Southern Literary Messenger - Minor.djvu/247

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Literary Messenger
221

able them to carry on the work, despite the great obstacles they were encountering, among which were the soldiering of some of their force, in addition to their editor, and the difficulty of obtaining printing materials. They had already been driven to paper of inferior quality. J. M. Kilgour, of Frederick, Md., dedicates to his friend Capt. (now General) Bradley T. Johnson his "Harp of the South, Awake!"

Now steps forth a new author, who, however, has been favorably heralded, the Hon. Wm. M. Burwell. He brings a historical novel, which continues into the next year: "Exile and Empire." Prior to this time, this writer had long been intimate with Mr. Burwell, who was prominent in the political and social life of his native and beloved Virginia. He and his family had a fine old mansion in Liberty, since foolishly and disastrously boomed into Bedford City. He was a man of high and refined culture and particularly fond of old English poetry, whose language was quaint and sometimes required a glossary. He used to exercise himself in composing verses after that style. Owing to his public spirit, free hospitality and neglect of economics, a reverse of fortune overtook him and he removed to New Orleans, where he took hold of Do Bow's Review. But his devotion to literature never abated and here we have some of its fruits, ripe and pleas-