Help with handwriting please? Cabinet card...

Hi, I came across an old photo album last weekend, that the dealer bought in Wales (house clearance, presumably) and it contains a mix of antique photos from both the UK and USA, apparently belonging to the same family.

The one I'm asking about is below - it was taken by Mitchell of Main Street, Kansas City, MO. On the reverse is a poem, and I can read most of it but need help with a few words... please note, the 't's look like 's's. I'll write out my transcript and if anyone can help fill the blanks I'd be very grateful!

I'm trying to establish if this poem is by the same 'Jane Thomas' who was a poet/play-wright in the mid 1800s, and published a book called 'Autumn Leaves' in 1860. She died 7 Jan 1871 in London. The writing styles are similar, and from what I've read so far, the poet's father was apparently Rev William Roberts, a schoolmaster in Abergele, Wales.

Anyway, here's what I've made of the poem so far....

No more she's heard to grieve or weep
Beyond the reach of care
No _____? awake her from her sleep
For thoughts never enter there
***
In vain! Alas! These thoughts forgo
Thy sister dwells on high
A stranger grown to pain (& woe?)
She now _____? to sigh
***
Rise maiden rise thyself prepare
Thy lamp of wisdom tend
To meet the Lord with watchful care
Thy wary footsteps bend (?)

Jane Thomas

 

The word for the first ? is "passions."

 

Thanks! I kept reading it as 'pressures' or 'persons' but that didn't sound poetic enough. It does look like 'passions' now that I look again

 

The second ? looks like "forgets" to me.

I think your reading of "& woe" and "bend" are correct.

 

Thanks again - yes, I thought it might be 'forgets', but also 'forgoes' came to mind (is that a word?!). But I definitely think you're right with 'forgets', and it's great to have a second opinion on the rest! Much appreciated

 

I agree with Bakersgma about "passions"

And then it is "She now forgets to sigh"

I think instead of "To meet the Lord with watchful care" it may say: "To meet the Lord with wakeful ear"

I think it is "thy weary footsteps bend" (perhaps a reference to an admonition to "bend to the will of God").

Obviously I was digesting, typing, while answers were already given.

 

I think there are too many letters for the word "wakeful" but that's certainly more poetic.

And I like "weary" much better (for context) than "wary." Wary makes it sound like she should be cautious or fearful.

 

Thanks so much! It could be 'wakeful' but I see an 'h' in there? I wish the writing were clearer, hehe. I like your interpretation of "thy w(e)ary footsteps bend", it make sense. This poem, though sad, is really growing one me .

 

I also prefer the word 'weary'... I can't see an 'e' but it could be a mistake on the part of the poet... or just the way it's written.

 

Well, the question is whether the poem is "about" the death of the sitter in the portrait ("about" only in the sense that she had died prior to the card being inscribed and theoretically given away - or sent back to Wales?) If it was just being quoted by someone other than the poet, mistakes in transcription are not uncommon.

 

Bakersgma, there are a lot of unanswered questions... I don't know whether or not the poem is original or just being quoted, or how it relates to the image on the front. The photograph album contains other clues but it's painstaking work.

Do you think the photograph could have been a copy of an earlier one? The framing looks different than any I've seen before.

 

The outline of the image is very similar to the "windows" in which photos were placed for display in an album or picture section of the family Bible (I have one with this feature that was produced about 1870.) But your question is really better suited to Figtree who has much more old photo experience than I have.

And I guess I should have said that my question above was more rhetorical than it appeared.

 

Well, I think I've answered my own question! Further into the album I came across a cdv of the same lady - I would think this is the original, or not far from it.



I have looked carefully through the album several times... but obviously not as carefully as I'd thought ;-)

 

Fascinating!

 

Oh my goodness, the more you go through the album the more you find to "piece together" timelines and locations.

 

No more she's heard to grieve or weep
Beyond the reach of care
No passions awake her from her sleep
For thoughts never enter there
In vain! Alas! these thoughts forego
Thy Sister dwells on high
A stranger grown to pain & woe
She now forgets to sigh
Rise maiden rise thyself prepare
Thy lamp of wisdom send
To meet the Lord with wishful care
Thy wary footsteps bend

Love, Thomas

 

I think Bev's is correct, except in the penultimate line "wishful" should be "watchful." -- And although it definitely looks like "wary" in the last line, it does seem that "weary" would make more sense.

Fig

 

Oh, and I was thinking it was Love Thomas, but when I enlarge it it does look like it is likely to be Jane.

And also, the memorial photo with poem on the back is obviously a later copy of the other one that was found in the album.

 

Thanks Bev, for writing it out! And Fig for your thoughts on the wording . I've been doing a little more research into the family of the poet Jane Thomas but have yet to make a definite link. I'll post here if I find anything else!

 

I agree with watchful, now that you've said it, but I don't see an "e" for weary. Jane could be it. When I'm gone, I doubt anyone will write poetry about me.