tears,
And with a gayer mien appears,
With cheerful aspect smiles serene,
And ushers in the splendid scene
Of golden day: while feeble night
Precipitates his dreary flight
Dispelled by the all cheering sway
Of the resplendent God of day,
Who, mounted in his royal car,
And all arrayed in golden glare
With arduous career drives on
Ascending his meridian throne:
From thence a Sovereign of the day,
His full-grown glories to display.
EDWIN EVANS EWING.
Edwin Evans Ewing, son of Patrick Ewing and brother of William Pinkney
Ewing, was born on his father's farm on the Octoraro creek, not far from
Rowlandville, in this county, on the 9th of January, 1824. His family is
of Scotch-Irish extraction, and settled on the Octoraro more than a
century ago. The family has long been distinguished for the
intellectuality and literary ability of its members, among whom were the
Rev. John Ewing, one of the most eminent scientists and Presbyterian
divines of his time, and his daughter Sarah, who became the wife of John
Hall, and whose biography is published in this volume.
The subject of this sketch spent his youth and early manhood, on his
father's farm. Recently when asked for a sketch of his life Mr. Ewing
replied: "I didn't have any life. I just growed like Topsy. I didn't
have any educating. I just picked it up; and as for poetry, I never
wrote any, only rhyme." Notwithstanding this assertion, Mr. Ewing being
unable to resist the prompting of the "divinity which stirred within
him," when quite young, began to write poetry. There seems to be a
subtle influence pervading the romantic Octoraro hills, which if not the
direct cause of poetic inspiration seems to encourage its growth, Mr.
Ewing being one of five poets who claim that region as their birthplace,
or who have profited by a residence therein.
When quite young Mr. Ewing wrote poetry which was published in the local
journals of Cecil and Lancaster counties, and subsequently contributed
poetry to the Philadelphia _Dollar Newspaper_, being a contemporary
contributor to that journal with his brother, William P. Ewing, and the
late David Scott (of James.)
In 1856 Mr. Ewing made a trip to the Southwest, traveling extensively on
horseback in Texas. He gave an account of his travels and a description
of the country through which he passed in a series of letters published
in the _Cecil Whig_, which were much admired.
In 1861, Mr. Ewing became the proprietor an
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