Jane Caroline Reed's book of Poems and Songs-Three Kisses of Farewell

 

As I was going through some of the documents that came from my mother I was surprised to find a book of poems and songs.  It appears that my Great Grandmother used this book to either insert newspaper clippings of poems or to copy out poems and songs that she liked.  Though none of this appears to be her own work, I think we can learn a bit about what she was like by looking at the items she included in the book.  I've only started to transcribe what is in the book and I may find things that would not be considered appropriate today.  You should look at these as a snap shoot of the time and place they were collected, that is the late 1860s and 1870s in Northampton, MA.  All of this appears to be done before she married David Joy Wright in 1878.  

Her hand writing is a bit hard to read, so if I have found a copy of the poem or song online, I have used it to validate my transcription.  I'll do my best to site these sites.

The front page includes the following information:

Jennie C Reed

        Northampton

    Dec 14th 67  Mass.

As a side note, she bought the book for $1.25.

The first poem in the book was written by Saxe Holm, who appears to be a secret pen name for Helen Hunt Jackson.  This really seems to be an interesting story, and I had know idea about it until I looked up the writer. So, my Great Grandmother is teaching me things from beyond the vail.  Helen Hunt Jackson was from Amherst, MA so Jane may have even known her, but I suspect didn't know she was Saxe Holm.  This was from a newspaper clipping.  Here it is:

THREE KISSES OF FAREWELL

[these exquisite verses are from on of “Esther Wynn’s Love Letters” in Scribner’s for December]

Three, only three, my darling,

Separate, solemn, slow;

Not like the swift and joyous ones

We used to know

When we kissed because we loved each other

Simply to taste Love’s sweet,

And lavished our kisses as the summer

Lavishes heat,-

But as they kiss whose hearts and wrong,

When hope and fear are spent,

And nothing is left to give, except

A sacrament

First of the three, my darling,

Os sacred unto pain;

We have hurt each other often;

We shall again,

When we pine because we miss each other,

And do not understand

How the written words are so much colder

Than eye and hand.

I kiss thee, dear for all such pain

Which we may give or take;

Buried, forgiven, before it comes

For our love’s sake!

The second kiss, my darling,

Is full of joy’s sweet thrill;

We have blessed each other always;

We always will.

We shall reach until we feel each other.

Past all of time and space;

We shall listen till we hear each other

In every place;

The earth is full of messengers,

Which love sends to and fro;

I kiss thee, darling, for all joy

Which we shall know!

The last kiss, oh, my darling,

My love-I cannot see

Through my tears, as I remember

What it may be.

We may die and never see each other,

Die with no time to give

Any sign that our hearts are faithful

To Die as live.

Token of what they will not see

Who see our parting breath.

This one last kiss, my darling, seals

The kiss of death!