The rose damask......

Here is another lovely poem from H.M. Ruffs album

Penned in beautiful calligraphy, here is a beautiful poem from a time period when the ideal young woman was represented as demure, and modest.

A quick search through the internet to see if I could find more information about this poem, or who wrote it showed a lot of similar ‘ damask rose’ quotes, poems and such but none similar to this one. 

Perhaps it has been forgotten with the passage of time…..

Rose damask

The rose damask, or the lilies white,

Whose charms beam forth unsullied to the sight,

More lovely and enchanting cannot be

Than is the blush of female modesty.

Have you not marked the pearly drop of dew

Reposing on the leaf when morn is new,

In varied hues reflecting back the ray

That streamed resplendent from the king of day.

Thus, with modesty endued, the female min

( Still more when in a beauteous form enshrined )

Reflect with added lustre virtues rays,

And brings to female worth renewed praise.

The mountain flower breath not a pure air,

Than ever dwells around the modest fair;

The rolling sun a lovelier scene never views

Than beauty’s cheeks  when touched with blushing hues.

Signed Stranger, and a date at the bottom written in a different handwriting :

Basso Sept 17 th, 1833

Beautiful penmanship, there are a few spelling mistakes, but maybe they spelled English a little differently back then ?

Signed Stranger twice - ?

.

H.M.Ruff's dedication to album

First page of the album

Accept this book an emblem bright,
Of thy expanding soul.
An while the years revolving flight
That others around us roll.
Resolve that like thy album white
Thy heart shall album be,
And if at all some stain should fall,
Thou'll cleanse it soon from Thee.

                                       R
Balt ( ? ) Sept 28, 1826

  The name is a little hard to read, but I have found ' Balt' other places in the book, and in some 'Baltimore'...A person, or the place ?

H.M.Ruff's album

M.R.Ruff's Album

  I usually try to find something original, and unique when I select my husband's Christmas present. Last year I was the lucky winner at auction of an amazing book/journal from a young lady who lived in the early 1800's.

   I think I got away with it within my budget because the seller had a typo in the description, I thought it was a mistake, but did not risk too high a bid...just in case. But  my intuition was rewarded, and I was able to present this amazing book to Kyle for Christmas 2010.

   Embossed leather bound, with the name H.M.Ruff on the front cover. This was an album, or friendship book, an hobby that was very popular at the time and still is among young ladies ( I have a similar, though not so ornate, and very silly one that I kept  from when I was 15-20 years old )

    There are entries starting from 1826, and going on through the 1830's. Little poems, saying, good-bye's and notes from friends, family members, etc...There is a variety of handwriting style, some are common, but others are very graceful, and artistic.

   I will be posting some of the best entries from the album.

Beautiful penmanship

Some of the pages show wear from age