Anna Bedinger Cornwall (122)

Anna Bedinger Cornwall, born 28 December 1835, was the daughter of Susan Peyton Bedinger and Rev. Doctor Nathaniel Ellsworth Cornwall and the granddaughter of Daniel Bedinger and Rachel Rutherford of "Bedford", Shepherdstown, Virginia, now West Virginia.  A collection of her poems was published by her sister, Sarah Jerusha Cornwall.  the Preface of the book of Anna's poems, entitled "Bright Words of a Brave, True Spirit" [i] reads as follows:

These articles were always gladly welcomed and printed, sometimes with her initials or full name and often without either.

It  gave her much pleasure to feel that she had so often exerted a good influence on public sentiment., but, with the lack of literary vanity which so strongly characterized her, she never preserved any copies of these articles, or if she preserved them, I have failed to find them.

As the collection of my sister's writings will make but a small volume, I have, with a view of making a larger volume, placed in an Appendix a few of my own.

                                                                                            Sarah Jerusha Cornwall.

The Old Homestead

Here where my forefathers lived, loved    and died,
In this fair woodland home calm I abide,
Lured to bright day-dreams by soft  summer breeze,
Lulled to deep slumber by whispering  trees.

Sharp the cold winter wind whistles  around;
In my warm, cozy nook dulled is the  sound;
Deeply I cherish this time-honored spot,
​Envying no one, content with my lot.

Anna Bedinger Cornwall

The childhood home of Anna Bedinger Cornwall and Sarah Jerusha Cornwall

Note:

The copy of the book of Anna's poems that I have shows neither date nor place of publication, but the book has  been reproduced a couple of times in recent years.  My thanks go to Chuck Fuller who tells me the book has been reproduced with ISBN numbers 9781313431217 and 9781331990079.