Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXVII, No. 2, August 1850

In Short

This volume gathers a diverse array of literary and informational works reflecting the romantic sensibilities of mid-nineteenth-century America. Its contents span critical essays on German classical music and the nature poetry of William Wordsworth, high-stakes historical narratives of American Revolutionary warfare and tropical sea storms, sentimental tales of lifelong devotion and domestic secrets, detailed guides for game-bird hunters, and short reviews of standard reference works like Webster’s Dictionary. Together, these pieces capture a transitional era in popular print, where elevated moral philosophy, intense narrative drama, and practical advice were bound together for a burgeoning middle-class reading public.

The Story

The volume opens with a sweeping survey of European musical traditions, focusing on the German school. The narrative traces how human vocalization evolved into complex harmony, elevating sacred and operatic compositions by Mozart, Haydn, Handel, and Beethoven into divine expressions that inspire human repentance and spiritual communion.

Following this aesthetic groundwork, the text shifts to high-adventure narrative prose. In a dramatic maritime sequence, a ship’s crew encounters a sudden, catastrophic tropical hurricane. Blinded by lightning and pelted by violent spray, the narrator watches their accompanying vessel vanish into the storm while his own launch is left helpless to endure the full force of the tempest.

The focus then transitions to the Revolutionary War, following the perilous flight of patriot fugitives through southern swamps to an encampment known as "Bear Castle." A ruthless officer named Dunbar forces a loyal black servant named Brough, under threat of execution by hanging, to give a secret whistle that will betray the patriot hideout. Despite the coercion, the rescue party arrives in time. A brave heroine, Frederica, locates Brough bound in the brush, cuts his ropes with a pocketknife, and helps him carry her injured lover, Richard Coulter, into a small boat to escape downriver.

In a lighter, satirical vein, the text visits Renaissance Spain, recounting the lives of Sir Pedro de Padilh and his charitable wife, Hermosa. Their household becomes the target of a rogue named Captain Carlo, who repeatedly disguises himself to collect alms from the overly trusting noblewoman. Sir Pedro restores order by intervening with practical wisdom, illustrating his advice with a humorous tale of a priest who inadvertently burns his friend’s ceremonial garment during an Inquisition ordeal.

Domestic romance returns to the fore in the story of Paul Davis and Linda Howell. Raised as childhood playmates on adjacent farms, the two fall in love despite the poverty of Paul's idle father. When financial obstacles threaten their marriage, a rival named Apollos Dalrymple unexpectedly steps forward, handing Paul a purse of two thousand dollars to secure Linda’s happiness.

The collection then shifts to critical analysis with an extended study of William Wordsworth’s nature poetry, praising his ability to arrest elusive human emotions and find spiritual truth in the natural world. This is followed by the tale of Bridget Kerevan, a devout Irish chambermaid who steadfastly refuses all new suitors out of fidelity to a solemn vow made over a Prayer-book with her long-absent sailor fiancé, Patrick.

In another domestic drama, a young woman named Kitty confronts her pale governess, Lucy Freer, suspecting a romantic rivalry over a man named Eugene, only to learn that Lucy is already secretly married to someone else. The issue concludes with a natural history guide identifying the plumage and habits of coastal game birds like the Godwit and Redbreasted Snipe, followed by publisher notices and book reviews.

How It Unfolds

The power of song The issue opens with an essay asserting that music is a divine gift designed to lighten human labor and bind the heart. German masters like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven are praised for elevating sacred choruses and opera to the height of emotional and spiritual expression.

Surviving the tempest A violent sea storm strikes without warning, blinding the crew with lightning and deafening thunder. The captain orders his men to lie down in the launch and wait out the hurricane as rain falls in torrential tropical sheets.

Traitors in the swamp During the Revolutionary struggle, the Tory leader Dunbar captures the servant Brough and puts a halter around his neck. Coerced by the threat of immediate hanging, Brough reluctantly utters the secret whistle needed to locate the patriot stronghold at Bear Castle.

Rescue on the water Frederica tracks down the bound servant, frees him with a pocketknife, and helps him load her wounded lover, Richard Coulter, into a dug-out canoe. Brough swims beside the laden boat to guide it past the enemy's shoreline guards.

The rogue and the knight In Spain, the charitable Countess Hermosa is repeatedly outwitted by the bandit Captain Carlo, who poses as a needy veteran. Her husband, Sir Pedro, steps in with mature judgment to manage the household's philanthropy and prevent further exploitation.

Generosity of a rival Young Paul Davis despairs of marrying Linda Howell due to his lack of money. The blunt Apollos Dalrymple, who also loves Linda, overhears their trouble and surrenders two thousand dollars to Paul so the couple can marry.

Wisdom of the woods A literary essay explores the poetry of William Wordsworth, arguing that true moral understanding comes not from cold intellect, but from a "wise passiveness" and direct communion with the natural world.

The sacred pledge Bridget Kerevan recounts her years of waiting for her absent sailor lover, Patrick. Despite her family's pressure to find another suitor, she remains bound to a solemn vow sworn over a Prayer-book before he sailed for the Indies.

A secret uncovered The anxious Kitty confronts her governess, Lucy Freer, demanding to know if Lucy loves the young man Eugene. Lucy dispels the girl's jealousy by revealing that she is already bound in a hidden marriage to another man.

Wildfowl and wordbooks The closing pages detail the markings of the Marbled Godwit and the Redbreasted Snipe for coastal hunters, followed by an editorial endorsement of Webster’s Dictionary as an essential tool for American writers.

The People

• Sir Pedro de Padilh, a Spanish knight of mature judgment and sharp wit. He protects his household wealth from swindlers while guiding his wife’s uncritical charity toward genuine good works.
• Hermosa, Sir Pedro’s generous and innocent wife. Her boundless desire to aid the poor leaves her vulnerable to elaborate scams concocted by local rogues.
• Captain Carlo, an opportunistic free-captain who disguises himself as a needy Moorish war veteran to extort alms from Hermosa, avoiding violent crime only because begging proves far safer and more lucrative.
• Brough, a loyal African servant caught between Tory cruelty and duty to his patriot friends. Though forced by a rope around his neck to signal the enemy, his underlying devotion remains firm.
• Frederica, a courageous young woman who braves swamp paths and enemy patrols to sever Brough’s ropes and rescue her injured lover in a frail canoe.
• Paul Davis, an honest but penniless young man whose childhood affection for his neighbor Linda grows into an enduring love that he lacks the funds to fulfill.
• Apollos Dalrymple, a blunt, fiddle-playing suitor who unselfishly forfeits his own romantic hopes by giving his rival the money needed to secure Linda’s hand.
• Bridget Kerevan, an industrious and deeply religious Irish chambermaid whose patient loyalty to her missing fiancé withstands years of family teasing and separation.

In Its Own Voice

"German music may be divided into two branches; vocal and instrumental: in either of which it is generally believed to be vastly superior to that of any other school extant."

An essayist outlines the cultural supremacy of German classical composition.

"The stinging of these fine particles, as they struck the cheek, was like that of mustard-shot."

A narrator describes the physical sensation of driving spray during an ocean hurricane.

"Sweet is the lore which Nature brings; Our meddling intellect Misshapes the beauteous forms of things— We murder to dissect."

A line quoted from William Wordsworth illustrates the poet's critique of overly analytical thought.

What It's Really About

This issue reflects nineteenth-century American efforts to balance high artistic aspirations with practical moral duty. Across its essays and stories, the collection returns to the question of how human beings maintain integrity when tested by external forces—whether those forces take the form of wild natural tempests, wartime betrayal, financial hardship, or long years of romantic separation. The non-fiction pieces champion a receptive, intuitive relationship with beauty, asserting that both sacred music and natural scenery refine the human soul far better than rigid intellect alone. Meanwhile, the fiction celebrates quiet fidelity and unselfish sacrifice, arguing that true nobility lies in keeping faith with one's vows and putting the welfare of others above personal gain.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers modern readers an authentic look into the popular tastes, moral values, and literary styles that shaped antebellum American culture. Reading a period magazine like Graham's provides a lively cross-section of mid-nineteenth-century intellectual life, capturing how serious critical essays on European art sat side-by-side with high-seas adventure, sentimental romance, and natural history.

Readers will find the prose rich, varied, and occasionally theatrical. The narrative style leans heavily into the romantic conventions of its era, featuring dramatic declarations of loyalty, idealized heroines, and formal sentence structures. Some elements—such as dialect renditions in dialogue and period-specific racial and social stereotypes—reflect the uncritical attitudes of 1850 print media and require a historicized perspective.

Yet the collection retains a distinct charm for those interested in American literary history. It showcases the diverse reading diet of an era that valued moral earnestness as much as dramatic entertainment, offering a rewarding journey for readers who enjoy nineteenth-century prose and historical periodicals.