1810–1889

Introduction

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Born: De­cem­ber 18, 1810, New York Ci­ty.

Died: No­vem­ber 19, 1889, Sum­mit, New Jer­sey.

Buried: Wood­lawn Ce­me­te­ry, Bronx, New York.

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Biography

Elizabeth was the daugh­ter of Da­vid L. Dodge, and grand­daugh­ter of co­lo­ni­al po­et Aar­on Cleve­land.

Her first hus­band was Ed­mund Burke Sted­man (1799–1835, married 1830). After he died, leav­ing her with a child, she be­gan con­trib­ut­ing to ma­ga­zines such as Gra­ham’s, Sar­tain’s, and the Knick­erbock­er.

In 1841, she mar­ried Will­iam Au­gus­tus Bur­net Kin­ney of New Jer­sey (1799–1880), ed­it­or of The New­ark Dai­ly Ad­ver­tis­er.

In 1850, Will­iam was assigned to Sar­din­ia, and for four years the Kin­neys lived in Tu­rin, It­aly. When Will­iam’s post­ing end­ed, they moved to Flor­ence, where the li­ter­ati in­clud­ed Ro­bert and Eli­za­beth Bar­rett Brow­ning, Al­fred Ten­ny­son, and An­tho­ny Troll­ope. Eli­za­beth wrote her me­tri­cal Ita­li­an ro­mance Fe­li­ci­tà while they were in Flor­ence.

The Kin­neys re­turned to New­ark, New Jer­sey, in 1865.

Works

Poem

The Advent

Peace brooded o’er earth; in the distance afar
Had died the harsh echo of clangorous war;
The heart of the nations from tumult reposed,
The long opened temple of Janus was closed.

Night’s canopy over Judea now hung:
The harp of the minstrel lay still and unstrung;
The shepherds together sat watching the fold,
While round them reigned darkness, and silence, and cold.

But whence came that shaft, than a day-beam more bright,
Shot suddenly through the still heart of the night?
What melody startles her silent domain,
Pale winter stars waking from mountain to plain?

The pale winter stars are extinguished as one,
Yet light that conceals them is not like the sun;
It moves with the swiftness of wings, it descends,
Its luminous track the strange music attends!

But cold as the night air of Israel’s plains
The blood of the shepherds congeals in their veins;
They speak not, but heart unto heart beats aloud,
While glory envelopes them all as a cloud.

And now, in their midst, shines an angel of light—
Quick vanishes fear at the radiant sight!
And hark, in the words of their own native tongue,
Good tidings of joy by the angel are sung!

This day, in the city of David is born
A Savior, whose birth is Redemption’s glad morn;
No longer through darkness and doubt shall ye grope,
In Bethlehem’s manger lies Israel’s Hope!

A chorus angelic re-echoes in Heav’n
The glorious news to the meek shepherds giv’n—
Peace, peace and good will unto earth! is their song,
While praises to God the long pæn prolong.

’Tis gone, the bright vision—its music hath ceased!
But lo, there arises a star in the east;
O’er manger it stands in its glory alone—
The despot beholds it, while trembles his throne.

Oh, awful to him is the radiance mild
That circles the brow of the heavenly Child!
That cradle where innocence sleeps is his dread,
And guilt feels the doom that hangs over his head.

But joy to the watchers of Zion! that star,
Predicted and seen by the prophets afar,
Now points with its beams to the place of His birth
Whose kingdom shall rule all the kingdoms of earth.

Adapted from Elizabeth Clementine Kinney
Poems, 1867, pp. 78–80

Sources

Lyrics