A bit of background to the poem and author.
The author, Grace Ramsay, was the pen-name of Kathleen O’Meara (1839-1888). She was an Irish-French Catholic writer and biographer, responsible for 11 novels and three works of non-fiction during the Victorian period. Her fiction covered a variety of topics from women’s rights to Eastern European revolutions, all dealing with social reform.
This poem appeared in her second novel, Iza’s Story, which dealt with the struggle of Polish patriots against the Russian, Austrian and German occupation. She was well-known during her lifetime, never married and travelled widely throughout Europe and the United States.
By Grace Ramsey – Printed in The Prattler – May 2020
The Nether Heyford Prattler 