The Mirror — Concord, N.H., 1797-11-28 00:00:00, page 4

MTJOR FAMILY USE: WRITTEN FOR
WalpolM Meridian ; BUT WILL
answer in any other town.
.From the Farmer's Weekly Museum.
HE isA GENIUS.
A LMOST every parent will
11 fay of hit lon,'' He is a
gepjui," Why ?—Becaufe, from
a very natural and innocent preju
dice, he believes he is an extra-
ordinary boy. If geniufei met
with Efficient encouragemaht, and
your son happened to be one of
these rare birdt, it might be' well
to assist him in his Bight. If he
is not, rever lead him into a fatal
error.: 1 seldom spend an evening
at my neighbor Meapwell', but
heemploys one half his time in
praising the uncommon talents of
bis darling Sammy. He is called
upon to speak a number of deck,
mation#, he has learned at school:
his oratory has just as much mer
it as the parrot'#. Hi# writing
and ciphering book# are shown,
at prodigies of improvement ;—
they prove that he has an inat
tentive master, and it a very care,
lefi scholar. The fond father be
lieves him to be a natural poet:
true he 1 fond of reading billidi,
has been taught to repeat a num
ber cf hymn# by heart, and like
most children, it fond of the tink
ling of rhyme. He has proceed
ed so far as to compote a few cou
pler, that would be a Efficient
antidote, to the poetic mania. Hit
little tricks art related asjhemuki
of sagacity, or flight of genius—
lam tired of hearing them. He
is neither more nor lek than othef
boys; and bit father is like many
other men. 'Tit a pity a lad
Should be made a fool, because he
happens to be thought a genius.
How often is a lad featto college,
because tie is unfortunately mift+k-
ea for an uncommon youth Q
A father, who has not fa dob
lars enough to bring up hit sou at
college, wou'd do well never to
'face him from the beaten trad of
^hooeft industry it has peace
and plenty on the right hand and
on the left. A good common
education and the habit of indof
uy are worth more to a young
man, than the dear bought and
ill merited A. M>—Many rpay
^flutter on the artificial wiogi of
genius; but few can soar above
their fellow creators. A fell ge
nius ij a very rare thing ; potto
be seen in every family, except by
the eye of dotage or ignorance.—
it a bar; from the produdion of
his leisure hours, that his nutei,
devote to pay, can produce a
masterly fpeamtn of mechanical
genius, encourage his exertions,
and let him follow the beat of his
mind. s is he difeover an early pro
pensity tq study, will be induftri-
^ous io the field, and forfeit the
part times of youth, for the enter,
uinment of his books, becomes
&
cientin pp^^h^ h^ftory,
lerhimd.' ."'
COMMON SENSE, in Difabilh.
'' N°. XIX.
USEFUL MISCELLANY.
SEN TIMENTAL MEDLEY.
fpring—he will be a fchohr. But
it he is distinguished for nothing
but hit flights of fzney, love of po
etry, novel#,, and plays,; tie^him
to the tail of the plough, father
than fend him to college: Fancy,
without igd°meoL is a fine Ihip
without a rudder} it had better lie
at anchor io a fate harbor, than be
let adrift on the ocean. Arid ge-'
nius, without application and econ
omy, is a mete ignus fauus ; while
it promises to guide the bewilder
ed obj^a to the temple of fame,
it Itadi to the vale of oblivion.Q
from THE SPECTATOR.
THE TICKLER.
WILL NETTLE it remarkfr
ble for his learning and wl,
and is not a bad poet ; but, lift
rocft sedentary men, is hy'poco^
driacv He rises in the morning,
, #nd vents bit spleen upoe his do
meflics, or even his wife anchchik
dien, The fire is not well made
—the hearth is cot swept—th?
coffee at brtakbff is not cleat—
Something,# forever wrong. His
family have no peace, till Will,to
got his breakfaft and retired to bis
study, to lol! on the fofe, or dole
over books./
I called a few dap ago to fee
my friend, Nettle. At I entered
the room, he affumeqa most fol- ,
emu look, which portended a cold
reception. However, 1 had freq
him in such fits before—and with
a cheerfulair, afcd him how he
did. 3 O, hid he, with a figh,l
am very poor—my health is mis
erable.' Why, (aid I, the weather
is very fine, why don't you ride
out and take the air, and exercise?
He made foe no reply, but puton
a long face and snook hie head.
I then inquired tor the health of
his family—add began to praise
his children. But tty would not
de—he kept on his long melan
choly face. Come, hid Ico him,
let us take a walk in the garden.
O, he could not stir, without fuchi
dizzinek and trembling. r How
ever, I urged him, till he putcq
his great cost, though in a fine
warm day, tied a handkerchief
round his neck, to prevent taking
cold, put on his hat, and took a
large hickory flick to support his
trembling joints. At length he
was ready for a walk, and hobbled^
along, leaning on his cane, with
4smuch care, as the' he had loft,
a limb.
^^^^^^
pf&fiog them, as doing honor to
$ and induftryf all which
he received with a coldneft border-
io indifrren e 1 fte d
^ii H^^
told him, 1 knew who wrote the
little elegy, which was publifbed
in the Newfpsper a few day: be
fore. Aye, do you? (aid tie with
a fmije ; pray how did you know?
I never told one mortal that I
wrote it. Know, lep^l^
why every body in town ascribes
it to you ; they by it is impcffi
ble an, body else can write fifth
excellent vetfe. Ever, body is
feN^fr fol%^
e * TO RAISE THE GENIUS^AND TO MEND THE HEART."
R |~'HERE is no " competition, the utili
-I'ty of which is fa generally acknow
ledged and yet so little regarded, as a
Newspaper. Meft ptopfe of any taste
takefa paper, and are willing to allow
that, when well conducted, it has great
influence in merging the morals and
manners, of a people ; but the difficulty
of condcßing hr 0&" to make it ufeful
to thepublisher and his customers, few
appear to^ye contigered. A perlon
*who can compile one book, or any single
ftibjed so as to please bis readers, is
thought Worthy of having his name
tranfoitted^ posterity, as an ornament
of the age he lives in ; while the Editor
ofa Newspaper, who has, perhaps, pub
lilhed many thousands, on all fobje&s,
shall die uegie&ed, and his name fink in
übUfofc,, Phen the difficulty of
compiling Tuch a heterogeneous medley
as is contained in a newspaper, is fairly
considered, it will be found not only the
meft @l, but the most difficult to
^na^i ^^
tfatife on th^ fubjea, whichrfh.il be
:^^^
or reapers roi;,men "
hand words nhrafes he myft
h writing Kitt felt
;onto , min . ,^— «g
men who can easily underrtana him ; he
knows Ips critics, and can please them if
he rhopfes : but, take him cut of his
^k,pbt, him ^ any other fo^^d
he would not be able perhaps, to write
a tingle paragraph. The feme may be
said of writers on ph,fie, divinty, er any
other science; the, have one fubj^t
whereupon to fix their attention, and but
^%^XX^ ^^l
kle—the wrinkles on his brow
vanished; his chin was drawn up
an inch; and, with an air of cheer
fulneb, he fays to me, “ walk in,
walk in ; come I begin to feel ,
little better." Immediately he
took me by the arm and hurried
me into the houfe—forgetting the
stick that had served him as a
crutch; and marching as light at a
rfoldier from camp with his fur
lough in bis pocket. <' ;
This, thought I with myfelf, fr
tickling to some purpefe : 1 took
the hint andl&re^#drtl^
wife and farim, at leaf one hour
from the f/edulneft of a crabbed
hypocondriac. I wen; on to praise
my friends talents at poetry—fold
him what a pity every body tho't
it, that such talents should be loft
—itififted upon it he ought to
write tragedies and an Epic Po
em. My friend wat so pleased
with thtie encomiums on 'his ge
nius, that he loop forgot hi# week
joints and dizzy bed-land walb
rd round the rlßxhi witfras much
vivacity ## a dancing maftet.
As ^ (tapped out of the room
a moment to order a bottle of
wine; hit-wife declared she had
not teen-her bufband so well for a
rah—and begged me to come
Vvfy /day and cere him as I had
j^en done. And, laid the, come
as early as you can, apd talk about
poetry and books, and thfo we
shall not be tormented with his
uettiog and fookiing. Lord blefc
W, laid fe, why he it® tickled
when men of learning command
praise him, that he docs not get
over it al) day.
At this I was not a little tilled
myfelf—l took a glass of wine
and left my friend Nettle in per
sea good Vernor With me, and,
what it more, with all hit family. 4
N^ > ^
AN IRISH BULL.
AN .Irishman in North Caroli
-1 na, had a negro fate who
was rather negteaful, bf business,
2d would sometimes absent him
felf from the service of his matter,
who cne mbrniag ordered him
upon bufineis in haste; but feeing
him rather flow, Paddy came to 1
him in a violent passion. and (aid,
66 you black rafcalfo^fo^
move & little fafter forth, or W—
-I'll go and get a hickory off the
pache tree, and give you a damn'd.
COWskinning."
===
^3^^
^^^^^
p but a trifling hurt, he exclaim
ed in the 'following extempore
Epigram :
. CTD, ^ .<,{, % ^
But, thanksto HeafaQC has not hurt
PRTir
.HAIL, glorious and fulgent @en,
Who with sublime mojeftic mien
Doth circumvolve this spacious globe ;
And when the fun withdraws bis raj,
Sinhs in the weft end clojes so,
Supply bis place with gentler light.
Reigning mild empress of th night,
L i Cloth'd in th, bright and reliant robe.
Let pagans offir rifts divine,
And all, their homages be thine ;
Whilst I, trace out thy rapid course.
And contemplate th, wradrous farces
Whichlead me omadto defer.
Myriads of other nutria's on high.
a Newspaper ; instead of one, he has the
whole circle of the sciences to deal with ;
instead of one class of readers, trained to
his hand, he has all mankind to please ;
and instead cf fervirtg up his entertain
ment all atpnc^,,nd having time tq pre
pare it,, he is obliged to serve it weekly,
and cn stated days, whether he is ready
er not. °
- = — — :
BaN^UET of COMUS.
?.re====== ==^^
Was I right or was I not?
VAS / right or was 1 rat,
VV Tell me girls, and tell me true;
You 1 mean raWq,, husbands £%♦
Was I wrong to dojo too ?
No —l'm fare to die a maid
Ne'er was meant to he my lot :
Hymen culPJl and latg'd.
Was I right or was I not?
When the youth that , leas'd my mind,
Told bis love in language facet.
Could Isa him fond and bind,
Sigh and toguijh at my Jeu ?
No, no, it was in vaia,
Frowns and threats were quite forgot,
Soo, at church I eas'd bis ,Aia.
Was I right or was! not ?
This I tew, a Jingle life
Never was defin'd for me ;
No, no, no, 'tie naught but frife,
That ,on surely will agree ;
Girls get married —that's your plan,
Cupid will affifi the plot ;
Then, like mejecure your man—
Was fright or was I not?
SONNE! to the MOON.
THE RIVULET.
A SONG.