The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-01-07 00:00:00, page 1

THE
WHEELING REPOSITORY.
(VOL. I.)'
Thursday, 7th January, i8c8.
(N<> 35 )
MIS C ELLA N 2~.
For the Wheeling Repository.
I'l is remarkable what contradictory
ideas different persons may be led to af
fix to one thing. And as many of our
ideas are derived lrom those about us
in early li: s it is also worthy of remark,
that the advantage ot intercourse with
persons of sound judgment and correct
pr inciples, at that period ol life, is no
s:n:til one. It is an advantage which
should be more highly prized than it
generally is.
Those who in “ the morning of life”
have been accustomed to hear any per
son or pursuit frequently mentioned
v. uh contempt or ridicule, do not easily
g t l id of the impressions which they
th.-n receive. Many have been the in
stances, where young persons brought
up in “ the lap of ease,” have imbibed
a disgust and contempt for those whose
cii i unibt'mcis required them to be in
dustrious, and whose industrv rendered
th tn useful members of society. In
some cases, ;.o-,d s use and just reflec
tion have sufhec ! iu remove such erro
neous sentiini nis ; and in others, a re
verse of fortune 1 as complete lv eradi
cate 1 them. Hut it is better io be as
sured at fust, that
“Honour or shame from no condition
ISow as th • Creator of this earth is ac
knowledg'd to be more honourable and
rraise-worthy than the creator, s who
live upon it; I think that the manufac
turers who make articles of dress, are
Tit t less r< spectable, as to their orrupa
tio s, than ill merchant who sells them,
or Jew: do-not!ting people who sometimes
w ar them. And tho’there are some
w1' » desri t’vj cultivators of the soil,
I h ive n< v i been able to discover a
R ri a son, why persons who raise grain
might not be as honourable as those who
only ( at th bre id which it makes. It
Wo hi perhaps excite a smile in some of
those who hold in contempt persons ac
customed to useful l\bou f to mention
that in ancient Rome, the mistress of
the world, the Senators persuaded Cin
cinnatus lrom the plough to be invested
with unlimited authority in the govern
ment ol the nation.
Such are the dilFerent lights in which
the same thing strikes several persons,
that what will be ridiculous or odious
in the eye ol one, will be highly pleas
ing to another, who will even suppose
himself entitled to more respect on ac
count of it. IIow many are there who
value themselves for an action, which
others would be very unwilling to have
imputed to them. And there are some
who will sometimes boast of a character,
respecting which another would exclaim,
“/ would not have it for a thousand
pounds /”
How many persons plume themselves
upon an accomplishment, or an orna
ment, which others despise ! The un
pOiished Indian, with his ears cut into
strings and dangling about his shoul
ders, and a ring in his nose, considers
himseli handsomely decorated ; while
| there are many who ridicule him for his
peculiar way of shewing his vanity.
certain nation, who esteemed them
selvi s the most polite people in the world,
usually made a practice of officiously
declaring to strangers that an ugly worm
was on their hats, anJ laughing at the
unsuspecting dupes when they took ofT
their hats to remove the supposed in
truder. Notwithstanding the high opi
nion the to people entertained of their
politeness, such conduct amongst us
would be deemed insufferable rudeness;
and I am afraid that were I to be freat
id in this wav among strangers, instead
of thanking them for their politeness, I
should be ready to break their heads for
their imp. rtinence. ,
It is sanl that the Indians do not use
the rod to their children, but inflict o
ther punishments with which they are
taught to associate the idea of disgrace.
A storv is told of a young Indian wo
man, who, lor some fault, had water
thrown in her face by her mother; whicV
so deeply wounded her feelings, that she
put a end to her existence. How many
youngsters would be glad to escape, on
certain occasions, with wet faces/
Thus it obviouf, that in many casear
the cause of desire or disgust, contempt
or dread,
‘•/s' never in the thing’—but eye'*
I was led into this train of thought,.
Mr. Editor, by the following pleasant
little poetical tale, which I lately met?
with.—-I do not, like your correspon
dent Mr. Pope, whose favour you ac
knowledged so particularly in your last
number, just copy this poetry and send
it to you as my own production. I ho
nestly tell you I met with it ; and as I
told you on a former occasion that I was
fond of stories and anecdotes, you may
be sure it attracted my notice. I request
you to give it a place in the Repository*
together with the foregoing observa
tions. Your friend,
Dick.
Sophia Was a little child,
Obliging, gav, and very mild ;
Yet, lest of dress she should be vain,
Mamma still dress’d her well, but plairw
Her parents, sensible and kind,
Wish'd only to adorn her mind :
No other dress, when good had she,
Hut useful, neat simplicity.
Tho* sehlom, yet when she was rude, •
Or ever in a naughty mood,
Her punishment was this disgrace,
A large fine cap, adorn’d >v ith lace.
With feathers and with ribbons too ;
T’lte work was neat, the fashion new;
Yet as a fool’s-cap was its name,
She dreaded much to wear the same.
A lady, fashionably gav,
Did to Mamma a visit pay.
Sophia star’d, then whisp’ring said,
U\V hy, dear Mamma, look at her head f
To be so tall, and wicked too,
The strangest thing I ever knew ?
What naughty tricks, pray, has shedone^
That they have put Unit fool’s-cap on^