Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-11-21
Sole Hiss IF Paradise
Which has survived the fall.

This inclination lad been much increas-
ed by my fathers turn Of conversation.
He often said to me, !" know your domes-
tic propensities and know therefore that
the whole color Of your future life will be,
i'll particular manner determined bv the
turn of mind of the woman you may marry.
Were you to live in the busy haunts of men;
were you of any profession, or likely to be
engaged in public life, though / would still
counsel you to be equally careful in your
choice, yet your happiness would not so
immediately, SO exclusively depend on the
society Of woman, as that of retired
country gentleman must do. A man Of
sense, who loves home, and lives at home,
requires wife who can &wifl be at half the
expence Of mind; necessary for keeping up
the cheerful, animated, elegant intercourse
which forms so great part OF the bond Of
union between intellectual and w-ll-brcd
persons. Had your mother been woman
of an uniformed, inelegant mind, virtuous
and pious as she is, what abatement must
there have been in the blessings of nv lot
This exhibiting, the displaying wife may
entertain your company,but i, is only the IN
formed, the * fined, the cultivated woman
who can entertain yourself and presume
whenever you marry you will marry prima-
rily for yourself, and not for your friends
you will wart companion an artist you
may hire.
'' But remember Charles, that when l
am insisting SO much on mental dslicacy, I
am assuming that all is right in still more
essential points. Do not be contensed with
this superstructure, till you have asc-rtaned
the solidity Of the foundation. The orna.
m-nts which decorate, do not support the e.
dihce Guarded rs you are BY christian
principles, and confirmed in virtuous h:b-
its, | trust you may safely look abroad in.
to the world. DO not, however, irrevoca-
dly dispose Of your affections til! YOU have
made the long promised. visit to nv earliest,
wisest, and best friend, Mr.. Stanley. |
am far from desiring thatyour friend should
direct your choice. It is even what ycur
father would not do : bet he v2;l be the
most faithful aid disinterested of counsel
lors."
/ resolved now for few months to leave
the priory, the seat of my ancestors, to
make q tour not only 10 London, but to
Stanley Grove, in Hampshire, the residence
of my fathers friend visit was about to
make with him just before his last illness
He wished me TO so alone, but could not
prevail on myself to eleser, his sick bed for
any scheme Of amusement.
| began to long earnestly for the plea
sure OF conversation, pleasures which, in
our small, but social and select circle OF
cultivated friends, l had been accustomed
TO enjoy. | am aware that certain fine
town bred men would ridicnle tie bare
mention of learned and political converse.
ton at village in Westmoreland, or in
deed at any place out Of the precincts Of
the metropolis just as London physician
or lawyer smiles superciliously at the sug-
gested merits Of a professional brother in a
provincial town. Good sense, however. is
of all countries, and even knowledge is not
altogether a mere local advantage. These,
and not the topics of the hour,> furnish the
best raw materials for working up an i'm.
growing intercourse.
1t must DO confessed, however, as have
since found, that for giving terseness and
a polish to conversation for rubbing cut
for correcting egotism,; for
keeping selt-importance out OF sight, if not
curing it; tor bringing a man to condense
what he has to say, if he intends to be lis
tened to tor accustoming him to endure
opposition; for teaching him not to think
every man who differs from him in matters
OF taste, fool, and il politics knayc -
tor cutting down harranguts; for guarding
him from producing as novelties and inven-
tons, what has been said thousand times;
TOR quickness of allusion, which brings the
idea before you without detail or quotation
nothing is equal 70 the miscellaneous. sorir.