The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-01-22

VIRG. EcLoC.2 58.
|, -- What have done
The boar amidst my chrystal streams bring,
And southern winds to blast my fiow'ry spring.
DRYDEN.
design this number as an answer to the
harsh and undeserved complaints made a
ealnst me by Obadiah Squaretoes. in his let
ter published in my last number. Let no
man say to himself will go forih & do good
AND there shall be none to Censure for no
purity OF purpose can exempt him from this
fate. He, particularly, who attempts an in
road on the existing state of things, although
the change be demonstrably for the better
will be sure to find many who will treat h S
exertions however honest, with resentment
or contempt, and who will embrace their old
errors with the fonder pertinacity, the more
vigorous the effort to tear them from their
arms. The old canons of the family of Square
toes, and the hereditary ubstinacy with which
the present head of that family determines
tn enforce them, reminds me of a story which
i heard many years ago. and which places
in strong light, this old-fashioned bigotry
in error. A road in the back parts of Penn
sylvania had been so long used that it was
worn into deep and almost impossible gully.
The surveyor had opened new road along
the bank which over looked the former, and
which was as remarkably smooth and firm.
as the other was miry and rugged A ira
weller, Rying in his curricle along the new
road. and seeing d Wagon and powerful
team flounder!ng through the mud and mire
OF the rough gully below, had the curiosity
to stop and ask the waggoner why he chose
the old road in preference to the new one
which was SO much supericrf The Wagon
err was hale and ruddy checked Dutchman,
about six and thirty years of age: and with
out stopping his horses, he bawled out his an
swer in broken English" Mine fader haf
alwaysh been drlfe alonk dish rote. and so l
DRIES here too"--and so oursbing his whip
over his head, he continued with great sang
froid to stick to his old way, or rather to
stick in it, which he literally did at every ten
steps.
There 10 no man who respects the cstab
lishment OF family rules more than do e.
ven ancient fairly rules for am ancient,
alas very ancient, myself But then these
rules must have something more than anti
putty on their side they must have reason
to command my respect. And what reason
can there be III annihilatiug girls mind
or IN suffering great part of the fine and
beautiful domain to lie ialIow, when it might
be cultivated to such high advantage, both
for the individual apd the ,tion.
The library If the Squaretoes family, is
unexcepGonabIe so far as it goes although
must be permitted TO SAY. that j did not
entirely relish the association in the same
period, Of the Book IT life. with the art of
Cookery Ivy Mrs. II Annah Glass. Mr. Square
toes would probably urge that they are, in
some sens, both books OF life, that spi-
ritual and carnal conjunction is just fed by
the example Of the soul and body and that
the whole Duty of Man forms an appropri-
ate middle link between the two: this | sus-
pect, Oor think | know the MANI would
be very apt to be the course of reflection
which he would pursue on The OCCASION
And | anticipate him merely for the purpo-
SEES first OF showing him, that it reqrires no
great force Ot wit to make such remarks
and secondly, Of admoDiShing him, that il
he shall honor me with any more OF his cor
Maf 60ok and TINT snbject are
not to be lightly aud irreverently treated.
But let me settle the dispute which has al
ready arisen between US, instead of lcrestal-
ling Dew one.
There is such thing as a progress in
mind and manners, iuseparable from tn
nature OF man. to which every sensible IA
ther Will pay some attention in the educa-
ton OF his children. At time, for exam
pie, wheu Tbs light, the heSible, the grace