Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-02-29
From the Connecticut Couran:.
The Brief Remarker.

FROM the COnnectiCut COufdnS.
The Brief Remarker.
THERE is a remarkable variety
in the growth Of mind, from the first
visible daw nipgs Of reason to the
full maturity Of its powers. Ut
minds that finally attain to an IN
common degree ofinteIligence, some
have slow growth. an ample har-
vest Of fruit succeeds to no extra
ordinary blossom. Neither their
childhood aor their youth gave pro
mise or the parts which the process
oftime gradually ard slowly develop
I'd. 1t has been remarked Of the
late Patrick Henry. SO celebrated 10
ihe annals Of Virginia, " that he
did not appear at the bar until he
was about thirty years old and that
he had attained nearly to forty, be-
fore the extent of his talents was
discovered by the public. and pro-
badly before it was known to him.
self Other minds have rapid
growth, and shortly become stationa-
ry. or even go to decay and the
maturity of age, disapnoiuts the high
expectations that had been built up
on The singular forwardness OF child
hood and youth. Their premature
brightness passes away, and is pre-
sentIy gone, like the passing blaze
of meteor.
" The wonderful boy, being no
longer boy. is no longer wonder ="
Not that this is the fact in ell in
stances; there have been men of
gigantic miads, who discovered
marks or superiority in mental sta
Fture, almost from the cradle. One
remarkable instance Of it, was Doc.
tor Samuel johnson; and another,
the late Chief Justice Parsons. OF
the latter, the Hon. Judge Parker,
lin an address to a Grand Jury, OBJ
served 1859 From The companions
OF his early years 1 have learned,
that he was comparatively great. be-
fore he arrived at manhood that
his infancy was marked by mental
|labour and study, rather than b.!
puerile amusements; that his youth
was season of persevering acquisi-
|ticn, instead Of pleasure and thai,
when he became a man, he seemed
Ito possess the wisdom & experience
of those, who Lad been men long be
fore him"
But, notwithstanding these and
|sundry ether similar instances. ex.
perience teaches that the wonderful
boy, not seldom, makes but an or
binary, and. sometimes, bat an in
Iierior man and this is oaings per
|haps for the most part, 10 the two
following causes.
Ia the view that is taken OF child
hood and imm ture youth. the par
|,ial or superficial observer is very
apt TO mistake loguacious viyacity for
brightness Of intellect, and forward
periness for genius and the fond
hopes th are founded upon this
common mistake, are at length blast
ed of course. In the progress Of
aye, there is discovered the want of
solidity and depth The mind has
no bottom 1t retains its sprightli
ness through life hut it is still The
|sprightliness childish years.
But the most common cause of the
failure Of youths Of great
promise, is the indiscretion, net TO
say vanity, Of their friends. 1t is
quite common for parents to mistake
their own gSslins for swans ; TO think
their children very bright, il they
have merely common sense. But if
any one Of thcm happen to be more
forward for his age than what is
usual, he makes prodigious figure
in their partial and detins eyes nor
can they be content to smother Or
conceal the delicious sensations