Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-10-21
From the Connecticut Gonrant.
THE BRIEF REMARKER.

kIffE BRIEF hhM DAs.
The commerce OF neighbourly socia
life IS carried on chiefly with SINAI
|change. Vast favOurs are seldom be
slowed, and heavy obligations as seldom
incurred. tits the constant Interchange
|of little obliging attentions, that constr
flutes connubiai happiness. Il springs
from an uninterrupted series OF llttle
acts Of mutual kindness, light as air Of
themselves, and costing little or nothing.
hat OF immeasurable importance in Their
consequences as they furnish the oni,
kind of food thatwill long sustain that
|lelicate kind of friendship /: for the abb
|sence Of these small attentions occasions,
FIRST GOODNESS then distrust, and finally
alienation. Setting aside the british 4
the dissolute part Of community, wives
land husbands disagree oftener by mucl.
|abeut trifles, than about things OF real
weight. Perhaps nine in ten of their
disputes and squabbles grow out OF little
things, such as trivial neglects, petit.
|trespasses or word unkindly spoken !.
|nay merely hard look. sometimes lays
1.-The foundation of hard quarrel. A
husband never can please his wife any
longer than his general conduct eylnces
THAT he is, in most respects, we'll pleased
with her; and SO wee versa.
If we extend our view to the larger
lcircle Of social intercourse which cOmpre
|hends relations, friend and acquaintance
|ofeyery kind and degree, we shall lind
that the frequent interchange of courte-
|ous attentions and petty kindnesses, is
the thing that keeps them united toge.
Their and pleased with each other and
hat in default of this, they presently
lose all relish for one anothes's company
The truth is, as our tempers are ettener
rufled by trifles than by things OF mo-
ment, 80, on the other hand, our anec.
tons are more won by long series OF
trivial obligations. than by one single OBJ.
legation, however great.
Man, put him where you will, is a
proud hearted little animal. And hence
we become attached to those who are in
the habit of treating US as ifthey thought
us worthy of their pa ticular notice and
regard, and at The same time cold and
secretly resentful towards such as habi-
tually neglect us in taese littepoiDts;s e.
ven though the former never have done
US single important favour, and the lat.
ter, in some one instance or other, have
essentially befriended us.
With regard to neglects and trespass-
es in those little things which constitute
the main substance of social life, the
worst Of tits. that they are incapable Of
free discussion and, of course, the
wounds from them admit Of no healing.
We are deeply touched with omissions
or sights, for which it would be ridisu-
lous to expostulate or complain They
leave sting which secretly rankles in
our memories and fosters in our ipagi-
nations and inwardly we feel sore,
while we arc ashamed to fret outwardly :,
the cause of our proyocation being an un-
deiinable narneless something, upon which
we never can ask for az explanation, and
consequently never can obtain any salts
faction.
True enough. all this is often i'll
grounded, or the offspring of mere jea-
Iossy. But this makes the case the
more remediless ter II! grounded enmi-
ties are the most obstinate; because.
as their causes exists altegether or chief
IL in the imagination. the imagination is
ever busy in colouring and magnifying
taem whereas when the offence, though
real. is of definite fern and shape,
it may be got over. | have seen two
friends dispute and quarrel violently a.
bout an affair of moment, and then settle
ii, and presently become as kind and
loving together as ever: and | have seen
other two friends, who never quarreled
together at all, become first cold, and at.
last utterly epstranged, by reason Of
neglect on slight, on the one side or the,
other, which, Of itself, was too trivial to
be SO much as mentioned to the offend
ing party.
There are those who are willing to o.
bli.e, but are unwilling to receive o5li-
cations, though never so small, in any,
way or in any thing: and they boast Of
as noble quality in them. But whate.
yer they may think ssf it themselves
they, in this respect, violate the gene
raj law Of social commerce, which re-
quires some degree of reciprocity, or a
mutual exchange Of commodities. One
WHO'S In the way OF often receiving
f.om another, little kindnesses which he !
is permitted in no wise torequite, sinks
into dependent and his nominal friena