Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-10-19

Boa CONSTRUCTOR, which winds itsel
round its prey, and kills not by poison
but by stricture--it even squeezes the
ratlle-snake to death. H has also the
common black snake, and the lead-color-
ed American adder, ofihe description OF
the fiat heads. He has all these under
the same command, exhibiting almost
the same docilty as the rattle-snaSes.
The spectacle is not dangerous, nor
even disgusting, and is we'll worthy the
attention of the curious.
On being Disguised zvih 6a8hfulne8s in
Boys.
To prevent the evil which arises from
attempting things beyond their strength,
nature seems to have given many animals
that Instructive knowledge Of their want
of ability which produces caution. The
bird, while il is caliow, never leaves the
nest, unless by accidental fall and when
its plumage IS grown TO considerable
degree Of perfection, it takes but short
flights at a the, and seems unwilling to
lose sight of lis parent and nurse.---it
is not ill the wings have acquired
strength end agility, thai it leaves the
branches of the ground, and dares to
soar undauntedly in the fields of air, m
mndluloFthe mes, and iosterin, feathers,
which lately supplied it with warmth
and protection.
Something of similar difftdence,
arising from conscious immaturity OF
power, appears to me to take place IN
the human mind at the puerlle age: and
/ canno, help thinking it truly amiable;
yet it is SD stigmatized with the odious
name of shyness snd sheepishness, and
many parents appear more solicitlcus to
divest their children of it, than to furnish
them with any grace, virtue, or accom-
plishnent. BY dint of great pains, they
often succeed in thus forcing the rose
bud to expand immature its leaves; but
think they are greatly mistaken IN their
management, and that The uneesihess at
seeing their children diflident is totally
misplaced.
II, indeed, the difidence which they
lament were likely to continue through
life, l agree with them tina; it would be a
preatimislor,une. Il would prevent ex-
ertion, in a thousand instances, where ex-
ert,on would SC rewarded with profit and
honor; and it would occasion the child
much causeless anxiety. But in gene
raj there is no danger OF its Continuance
beyond the period of immaturity, at
which it is certainly natural, and rather
pleasing and graceful, III the eyes OF SEN
sible observers. | contend tina, is, caus-
ed by conscious inability arising from
youth, and that it will OF itself give
place to proper confidence, as soon as
it feels consciousness OF power matur-
ed and confirmed by age.
believe may go farther and assert,
that this questionable diffdence, which
many fathers and mothers labor to re.
move, even in the tender period ofcarly
infancy, is favorable to growth in men
tai vigor and vir,uous principles. Al
who are to excel in future must devote
a previous time to discipline. He whs
would one day speak must first listen
And, to return to the bird, to which
have already alluded, it is we'll known L
students in ornitboogy, Or at least Il
those admirers Of the fcathered rae
called bird fancicrs, that the finest sing
ing bird listens when young to the oil
ones, and even when they have learne'
their notes, venture only to. record, a
those gentlemen express 1t, that is, t
sing in soft low tone, almost as II the
were ashamed of being heard. | hav
often heard the blackbird, who has al
forwards made the woods resouid wit
his melody, ing his skill or recordins
under covert of hawthorn, in SO low
warbling, as scarcely ,obe distinguish
amid the concert Of the grove.
The mind collects images Of things
and forms opinions during the immatur
state, at which it scarcely ventures TO cn
ploy the tongue in utterance. And whe
store of ideas is al last accumulated,
feeis spontaneous confidence, iounde
on conscious merit; and shines, at IN;
ture age, with lustre which it woul
never have displayed, if, instead Of CO
lecting ideas, it had been indulging il
own pride in utterins yivacious nor