Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-03-04
From the Portsmouth journal.
APPRECIATION.

In man or woman but Tar most III man
Z. loath all affectation. '-COWper.
81 will be proud, ! will read poll
tick authors, I will battle Sir Toby,
L will wash off gross acquaintance,
will be point.de-vice; the man; |
will remember who commended my
yellow stockings, and wished to see
them ever cross -gartered.'- .Matbotio.
Mr.. EDITOR This is a world of
tricks. Most of us poor souls) live
by trick, and am sure many OF US
are doomed to die by trick. But.
perhaps, OF all the tricks OF singu-
lariiy,' which are attempted to be
played off upon simple men that
sspeak right on.' the trick Of affec-
tatlon is the most silly and disgust
ing. Every man. and almost every
woman, with eqaal sorrow and diff
dencc, be i, said, has some fault or
failing or other; but then it frequent
" happens, that single fault serves
as a foil to set of some valuable &C
complishment, and therefore does
not make the person absolutely con-
tcmptible.
La my view, the worst kind of af-
lection is that of religion. Affecta-
ton, in general, is only ridiculous:
but in religion it is criminal. Like
the soiemnity of an oath, it then
seems to appeal to Heaven to attest
its truth. The pious subject of this
miserable affectation, is to be seen
choosing the lowest seat in the syna
gague; and he is ever constant, lin
season and out of season. to let the
poor sinful world know how good he
is. Even his Air, dress, aud man
ner, betoken the utmost humility and
self abandonment. 1t may be true,
that, like Shy lock, he 'waits upen
his bonds;' but that is only because
the scriptures say, that he who pro-
yides not for his own household, is
worse than an inRdel. 1t is equally
true, he is bitter and intolerant to all
who differ from him in religious OPT
mon; but the reason for this is, we
are admonlshed, that there shall be
false teachers and wolves in sleeps
clothing in ,he world. His commu-
nication, Tor aught we know, is in
the simplicity Of yea, yea, and nay,
nay but when an object Of private
or public charity is presented. it is
for no other cause than conscientious
scruples, that he begins with nay.
nay He is constant at church with
book Of wicked prayers" in order
'to mend the woIid'-and to set the
example of piety to his neighbors,
and to prove. like holly Willie. a
saurnins and shining light to all the
place.
cob ye, wha are sac good yoursel,
Sac pious, aud sac holy,
Ye've nought to do but mark and tell
Your neighbours faults and folly
The afiectation of wealth is anD-
Their common aud dangerous misfor-
tune. Many persons, otherwise re-
spectacle, have often rendered them
selves very poor and very ridicu-
lous. by affecting the style and Inv
ing of their more wealthy neighbors.
Now, tor, instance, if Mrs. Puffy
gives a route where one hundred peo-
pie are nearly jammsd to death, at
the cost of only one hundred dollars,
why. then, to be sure, Mrs. Puff. in
the pleni,ude Of her wealth. is 10 du.
ty bound to give another, where two
hundred people are to suffer tue mi.
series of the black hole of Calcutta,
and at the expense Of two hundred
dollars. Aud SD 1t is. that if Mrs.
Puff have an article Of fancy, that
cost sixty dollars, Mrs. Puffy, forth
with, must have one at a hundred.
slt's hardest work Of man alive,
TO make three guineas go for five,'
and do Mr.. and Mrs. Puffy find it
for at last ugly creditors demand
their dues, and-the rest is obvious.
But if there are some who are
made poor by the,- affectation OF
wealth, there are others, who MAKE
themselves despicable by an atfecta-
ton Of poverty. Among such, sio.
veBliness of dress, coarseness Of
manners, a contempt for the common !