Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-03-18
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

/ flhSl AMf NE0SlONS. ftt s
! "Don't talk to me about first impressions
child !" cried my aunt Deborah, as she adj
justed her cap before the mirror, +" first i'm.
pressions, like every thing else, are sure to
aoeor o1t look at my neau cap, for instance,
when it came home last week from the mil
liners, | thought it the most beautiful cap
In the world and 'soac, just look at it there
IS not such another dowdy thing in creation
every thing alters, and our opinions of every
thing are sure to alter" Why, dear aunt
said Fanny, "syiely you don't mean to com
pare your first expressions about your cap to
moral Impressions, or, in short, to the impress
slons made upon our hearts and understand
lngs! The cap is merely matter of fancy !;
your opinion of it alters because the fashion
changes, or because it becomes less beauti-
tul from being worn but surely you cannot
deny that the first impressions we receive of
a friend are generally correct, and certainly
lasting. How can you expect to persuade
me that i shall ever think Of my dear Alicia
otherwise than do at present? Ny first
impression on seeing her was in her favour,
and | can never think differently: yes, it is
certain, our first impressions are those which
are to be depended on'' "Not when they
are hasty," answered the incorrigible aunt
Deborah, "depend upon it, child, you will be
able to alter your opinion of your new friend
as easily as can unite this cap string: what
has become of your first impressions con-
corning Miss A--?" ooh! but tcas too
hasty there, / thought her so mild, so gentle,
so sincere; she certainly appeared 50, and
you know have since found her to be sell
fish, unfeeling, and deceitfal." "If you had
not should have been much surprised, my
dear; and this proves my theory to be true
every thing changes, and so do our opin-
ions: And Capt R, what were your
first impressions of him ?" ooh there, in
deed, was little at fault thought him
surly, ill-tempered, and illiberal, for he GER
tainly looked so; but his countenance was
to blame, and not I; have long ago re-
nounced my first opinion of ham. But my
opinion of .ALicia can never change shall
always love her as now do, for She will al
ways deserve it."-Aunt Deborah finished
her toilet, and said no more about first inn
pressions at that time but two months after,
POOR Fanny came to her with rueful coun-
tenance, and after much circumlocutory dis
course, and many preparatory remarks, con-
opinion of her dear Alicia, who had repaid
her fondness by ingratitude, and was alto
gether different from what she was when
she first saw her." And Fanny is not the
only person who has suffered disappointment
from hGsty impressions. We are all too
much prone to form hasty opinions concern
ing others, and, when we discover our mis-
takes, are ready to ascflbc them to any
source, rather than to our own want of pc
netration, or to hasty decision. We are
charmed by some peculiar grace, captivated
by some mark of attention to ourselves, fat
tered by some compliment to our sentiments
or opinions, and the person who has thus
charmed us is at once exalted into every
thing that is amiable. Imagination sketches
the portrait; we gaze on it and believe the
likeness real, till Experience shows us that
Reason shut her eyes while Fancy laid on
the colourings. On the other hand, our i'm
pressions of persons at first sight are often
unfavourable, owing, perhaps, to some pecu-
llarlty OF appearance or manner, which may
not be agreeable to our fancy; or, in some
cases, to our own want of penetration to
discover intrinsic merit under a plain and
unpromising exterior. In such cases the
pleasure of discovering that our first impress
sions were erroneous, amply compensates
for the modification of acknowledging that
our Judgment was not infallible. We do not
pretend to argue that it is possible always to
resist the power of first impressions but
experience has taught us that they are often
erroneous, and reflection must convince lis
that it is safer not to give them too much
Importance. We should endeaveur rot to
be hasty in forming our opinions, and par
ticularly cautious Of expressing them when
they are unfavourable : the pain of discover
ing that our regard has been misplaced, and
our admiration undeserved, scertainly great !;
but that of feeling we have injured an es-
Unable person, by an ill-judged and hasty
opinion, which has no other foundation than
first impression, is infinitely greater.
Philadelphia Album.