Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-09-21
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
LITERARY.
From a London PAPER.
THE VILLAGE POO HOUSE.

fellows Tor the death, rather the dung, OF the
incumbent, in order to recommend the following
passage to the perusual of some Of the worthy
diguataries Of Oxford and Cambridge
" He who with naughty eye and bigot frown,
And sees no wisdom save in high degree,
Is this the man to teach US charityl
He who, insensate, shuts his pedant ears
To all uuhaIlow'd by thousand years,
Who hears not, in his pump Of letter'd ease,
The voices wandering over earth and seas
Speaking strange truths, and filling land and
sky,
With the proud patriots watch word, Liberty;
Speaking IN tones that brook not Of disdain,
OF totterins olsarchs and their loosened chain:
Who vainiy strives, the same as he began
To fright the boy-to fright the full grown
man,
Is this the being filed with pomp aud pride,
To point our duties or our thoughts to guide:
Well DER the flock the Denslve bad might
weep,
Whe, shepherds were 'more silly than their
sheep"
"And dreams shall be my Architects
To build world, al-all my own"
is most beautiful idea.
I
through all his various descriptions. The Parish
Surgeon-the Starving Ditcher and his Dream
are each admirable in their way. And the pas
sage commencing " Sweet Village can scarce
conceive"i is quite gem Of descriptive poetry
How true is the foliuwing:--
Povertv-with fatal art
B.uuts the feeling. sears the heart;
Poverty has more undone,
Than Wealth or Luxury have won,
Poverty-with Want and Pain,
And Ignorance to form her train.
She dims the very sense OF right,
Makes Virtue hideoas to the sight;
I.oosens the heart from Sha,ne's control,
And blots God image from the soul"
| After drawing apicture Of genuine Charity, is
the following severe. but true description OF Mo-
dern Fashionable Charity
:. But a little French Mlliner, fill'd with gri-
| mace.
Takes Charity's name and stands forth in her
place,
Haunting abroad in furbslow gown,
She's the wonder, and pride aud the belle Of
| the town.
| o. how she signs at story of woe!
| A signs so becoming to bosom of snow
| Of. how she begs. looking pretty the while,
Till hearts, and subscriptions, are gaiu'J BY
her smile;
| She sits in her parlor. surrounded by beaux;
Aud looks so divine making poor peoples
clothes
And fans OF soose-feathers, and shoes made Of
Grape,
And fire screens and needle books, babies and
Caps,-
She's go tender and busy--she leves war
'Gainst the gentlemen's hearts at Fancy Ba.
Zaar;
Oh! Charity faunts it in feather and plume.
Aud smiles like an angei-in rouge and per-
She flrts at her booth-she's the sayest Of
bellies,
And early she bargains, and dearly she sells.
And customers wonder, that lady so tree,
So kind to the poor, and 80 tender should be;
A truce to your wonder-she heeds not the
IL once she is married. she's tender no more.
Oh, me! that such labor, such feeling and care
Should all be bestowed upon Vanity Fair
And deeper the error, aud darker the shame,
That this is transacted in Charity's name"
We shall conclude with the poets own beau.
tiful conclusion
Chow peacefully our village lies
In this calm midnight hour,
Thus sleeping meath the moonlight skies,
And grit with silent power,
The power to waken thoughts OF harm,
Which all its beauty fails to charm.
Why. in scene so fair as this,
Should sadness mingie with our blisss
And as the placid moDnbeam falls
On these Low dwellings silverd walls,
find tsnderiy by fhem.dnighf AIR
Breathss softly round me like prayer,
Why should one wandering thought intrude
or misery, or Of aught save goodl
know not,-yet while here keep
My watch DER its unconscious sleep.
That Village fills my heart with fears;
How Few Of all whose childhood stray'd
| In its green copse or winding glade,
Trace upwards Memory's iron chain
To childhood, save BY links Of pain;