The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-10-17

that one 'sweet spot called home, and Washing
toms home too, is thus permitted to perish ny the
hand of time? Where will the tomb of Wash
ington and Mount Vernon be few years hence?
VIII it always be said that"he lives in the hearts
of his countrymen" when not even decent
path conducts you to his dwelling, and where,
when you have reached the halloWed spot where
his bones are crumbng to dust. even the sur
rounding earth itself looks like deserted, for
gotten and despised spot. ! would not ask that
Mount Vernon should have a magnificent tomb
like those raised upon the plains of Troyn hon
OF OF the Grecian and Trojan warriors; would
not desire that the monumental BRASS" should be
raised in honor of George Washington, but do
wish that the spot beloved by Washington above
all others, should be made an object rather of
pleasure than ofdisgust to the eye of the Amer
lean and the foreigner.
But to return to our walk:
From the front piazza we returned to the house
Hat coud be ~! see he NE furniture was in the
oden style of the revolutionary times The walls
of the rooms upon the lower floors, were COW
cred with paintings, most of them family por-
traits, containing, rs i was told, excellent like
nesses OF each of the occupants of the Vernon
estate since the death Of Washington. We has
tened from this house of the living Washington,
to the grave ofthe Father of our country. Eve
ny thing here was imposing and solemn. The
slave who conducted to this spot, where he
had conducted thousands before, seemed affect
ed as with us he gazed upon the monument
and inscription before us-telng us simply that
"here lies the remains Of George Washington"
The tomb was anew vault,euclosed with an iron
railing, and had been built about six years. Gu.
riosity satiated by gazing upon the new tomb,
we sought out the still more interesting spot
where Washington was first buried My com
pauons followed on. Like Hamlet and Laertes
into the grave Of Ophela, so did my tellow-trav
eller and myself leap into the tomb OF Wash
re no ptIt-
done i'll reverence, followed on--our conductor
smiled and said that no females had ever before,
since the removal of the remains of Washington,
which was six years, entered the vault.
l We stood upon the broken boxes and frames
that once enclosed the remains of our hero,
gathering some stones and several pieces of the
crumbling tomb relics of our journey-then
leaving the vault we again examined the gar
dens, the green house filled with oranges, lemons,
flowers and trees all furnishing in all the beau
ty of nature, and then in the language of the eX-
cellent DR.. Reed of England, the enthusiastic ad-
mirer of Washington, ''we soon left the domain,
perhaps toreverwhch was once digniied by the
presence and which is still sacred by the remains
of Washington" T.. b.
SCALED Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral
Vernon, with whom Waslington's brother serv-
ed in an expedition against the Spaniards.
CHINESE MARRIAGES. The most essential
circumstance in Il respectable family alliance is,
on either side or that ''the gates should cores
pond" as the Chinese express it, The marriage
is preceded by negotiation called ping, con-
Quoted by agents or go-betweens selected by the
parents The aid Of judicial astrology is now
called in, and the horoscopes of the two parties
compared, under the title of the eel ght ch0rac-
ters," which express the year, month, day, and
hour of the natvies of the intended couple
This being settled, presents sent by the bride
groom in ratification of the union; but the bride
in ordinary cases brings neither presents MOI
-, dover to her husband The choice of u luck y
l day is considered of such importance, that il
the Calendar should be unfavorable IN its augu-
= rles, the ceremony is postponed for MONTHS
These superstons are common to ali times and
! and countries. In the Iphigenia at Auis, one
of the plays of Euripldes we have an exact case
in point CIytemnestra says TO her husband who
9 is decelvlng her about their daughter, Son what
day shall our child wed?"-to which he replies,
"When the orb Of a fortunate moon shall arrive
The most appropriate and felicitous time for
marriage is considered to be in spring, and the
first moon of the Chinese year february is pre-
terred 1t is in this month that the peach tree
blossoms i'll China, and hence there are constant
illusions to it in conneXion with marriage. These
verses, from the elegant pen Of Sir William
Jones, are paraphrase of q literal translation
which that interchangeable scholar obtained of a
passage in the Chinese "Book of Odes."
"Sweet child of spring, the garden queen,
You peact-tree charms the rowing sight
Its fragrant leaves how richly green,
Its blossoms how divinely bright
$50 softly shines the beauteous bride,
BY love and conscious virtue led,
~ er her new mansion preside,
And placid joys around her spread"
Some time previous to the day fixed, the bride
groom is invested tremendously with dress
cap or bonnet, and takes an additional name
Inc pride, at the same time, whose hair had I'M
til this hung down in long tresses, has it turned
up in the manner of married women, and fast
ened with bodkins. When the wedding day ar
rives. the friends of the bridegroom send him
presents in the morning. with their congratula-
tons. Among the presents are live geese, which
are emblematical ofthe concord of the married
state, and some of these birds are carried in the
procession. The brides relations likewise send
her gifts consisting chiefly Of female Gnery and
her young sisters and friends of her own sex