Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-02-28

miration, she sang as if she were singing
at twilight in her own mothers parlour, as
unconscious Of listeners, and as sweetly, as
the wood. thrush in its deep solitude.
Sure, thought |,
--"Sure something hely lodges in that braest
and with these raptures moves the vocal air,
To testify his hidden residence.
And within that breast, as | afterwards
found, was one Of the most loving aud trus-
ting hearts ever made perfect through suf
f,ring. After while the drive, the ride,
the inviting SAVIOR Of Barhyte's trout, were
too strong for the music. Say and do what
we will, our English blood is not "natve
TO the manncr,"--we must have more SUBJ
stantal Notwithstanding that smacks
of the roast.beef and plum. pudding OF life.
And in their diurnal pursuit of these, the au-
dience of our sweet singer dispersed, but
not till a leisure hour had been redeemed
from vanity ana yacuiIy.
Strangers reprcach us with sectional
prejudices," amounting in their virulence
TO that natural hatred as patriotically cult.
waited for some centuries between the
French and English. If they actliually do
exist Saratoga should be considered as a
sort of Jerusalem, and the annual gathering
of national jubilee, when we are emanci.
pated from something worse than physical
slavery,-for these sectional prejudces are
chains and manacles to kindly feelings
dark prison-houses to generous thought
Many leisure hour is well employed on
that neutral ground of Saratoga, when
the social sympathies are linking the
hearts Of the fair rivals Of rival cities, and
smoothing the raven down" of that deep.
est darkness in our Republic, political ami
mosity,--when the warmth and eloquence
of the southerner melts the ice of the nor
thern man, and finds and feels the generous
current that flows beneath it-when the En-
udite Bostonian quotes the science and
even repeats the puns of the Philadelphian,
and when New York fashionables beg
patterns of caps and capes from Baltimo-
reans. These are the genial Offices OF ac-
quaintance, and before its influence "sec-
tional prejudice" vanishes as night vapors
melt ia the eye of the sun.
have long more than doubted the cura.
tive effect of satire,-.hat most bitter OF
medicines. 1t is certainly more gracious
task to discover DEMONSTRATING plant, than
keenly to detect poisonous herb ; and
far pleasanterto gather flowers than to point
out obtruding weeds: and most wise is it,
| like the wise man, TO indealize the cheerful
countenance, and, like the good vicar, to
love to look upon happy human faces."-
This being my faith, would not advise
any one to waste their leisure hours al
Saratoga upon such hacknied subjects as
maneuvring mammas and their puppet
daughters, parvenus, mustachloed dandles,
and selfcreated foreign nobility. Indeed
with one or two exceptions, these races ap.
peared nearly extinct. remember
though, one exquisite thing--a shadow pre-.
sentiment of humanity, made up of curls
and essences, that held its embroidered
kerchiefa la mode, and waltzed hat in hand;
that "disabled all the benefits Of his own
country, was out Of love with his nativity
and almost child God for making him that
countenance he wore,"-so that some
lively girls, taking piety on his out.of. place
doublet and hose, subscribed from their
own stores, suit of suitable apparel foi
him. know not if it were sent, but saw
the list,-including earrings, hair-pins, anC
papilottes.
But instead Of these of.recorded deni
zens of the watering. place, there were, TO
those of the Wears taste, husbands anc
wives apparently so contented with thei
lot, that they cared not whether the law o
the land allowed divorce TO all who wishet
it, like the reformed cole of Prussia, or de
MED il to all who craved it like certain othe
codes, so they were permitted TO wear ihei
easy yoke together. There were mothers
whose delighted eyes followed their youn
ger selves, and who seemed to have no de
sign for them more hcinous than securing
their present innocent enjoyments. Their,
were beautiful girls untrammelled, as al
American girls are, self.relying, and mos
safe in their sef.reliance, who betrayed M
Impotence to transfer their allegiance from
parent to husband. There were trave,le,
ladies' from Paris, who had come hom
with improved tastes, stored memories, an,
hearts full Of love for their country, an,
with as simple. chaste, and elegant toilet
as if the Paris milliners were all dead an,
buried, and refined women had taken thu
apporeling of their persons into their OWL
hands. There were elderly single ladies'
who neither gossipped about other people,
affairs, nor obtruded their own. One o
two of these noted, with .empers so cheer
full, and sympathies SO warm aud active, tina
it was plain they had not needed the sana
tive relations of wife and mother TO keel
them in good humour, and preserve tn,
fountain of their affections living and flow
, ing. And there was-O rard apiS--a mil
lonaire uncourted, and undertaking. An
, lastly, (thc order of our enumeration resem
bes that Of child's Of his dinner,--p;e:
= tarts, Aummery, and roast beef there wer
men from the highest professional, OF
fetal, and commercial walks Of life, VIII
had cast their cares behind them, and com
there TO recreate in their leisure hours
and some among them may add, mos
gratefully, to redeem and enrich the lcis
| ure hours of others.
And what lifetime is in those leisur
hours A resident of two weeks has see
generation after generation appear and pas
; away he has made acquaintance and foI
,, gotten them, has rpcoej friend
ships and sighed over their decay. Hap
py are the few who escape the doom c
most human tbings-oblivion.