Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-10-05

eXueme--Dut the greaf attraction to me IS
the music. The choir is composed ofeunuchs,
and the singing surpasses all l have ever
heard. There are many very large churches
besidesthose ofthe city,everyeminence around
is crowned with convent, church, or a nun
merry. The most interesting church to a sail
or is the Bon Wagon, GOOD Voyage) adorned
with sails. cables, anchors, &c-the grateful
offerings Of seamen preserved fom ship
wreck.
Since his flight from Portugal, escorted by an
English feet in 1903, John vi. has held his
court here. He is represented as an imbecile
governed by his wife, sister to the KING of
Spain. A few weeks before our arrival, the
Princess Donna Maria, was born, and the re-
jocings have not yet terminated.
Throughout the day the clang of bells is in
cessant;and the hills around roar with the un-
ceasing reverberation of theartillery, dischalg-
ed from every ship and fortress. At night,
the converts throw back the blaze of the illu-
minated city, which gilds the slopes and sum-
mits of the circumjacent mountains-while
like an undulating mirror, the harbor re-
fleets the myriads OF. lights, which are fanci-
fully interspersed among the spars and rigging
of the ships of war; On the islands and along
the shore in every direction, bonfires are baZ-
water as the land, is heard the whizzing sound
ofthe sinuous and beautiful rocket, which ex-
plodng above and around, like an unceasing
fue de joie, fill the air with its fiery fakes
The sound of music, and the shouts of merri-
ment, commingled and waited by the breeze,
fall gratefully upon the ear, and soothe the
tagging hours of watchfulness.
An arrival from the United States A
dreadful duel has occurred at home.
"Oh woman: in our hours of ease,
Uncertam,coy and hard to please,
as capricious in decision, as Eahiding in forti-
tude, how powerful is your influence for good
or for evil! An earthly coin stamped with a
heavenly image, is pure and single-minded
woman. The perfection of the human the be-
ginning ofthe celestial race; throned in virtue
fannedb y the breath ofangels; environed with
airs ofparadise, her step is modesty her voice
music,and her look is love.
'Spotless without, and innocent within,
She fears no danger, for she knows no sin
An emanation ofthe Deity, the radiant link
which binds us to purer state, unconscious
as the soft and ferlzing dew, she weans us
from sin to holiness, and as the western sky,
Is tinged with lights long after the sun has set,
More eloquent than the chiseled marble of the
sculptured urn, the tears and lamentations of
the poor bespeak her epitaph. Lovely and be-
loved in life; cheerful aud resigned in death,her
heavenly task fulfilled like the dove forced
back by the troubled waters, she resumes
her place in the bosom of her God.
How different the character, and how re-
verse the fate of the vain and silly woman!--
Forgetting that beauty truly blent is the soul
beaming in the face, she is like the unskillfI1l
florist, who cultivates those flowers only which
captivata the vulgar eye but which, scentless
and gaudy are rejected by the hand ofrefine-
ment. Listening TO admiration first with a
pleased and then with greedy ear, unlike the
natural appetite, indulgence never safes, profu-
sion never satisfies Proud ola complexion or
fern, she neglects that which would lirrad-
ate the one,and dignity and ennobe the other
AS like with like holds strong affinity, she as
Stimulates with the least gifted of the other
sex; and may in her unmeaning flippancy en-
counter one, who, aware of her weakness and
unrestrained by principle, will bait his hook
with flattery, and lure her to Instruction.
Like the unconscious moth, she futters around
the torch of adulation, and meets her ruin in
what she most admired. Unfortunately she es-
cape infamy, she does not attain happiness.
Ifsingle,petulant and unloved; if married, PIN
ing and d'scontented; fretfIl at admcnition;neg-
ligent of her duties; needless of the past, and
unprepared for the future; after useless life
she sinks shuddering into the grave; whose
dark chasm is Illuminated by no ray of hope.
Young beautiful and accomplished, but way
ward and unfeeliDg, Emily Pendleton the
reigning belle ofthe town of Petersburg, be-
came engaged to Edward Bowden, student
of medicine, who parted with her after re-
ceiving her protestations offidelity and love to
attend his last course OF lectures in Phiadel-
phia. In the meantime impelled by that love
Of admiration now become the aliment of her
soul, she first encouraged the earnest gaze.
then listened to the ardent VOWS, and finally
engaged herself to Henry Arnold. BowdeD,
after his return, made some remarks disparag-
ing of the lady's constancy, which was natur-
ally elected by his disappointment. The re-
mark was repeated to Arnold, who fiery with
zeal in behalf Iof one, he deemed perfec-
ton, demanded an explanation in manner
so peremptorily as to preclude it. A chal-
lenge necessarily ensued, and the graveyard
of an old deserted Church was selected as the
place ofcumbat. The father of BOwden was
apprised of their intention the evening preyi-
vious, and could at once have frustrated it, but
in as much as his son had short time before
been engaged in a similar affair, which had not
it was whispered, to his credit, the father in
an unfortunate moment. deferred his interior.
ence until the following morning.
To wedding or duel, alike impelled by
love or hate, men are proverbally punctual.-
Precisely at the appointed minute, the parties
were on the ground. " no that from afar had
beheld the quiet scence, would aveldreamed O
the deadly crime whichiwas about to polute it
To the West, embosomed in valley, lay the
town, half screened by light gauze of vapor
which rose and fell as the gentle wind rushed
down the sides, OF through the gorges Of the
I hills. The slnmber of the citizens seemed
protracted by the lullaby of the waterfalls, OF
the monotonous sound Of the mills whose ma
chinery they propelled. To the North, dense
bank Of mist, gathering its folds to follow thu
rising sun, denoted the course Of the river
The SUBMITS of the surrounding hills were
bathed in light; the sweet breath of the NOR
ming was abroad, and the gushing Of streams
and the chant from each brake, proclaimel
that athe voice Of the echo was unbounded il
the woods" The soft wind sighed through
the trees, and moaned along the empty aislei
of the time-honored and desolateI church.
Emblems of time and eternity, the people be
low. warm with the tide of life, breathed freely
while the dead around, cold and motionless
slept on. On tombstone-the table OF NOR
talitv-the instruments Of death were laid
The dead slept in peace; while two living be
| inoe confronted each other, embIttered witt