Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-11-18
From tho Portland Tribune.
"O.uE.N.
M JOHN NEAL, ESQ.

men Of small neighbcrhood-or OF single
parish. set apart in one OF the isles oi the sea
from all the rest OF the earth. How much
more difficult 10 describe those Of large coun-
try, by few general remarks. /, is not so
with men. They may be hit off in the lump.
They are the heritage, not the blossom OF a
country They are all of "A hnc-,hey are not
like the flowers that blow under the pressure
Of the foot, and fade away before you have
time to trace the perfume Of their dying breath
Ito the troddon am. crushed root you have
SCARED with your heel as you hurried by
They are not like womcn-as changeabie rs
light. and as flnc,uaing as the shadow OF a
summer sea. They are more like the snbsian-
tialties that yon see about you-heaVy, ana
rocky, and sieaaiast.
Men are the realities. women the poetry OF
this world Men are the ,rees-women the
fruitage and flower. The former delight IN a
rude soil~-they strike their root downward
will, perpetual effort, and heave their proud
branches upward in perpetual effort. in perpe''
ual strife. Are they TO be removed You
must tear up the very earth with their roots'
rock and ore and mpuriiy, or they perish
They cannot be translated with safety. Some
thing of their home-a li,le OF their native
soil must cling 10 them forever or they die
Not SO with woman-give her but air ana SKY
enough, and she will seek no EonrlSliinent OF
The earth-slrike 10 roots downwards-nrge
no scepire npward-but content herself with
shedding light and cheerfuness OF every side
Of her. flowers and perfume on every thing she
touches. Would you remove her-you have
bu, TO enciasp few green delicate lIbres, to
scatter few blossoms. and 10 shake oil few
large drops--ike the rain drops Of summer
~. IL, lbN ri In vfp
wi,hersoever you may steer. She docs M.
cling 10 the soiI--she does not yearn for ma
live earth; all tina. she needs. anywhere, is
something to grow to. Her vitality is nn'ouch-
ed-her sympa,hies unhurt, by the influences
Of new sky or a strange air. l, may be that
in her youth, her bossoming was about the
doorway Of a cottage; il may be that she IS now
ransplanted TO palace; made 10 breathe The
hot and crowded air, 10 bask In the artificial
sunshine of ID ciiy-in shadow and smoke, and
a most exaugera,ing atmosphere. But even
there she is happy-she carries her home with
her: and though wlia, she clin2s to may sick
EN- at The hear, and perish at the roots, Tor lack
of It's native air, she will put forth her beauty,
and scatter her perfume as before.
These things are easily sad-butsaTe fhey.
true9 We are liable 10 be carried away ny
nce,yy. metaphor. and illustration Illus
,ra,ion. poetry and metaphor. what co they
prove ?-what are they good for! Why should
i, be more difficult to describe women than
men of 4 small neighborhcod Of a remote par
ish, or Of large country? Fry the expert
men, Yourself Go into the first church You
see open or to any other place where you may
meet a multitude Of women gathered together
Trv 10 give reader a general idea OF Their
dress--.ay, try TO give amy body general
idea Of a par; Of ii-of the fashion of their
hcnnets. You will find the hats Of the men
all aike-hut Of the bonneis yon will seldom
| or never find two alike. in the whole honse-l
| uiul,, say. on he face nl The whole earth. Such
| is the very nature of woman quick. apt, sem
| sible and pfecipiiale, wrh an eye for color
| tina, men have not, with an ear Tor music that
| nen have not, and with j Taste Tor shape that
shows itself in every thing she wears, and ev.
cry thing she builds up. A woman studies
change aud VARIETY, Is reproach for her to
| dress alike do no, say TO be ;iike---for 2i
| hours a, time. She would blush to be
cought twice a year AZ D ball in the same or in
similar dress. And where it may MOI be in
her power 10 put s,zi new robe every day, il
is The study ola large Fart Of her lifs % appear
to do Soto snultlpfy sId yary by al sorls oil
con,Tivahces, the few that she emay have. now
by altering the shape, now ssy giving new
re, now by changing The rjbl,ons, OF hounce
az afmbelow, aud now it mag be by convert.
ling Slips into frocks, or ffocks into slips, or
both into spensers or riding habits: all which
| woman may do from her youth up. ye, more
from love Of change. ti,an fvonia secret wish
| 10 appear better of than she is. Aud SO with
no, a few of orr men. The more youthful
| they are, the more sensitive they are: the more
| like women they arc, the more changeahle aud
| capricions they are. But why should CON-
plain Of this? Edo nol-l only mention the
fact for the purpose of showing how difficult II
| is To give another general idea OF the chafac-
ter of body Of women. Before the hue is
| ccpied--it has altered. Before the outline is
| hni>hed--i, is no longer The same. You are
| in pursuit of the ranbow--yon are describing
chauoeable landscape, under the drifting
clouds Of changeahle sky-you are after a
bird of paradise-a feaiher-a butterfly:
And every touch that woos its stay
Brushes its brightest hues away.
| But is this TO complain !-If say that flow.
are no, rees--that irutage is not rock-thal
women are not men: what say more than ev-
CIV BODY. woman as well as man should de-
! Iioht TO acknowledge! Are we to be mprls-
oned forever and year with realizes! Are
we 10 live under marble armament, because
| forsoo,h, marble armament may have more
stability Z! Are we, who live IN the very midst
Of change and fluctuations, who are never The
same for two minutes together, who see all the
elements circulating forever and ever within us
and around us, through all the vlclssiudes Of
shadow and light, and youth and age! Are
we 10 speak irreveren,ly Of her, who. BY the
greater frmness, aud greater purity of her cor
| poreal texture, is made more sensible than we
10 the influences of sky and air, and sea and
earth? AS well nigh. we derde the perfume