Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-06-23
cOUSxN- PRANK.
~ MSS sEpewIcK.

Gray, in the most familiar Of his exquisite
Stanzas 10 country Chnsch.ya e. Full ma
nv a GEM &c. y has expressed most poe'!ca'-
" the waste Of false position in lite. Inc
fond par,iality Of every village generation nnos
in it's own buryiog. ground s.some viliag.
Hampden." some ;. mate, ingloIioas MiIion,
Cromwell guiItless Of his country'a blood"
/, is a sinele good fortune when an individual
has right position in life. The ONCE OF res
ident Of the United States is one OF 'ne h.gn-
est among men, and he who worthliy mis- y Is
the peer Of kings and auiocfats. washington
the elected head Of the American people, was
truly king Of kings. But II Tire na'ion put 10
thai Mace man only fitted to be clever ward
politician, or skillful oveeseer OF p'an'a-
lion. he is mark in the pillory. not the light
set on a hill.
We see every day men in false position;
in places as ill-6,,ing as garment would 100
wide, or perchance too narrow. Men are rdis-
ed TO Offices Of trust and honor, that are Wof-
Inv neither Of the one nor the other; and stout
frames. which nature has built OF muscle ana
sinew able to subdae the widest OF our wild
land, are in places behind counters, that wo'
men Of right and grace should NIL. DO we
not all know ladies in drawing-rooms. c"moer-
ers of that ground. who would have inquired as
first rate miliners! And misiresses OF our
civ palaces. who would have been inestima-
BILE market-women And yellow. languld.
fine ladies'. who. in their right vocation as
chamber-mads, would have been brisk and
blooming! And do we not know those III OBJ
scure and humble places, who, shuffled 10 their
right position, would bring with them the gra.
=. .-aptoI nv rive 1pst IN hiUh life
There are men born 10 the Inheritance and
minisration of a princely fortune, who are on
" fit to keep livery stable, or drive foor-in-
hand and there are spiritual teachers. whose
whole lives should he passed in the humblest
class of learners. Bach. ors there are, who
would have been pattern husbands and idoli-
zed fathers; and husbands and fathers, who
should have gone roaming and growing alone
through life. 1t is this prevaiIngldisorder and
unfitness that makes it so peculiarly delight
full te see friend in the right posiiion-that
gives to fitness the effect Of harmony.
This felicity Of the right position is most
strikingly illustrated by charming friend Of
mine, who, having an innumerable host Of
Young cousins, is best known by his most COM
mon appella,ive, "Cousin Frank" A dis
cernine girl has tried to fix upon him the so.
briouet Of Pickwck, but there was general
ontcrv against this we were too jealous of the
originality of our friend, to blend hin in any
way with another. Perhaps, we did not all Of
US fully appreciate the gentle qualites-the
romantic benevolence-the exquisite geuile.
maniness of the Don Quixote Of Mr.. Dick
ems creation; and besides, the very sound Of
"Cousin Frank - is keynote to our affec-
tions. "Cousin Frank" is not too young
and cannot remember that he ever was-for
any kind office, and he never will be "too
o!d' for any service Of humanity. He is not
rich, thank Heaven, for if lie were, he would
have cares Of his own; nor is he poor, and
thank Heaven for that, too, for then he would
have sordid anxieties. If he were too tail, he
might on some occasion (,here is universally
in Cousin Franks occasions) be inconvenient-
" conspicuous; and if he were too short, he
might not always command the respect of
those who measure dignity by feet and inches;
so he is just right-just as high as all our
hearts.
Again, &" Cousin Frank" is not in the diem
ma Of one of Mr.. Bnlwer's heroes, "too hand.
some for anything" bu: were you TO question
his beauty in a certain circle, any one Of do
zen fair young creatures would exclam, 'Cous-
in Frank not handsome IL wonder then who
is::' He certainly has what our English
friends call g. nice countenance ;" just that
amount Of good looks that makes young la
dy, who has his arm in a company of stran-
gers. feel very complacent.
We have said there is an universally in
Cousin Franks occasions Of benevolent USE
funess-we cannot enumerate them. He is
the dear and privileged friend Of half-a-dozen
families, and handspring of three. If there be
pleasant party on foot, Cousin Frank must
come to make it pleasanier; if a dull one, he
must come to make it endurable. If an agree
able dinner is planned, Cousin Frank is the
guest to make sure all its pleasant hiIarities !;
If heavy one is apprehended, he must do its
dull honors. A perilous winters journey can
only be encountered with Cousin Frank; an
en,icing picnic would still be nothing without
him. lfthere be any awkward secret that must
be conflded 10 some one, Cousin. Frank is the
chosen recipient; he never tells, and if help
be possible, help will come from him.
Cousin Frank is no amateur of music, real
or pretended. / doubt if he could distinguish
an air Of Bellini from sonata Of Beethoven.
Yet he goes TO more concerts than any man in
town; for Crisi or Lamblache would sing in
vain 10 any Of our score of girls. if Cousin
Frank were not there. The lectures-we must
confess t-sparing neither sex nor age, they
have well nigh exhausted even Cousin Franks
patience. and he was once seen looking grave
and doubtful. when one Of his pre,iiest cous-
ms asked him to attend her to the Tabernacle.
For himself Cousin Frank eschews parties;
bu; if there be timid womankind among us,
who fears to 60 alone in carriage. he is call
ed upon 10 attend her; or if there be frugal
one who would fain save coach-hlre, he is a.
oain caller unon and Cnucin Frapk - ,h,t
good, that dainty SPIRIT" that "does always
come when you do call him." Blu, he is not
merely the preur cheralier OF. young and pretty
g'rls-most bachelors are willing servants of
these; he is the visiter of the neglected The
prop Of the old, the cheerer of ali. He has
that true chva!ry which Chas. Lamb said he
Wnuld hElie we In inhon ho