Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-11-15
Letter to Cousin 'Bel.

/ oil the new lacy DTllllaHtS OIL our own
day and country - the bewitching
"Fanny Forrester;" whose real name
is so unpoctical, that we are reluctant
to write it.
Sits of no use, BEL; your flourish
ing away in Iris multiplication ofdyes
Tyrian. You may as well throw
aside your Pompadours and Mantle
mons at once, nor boast of your many
colored fabrics, as though you took it
for granted there was nothing of the
kind at Alderbrook. ''Consider the
llies," was the requisition made on
those who have SO much care for things
pershable, before the men had stolen
the rain-bow's secrets, and, as a Yam
kce would boast, beaten the lady Of
the arch at her own inventions; but |
call upon you, BEL, to consider these
gorgeous forests-this year, it seems to
me, more gorgeous than ever. More
over, 81 should very much like to
know" if there is diamond necklace
in all new York to compare with that
the rose bush just beneath my window
has put on this morning. But, in
truth, cousin of mine, l do not much
affect this magnificence, it is not very
pleasant thing to see the trees and
shrubs that l have loved in their fresh
ness, Haunting like so many peacocks,
(only as Bridget says when she COM
pares her flashing calico with my cash.
mere, more so;') it is a sign that the
heart within them is growing stagnant,
the life in their vegetable veins with
ering. Not so was it in their warm,
delicious June. BY the same token,
Bel, there might be a bar between me
T and New York showiness; |, looking
suspiciously on what verify believed
to be an evidence of decay of June il
; the heart; and your bright ones regard
ing in the same spirit my homely sim
plcity. But, really, do y0u think there
, exists the same warmth and FRESHNESS:
amid the splendors of Broadway, as or
our little tan.bark paved sidewalk, be-
, meath the arch made BY the interaced
branches of the old elm trees? 1t car
scarce be so; though | know there is
an angel in some bosoms which will
touch most delicately the keys of love
| and truthfulness, whatever nets the
world without may be weaving to Grip
pie its pure wings. But, in general
we are initiative creatures, and we
, copy from our surroundings. We
catch the tricks of the leaves, and the
r breczes, and the fower-buds, when We
make our homes among them; and
when we congregate on hot pavement'
: the air we breathe is soaring to the
spirits, however you may tell us it eff
fects the spirits casket. 1t is better
, to be God make than 'man-make,
, as the little deaf mute, Jack, would
say; and men will re-fashion Gods
doings, even in our own natures, if we
do not prevent them. For this reason,
it seems to me not only peculiarly silly
, but wicked, TO transplant the early
spring violet from the brook side to
conservatory. A gay, fashionable
man, with touch of poetry, and more
of worldliness about him, attempted it
few years ago; but he spoiled his
; flower. Poor, Minna Gray! She was
| pure. gentle creature; but when she
was removed from the influences oil
: home, with so much to attract, so much
, to wonder at, and bewilder, was it
strange that her young heart should
! grow stagnant to any but the thrilling
touch Of the magic world that accorded
so well with her dreams of fairy-land
t. No; il the world-weary man would
have the violet in its fragrance, and
freshness, and purity, he must go and
live beside it; il is well worth the sac
rifce, and will droop IN any other
SOIL We have a strange notion in
this strange world, of fashioning pure
things to our own hands, instead Of
fashioning ourselves TO them.
In the days when all the moveless
Dumb things on the earth talked and
walked about, a thistle grew down in
the corner Of neglected garden. in
the midst Of other thistles, all proud
of their purple blossoms and brave de-
fences. But there was one thing about
the porcupinc-like armor Of the This
tie family, which did not quite please
this gallant knight. They were all
bristIing with prickles; and they could
not draw near each other with the