Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1846-02-27
miscellaneous
Erngmem..

Written for The Boston OiINe iSr3pch.
If a man would prosper in the world he must
have firm and unwearying friends, or bitter and
implacab!e enemies. Friendship, indeed, can
smooth the pillow Of sickncs5-can assuagC the
sorrows Of a wounded heart, and aid one in any
pecuniary Cmbarrass mcnts in which he may be
involved yet how many a noble spirit has stun
hered IN the dust, unconscious of its own greatness,
till pride, reused by the bitterness OF enrnity' has
nerved it on to just aud noble action, and lifted 1t
from the vale Of obai:rrity. to n station far superb
or to those who onctendcavoEcd 10 crash it to The
earth. How often 90 VIC see the bitterest entnIty
work out the good 81 him whom it was designed
to injure How often, too, do we see an act, that
was designed 10 iniGre another, bring shame aud
disgrace upon its abthor ? 81
Hate builds the temple Of its own disgrace,
And digs its OWL nntincly grave.
1t matters but very little hos many enemies a
man may have, if b: can go forth into the world
with an un5ulIicd conscience-& heart that re-
proachcs not itself. 10 him shall the earth yield
its richest treasUre-.n consciousness that he has
done nothing but what is Iust and hon0rabie-no-
thing hut what lie can answer Tor, to Him who
shall Judge all men according To their deeds, with
an unshamed brow.
I.Ou;; Faced People.
We find the luilosing remarks in Wiilis's Mir
ror. II they serve s. shorten the length of some
lurubrious visagc, or impart a bright and clcc.-
fui air To some sad ltri sa4Iow face, they viii well
fill the spacctley occupy:
"Nhy arc we Americans las Il nltinn) 81 grave
a people? Walk lie streets and It large mnjori-
ty Of lhe persons. You meet are alike solemn and
salIow. They look rs ii they had just risen from
the ~pcrasal of "Bl4ir's Grave, or the "Elegy."
In vain nature smiles upon them. They return
it no;-their eyes court the er"Und-thcir faces
are filed with untsnely wrink!es-their gait is
rand and awkwara-thcir features gaunt and
spectral-their voices husky and uncomfortable,
and their conversation unembroi,lered with wit or
humor. Follow these people to their homes-stiil
all is as mWrky-they bend trowningiy over the
newspapers-they neither dance, nor sing, nor
frolic-they drive 81 gaiety from their wives or
children, and makeiheir domestic lie as duh and
senseless as one OF Lillo's traIegics. Why is
this? Is life a heavier burden. a more desperate
struggle here than elsewhere ? Are we cursed
with IL dismal climaie or sterile sol? Lave we no
business TO do, or ia our labor without reward -
Gratitude forbids that we should ny SO. Nature
has been most bouGteous TO us; she has given us
a land as full of beatty and grandeur, as 1t is OF all
elements of wealth. Fairer skies never canopied
mortals. Curl lakes are seas our rivers run ulelr
thousand leagues unwearied; our waterfalls sing
their ceaSeless SONG in TIE forest; our mountains
are worthy Of the valley they protect; the ram
bow hnes Of autumn are orr peculiar boon the
earth yields us a hundred fold we blush wren
we gather in returns SO disproporlionate 10 our
labors. Our ancestors, too have been most liberal
TO us. They haVe.:given us a good government
and a GOOD Names: We are also blessed with
minds naturally active and inventive, and kept IN
perpetual play by tie freedom OF our institutions.
No other nation has such u mass oil lnteilect IN
constant employment.
Why, then, are ve so unhappy, thus surround
ed by all the materials of happiness? Is not the
simple truth thus, we pervert our powers and
abuse our privileges; we place our affections upon.
the wrong object-we utterly mistake the true
prizes oflife-we pass by nature, art, love, friend
ship. faith, and bow the knee 10 msmmon we
;Joi;oa e u,a oronf coSflu fnDtIslna Tn his honor.
and on its affairs we sacrifice health, character
our wives, our children. To be rich, or to be;
thought rich, is, with too msnyof us, the sole, eX-
elusive, all-engrossing object OF our lives. Thus
the heart contracts; the affections drooP and
wither; no tears water them, no smiles warm
them. Home becomes a dreary place; it loses
its Sabbaths and its h~olydays. Its songs and its
festivities, its hymns and its prayers depart from
it. Love and faith aee afirightel from its thresh-i
hold. Sullenness, yfrowns, taunts, reProaches,
these are its inmates. Its fire-sides become one:
constant scene of jealously, conspiracy, and STRIFE
till at last we almost long for death, to break up
and destroy a place.so d~epraved and perverted.
We will not dwell upon SO gloomy a picture
but simply ask Is wealth worth such fearful sacri-t
fees? What honest heart can hesitate IN It's.
reply?
A"Dog Story is going the rounds of the pa
pers to this effect: A man bought q large dog;
recommended as possessing all the good q%uaities.
of the canine species, but especially as oelng e.
first rate wolf dog. The purchaser was much;
troubled with these animals, and setting out.onsI
morning, after a light snow had fallen, he soon.
struck a trail, whe;i the dog bounded oil IN me
style. Following for a mile or Two through the
woods, ne came TOD: Cufee cutting down a Iee,t
when the following colloquy ensned =
"IIallo, buck, did see a Vol ana a aos pass
by. here?"
g Well, massa, Ibid dat"
g How long agaeg
g ,Bout half an honr. ;
g How was it WITH 'em ~
Why, Massa, i was nip9nd taek,noss any