The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-17
Social Intercourse.
ny MRS. CHILD.

DS MRS. CHILD.
There is false necessity with which we
indusriously surround ourselves: a circl lie
that never expands whose iron never chan
ges TO ductile gold. This is the presence of
public opinion, the intolerable restraint of
conventional form. Under this despotic in.
iucnce, men and women check their best
impulses, suppress their highest thoughts.
Each longs for full communion with the 9TH
cr souls, but dares not give utterance TO its
warnings. What binders?
The fears Of what Mr.. Smith or Mrs.
Clark will say, or the frown of sect: or the
anathema Of some synod; or the fashion Of
some clique; or the laugh Of some club, or
the Misrepresentation Of some politicalparty.
Thou art afraid ofthy neighbor. and know
est not that he is equally afraid of thee. He
has bound thy hands, and thou hast fcttered
his feet. 1t were wiser for both TO snap the
imaginary bond and walk onward unshack-
led. II thy heart yearns for love, be loving
II thou would have brother frank to thee,
be frank TO him.
But what will the people say?
What does it concern thee what they say
thy life is not in their hands. They can give
thee nothing Of real value. Satan NAV
promise thee all the Kingdoms on earth but
he has not one acre of it TO give.
He may offer much as the price of his
worship, but there is flaw in all his title
deeds. Eternal and sure is the promise
BLESSED are the meek for they shall inherit
the EARTH
But shall be misunderstood; mSrepre-
scented. And what if thou art2 They who
throw stones at what is above them, rec Give
the missiles back again by the law of grav.
ity; and lucky are they who do not brrlsc
their own faces. Would that could per
suade all who read TO be truthful and free
to say what they think, and act what they
feel; to cast from them like ropes of sand,
all fear Of sects and parties, Of clans and
classes.
What is there of joyful freedom in our so.
cial intercourse? We meetto see each 9th.
err, and not peep do we get under the veil
which each carries about him. We visit 10
enjoy ourselves and the host takes away our
freedom, while we destroy his own. ifthe
host wishes to walk or ride, he dare no, les,
it should seem impolite TO the guest. 1.-THE
guest wishes to read or sleep, he dare no,
lest il seems impolitc to the host so they
remain slaves, and feel il relief to part com.
pany. a few individuals, mostly in foreign
lands, arrange this matter with wiser free
dom. ii visitor arrives, they say am
busy to-day; If you wish to ride, there are
horses and saddles III the stable; if you wish
to work, the men are raking hay in the fields
if you want to romp, the children are at play
in the court: if you want to talk TO me.
can be with you at such an hour. Go where
you please and while you are here do as you
please.
At some houses in Florence, large parties
meet without the slightest preparation. II
is understood that on some particular eve.
ming of the week, lady or a gentleman al.
ways receive their friends. In one room
are books and flowers, in another pictures
and engravings, and III a third music. Cou.
pies are cnSconced in some shady alcove. or
groups dotted about the room, in mrthitl
or serious conversation. No one is required
to speak to his host either entering or de-
parting. Lemonade and baskets of fruit
stand here and there on the side tables. that
all may take who like; but eating, which
constitutes so large part of American Ell
terainmcnt. is a slight and almost unnotic-
cd incidcn, in those festivals of intellect and
taste. Would you like TO see such social
freedom introduced here? Then do it.
But the first step must he complete indif.
ference TO Mrs. Smiths assertion that you
were mean enough to offer only one kind OF
cake TO your company, aud to putless short.
ming in the under crust of your pies than the
upper. Let Mrs. Smith talk according Il
her gifts: be thou assured that all living
souls love freedom better than cakes and
undercrust.
The Sail Water Uorm.-We have seen
in the quartermastcr's department, to-day
a specimen of the voraciiy of the salt water
worm. II is piece of wood eaten so as tc
resemble n honcycomb--or rather, IL look Cd
like piece of a hornets nest. 1t was sem
to Washington from the Brazos; and st
piercing is the hard mouth of this little in,
sect, and so active when il penetrates the
fibre, that the wood was reduced 70 its pre-
sent appearance in the course of thirty days
II was not the part of vessel, but piece
of the ways laid to bring articles othe shore
II is scarcely possible for a vessel to lie il
those waters, il it be unshcathcd with cop
per, without serious damage. One or two
steamboats,. which were without copper bot
toms, have sunk in those watcrs-all other
have been shcathcd, The insect is said {,
be at first laid upon tho timber in the form
of n nit; and when it is hatchcd, it pierce,
the wood, making very small hole; but a.
the worm increases in size, in passing
through It, il eats larger aperture into it
When il has gone through a piece of timber
instead Of penetrating the opposite surface
it turns around and eats its way back
Washington Union.
"Can't say admire your style Of act
ing," as the landlady said to the strollnl
player when she caught him stealing hel
silver spoons,