The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-17
WASHINGTON CITY MRS. S0UTlIW0 ORTIZ.
PHILADELPHIA, September 30, Is


PHILADELPHIA, September 30, 1850.
To The Editor of the National Era:
My DEAR SIR: Your beautiful city-om beau
tiful city of Washington, is much in fault to-
wards those who cannot sit Mt her queenly feet
forever How she spoils every other place for US
have Just been walking in Chestnut street, a
twin in my fancy until now, to the "goldenest"
street used to read of in the Arabian Nights when
was "A baby student on the banks of the Detroit.
But this narrow avenue, those walls Of dizzy alti-
tude, those flashing colors, crowded all together
those majestic fronts, glorious with architectural
symmetry, crushed between commonplace piles OF
red brick-they are half-wasted to my eye-very
much-et me soar loftily for simie-very much
like graces Of diction, and ornaments of rhyme,
squandersd amid the unreportable absurdties OF
! Congressional guerrilla,
How my thoughts 60 back, regretfully, to the
patrician exclusveness of yOur fine edifces Th,
grand Capitol sitting like a monarch on her OWL
royal eminence-the Smithsonian, keeping hel
state like noble abbess in her broad domain
the City Hall, the Patent Office, each at the
head of her own fair avenue, and the elegant
Presidential mansion dwelling in gardens like
| the cherished daughter Of proud and loving
nation.
| Comparisons are odiousn and | must not for.
get Philadelphia's thousand admirable points; but
as il is difficult to repress comparison in this par
ticular while the strong contrast, objectionable
to her as to all great cities which have SEEN is
forcing itself on my observation in the streets !
will shuttle the door, and lock myself up for
an hour with other thoughts.
| Have you chance nook in the Era for some
of those stray thoughts? They are not doves nor
| falcons but they will take up with any resting
place-from an eagles eyrie, perching on cliff, to
a whippoorwill's leafy covert, nestled by the
ground Perhaps they are somewhat between
geese and swans in that case, they will glide
gently enough, as on their own element, down the
sometimes sparkling, sometimes turbid stream of
weekly journal-reading Shall send some Of
them now-and- then to you2
| cannot promise to be witty, philosophic, or
poetical but | will tell you what see and what
| think and if there honld come in an occasional
flash Of poesie, like meteor in a mist or a tran
silent aura of such philosophy as my experiences
have taught me, or a chance CLEAN Of humor here
and there like dew drops a dandelion, why,
suppose you will like it none the less.
! am just br,mhng from the perusal of Mrs
Southworth's wonderful book, 1.-THE Deserted
Wife, What glorious dreamer she is, this fair
concuoyenHe of yours Coo-headed and quick
thoughted as her own charming Brighty-unique
in her eloquence of speech and fancy, in her UNI
fettered, true hearted and worldcasping charity,
as her wild IIsgar of the West reclaimed. My
head grows dizzy, and my heart faint, thinking of
the high genius and piquaDt originality Of this
woman conversing with her various and perfectly
sustained characters looking through the diamond
lenses Of her clear vision at lfe its purposes its
de.tiny.
But is it truel Is affection, the sentiment, 20
much the bond slave Of casualties-s0 like the
nursing Of intuitive, unexpressed sympathy-as
the estrangement Of Hagar and Sophie, the baby
: ~. - Il ,pnulI ma ke daa-
pairingly believe2 And is love- the passion 70
cruelty orphaned in this world, 80 completely at
the mercy of caprice, of circumstances, of erratic
fancy and nntutored impulse, as we would shud-
deringly overlooking at the dark history Of
Hagar's married sorrows1 No! thousand times
no The gentle bosoms which have pilowed our
head in infant sleep, received az a safe carcanet,
our precious jewels of confidence, hope, tender
ness and sorrow, Phus it had been with Hagar
and Sophie,) we do not grow estranged from
them-we must understand them-they are ours
The key which unlocks their golden clasps, is it
not safely garnered away in our own hearts in.
nermost chambers7 Are we not sure of them
forever? Just as we know that the blessed Gun
is shining all the while, though black clouds OF
anger or gray msts Of distrust do sometimes over
shadow it-just as Hagsr knew the glad glad So
luton Of her own life problem when she wrote
to Raymond" Your faith in me will save you,
Raymond will make you whole, will redeem you,
will bring you backD
And IoUe II is no, a mad chance only fear
full infatuation only a similarity Of spiritual
structure, coaxed, cheated by babitual intimacy
into fancied oneness Of soul an illusion to be
dissolved by the transit of some new planet, dissi
pated by the total eclipse Of death
know not rightly what it may be but should
say that 1t is the manifestation in time Of our
destiny for eternity, the recognition in human
hearts Of the volition Of God, electiDg them for
giving them ,o--each other.
What God hath Joined together" are the SOL
emn and inspiring words OF Scripture Can any
one seriously believe that they refer TO the mere
external ceremonial which IL conventionally said
to consecratep the union Of pure hearts, oh
no, for il is iom which saDctifes the marriage
vows love, the onward spiritual grace" which
gives to the outward visible sign oil it's sacred
ness dignity, aud value.
Thus ennobled, thus consecrated, marriage In
deed becomes holy sacrament, awful In this life
with mystery and the shadows that fall earthward
from the lifted pinioDs Of Hope but for the life
which Is to come, "full Of grace and TRUTH
But these are high themes for lay.sister in
the great cloister Of life, Perhaps have gone
beyond my branch Of the subject" as the eldest
Miss Spenlow would say