The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1850-09-30
Social intercourse.

inere Is false necessity with which we
Industriously surround ourselves; a circle
that never expands; whose iron never
changes to ductile gold. This is the pres
ence of public opinion; the in:olerable re-
straint Of conventional forms. Under this
despotic influence, men and women check
their best impulses, suppress their noblest
feeling, conceal their highest thought. Each
longs for full communion with other souls,
but dares not give utteance 10 its warnings
What hinders? The fear of what Mrs.
Smith or Mrs. Clark will say or the frown
OF some sect; or the anathe ma of some syn
Cd; or the fashion Of some clique; or the
laugh of some club; or the misre presenta-
tion oil some political party. Thou art afraid
of thy neighbor, and knowest not that he il
equally afraid Of thee. He has bound tby
hands and thou hast fettered his feet. IL
thy heart yearns for love, be loving if thou
wouldst free mankind, be free /; il thou
wouldst have brother be frank to thee. be
frank to him. But what will people say?
Why does it concern thee what they say
Thy life is not 10 their hands. They can give
thee nothing Of real value, nor take from
thee anything that is worth having. Satan
may promise thee all the kingdoms of the
earth, but he has not an acre of it to give.
de may offer as much as the price Of his
worship, but where are all his title deeds.
Eternal and sure is the promise !" Blessed
are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth," Il T717
But / shall be misunderstood, misrepre-
lsented. ~ -,
And what if thou art? They who throw
stones at what is above them, receive the
missile back by the law of gravity; and lucky
are they who bruise not their own faces.
Would that could persuade all who read
this to be truthful and free; to say what they
think, and to 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 meet to see each
other, and not peep do we get under the
veil which each carries about him. We
visit to enjoy ourselves, and our host takes
away all our freedom, while We destroy his
own. If the host wishes to work or ride he
dare not, lest it seem impolite to the guest ;
If the guest wishes to read or sleep, he dare
not lest It seem impolite to the host; SO both
remain slaves, and feel it relief to part
company. A few individuals, mostly in
foreign lands, arrange this matter with wiser
freedom. If visitor. arrives, they say, 81
am busy to-day; if you wish to ride there
are horses and saddles in the stable; If YOU
want to work, the men are raking hay in the
fields, If you want to romp, the children are
at play in the cour. if you want to talk to
me, / can be with you at such an hour. Go
where you please, and while you stay do as
you please"
AT some houses in Florence, large parties
meet without invitation, and without the
slightest preparation. 1t is understood thai
on some particular evening Of the week .
lady or gentlemen always receives theil
friends. In one room are books and flowers
in another pictures and engravings, in a
third music. Couples are ensconced ir some
shaded alcoye, or groups dotted about the
room in mirhful or serious conversation
No one is required to speak to his host eth.
er, entering or departi Lemonade ant
baskets of fruits stand here and there on the
side tables, that all may take who like, bu
eating, which constitutes SO large part O
all American entertainments, is slight ant
almost unnoticed incident in these festival
of intellect and taste. Wouldst thou ik,
TO see such social freedom introduced here
Then do it. But the first step must be com
plete indifference to Mrs. Smiths assertion
that you were mean enough to offer onl,
one kind of cake to your company and i
put less shortening in the undercrust of you
pies than the upper. Let Mrs. Smith tall
according to her gifts; be thou assured tina
all living souls love freedom better thai
cakes OF undercnlst, ,-Mrs. Child.