Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-12-09

OXFORD ONO, December ., 1853.

secutive days are alike. Alter success
sion ofvariable, Spring-ish days during
the past week, we awoke this morning
and found that old Winter had stolen a
march on us during the night, and quiet
ly taken possession Of the field. AS
stumbled about in my wood-house in
the '.gray light" OF the early morn. sans
coat, sans boots, hunting chips to kindle
a fire, | thought with Bryant,
The melancholy days are come,
The saddest Of the year.
Mrs. Smith remarked while ago that
she liked to soork on such clustering,
stormy days as this, because there was
no danger Of being interrupted by visi-
tors; to which replied that as to the
matter Of icork, all days were pretty
much the same TO me; whereupon light
ed a cigar, elevated my feet, and put on
my "studying cap" Madam's remark
gave turn to my reflections, and |
unused for some time on the industrial
habits of the sexes. Women are, un-
qucstionably, more diligent in business
than we "lords Of creation" You will
observe them, after the multifarious du-
ties of tho day are done, sitting down
with their work and plying the busy nee
die hour after hour, while their lubberly
husbands are lolling about In the great,
easy armchair, or grinning over the
"comicallties" in Harper's Magazine.
Even when they go visiting they are
not idle. The lighter parts of sewing
are set apart for such occasions; and
half dozen dunes around a neighbours
firesidc, will not only dissect the con-
spicouus pcrsenages IN the community,
but knit many comfortable stocking.
also. Men are generally lazy. II they
have work which must be done, they bus
tie away aud hurry Il of their hands Ms
fast as possible. Ten hours are deemed
sufficient, Of the twenty four, to discharge
their part OF tho obligations imposed on
Adam aud his posterity after the lamen-
table Fall.
| was induced by the clamor raised
about Fanny Ferns book to purchase u
copy, and look through t. In the short
space oftwo or three months, thIrty-two
thousand copies Of the work have been
sold. Is II not amazing that such fllmsy
productions are caught up with ayidity
aud devoured with such a gusto by the
reading publicl Works OF real utility
and solid worth are permitted TO sleep
dust-covered and moth-eaten, on the
booksellers shelves, whilst these catch
penny publications are scattered into ev-
cry family. Fanny Ferns sketches
were well enough to laugh over in the
columns of the newspaper, in the alb
sence Of anything more amusing. but to
be collected together and sent out in an
expensive volume Is a-humbug. Be-
sides, some Of the sketches are not char
acterized by that delicacy of feeling or
expression, which we like to note in the
works of lady. Take the following,
entitled
"MR. CLAPP'S S0LILOQUY.
1Another girl! What can Mrs. Clapp
be thinking of It's perfectly ridicu-
lous! There's four of them now, and
that's four more than is necessary. |
don't believe in girls,-lovers and laces,
ringlets and romances, jewelry and
jump.ropes, silks and satins. What's to
be done, There's a whole chest full OF
my old coats I've been saving to make
my boys jackets. | wish Mrs. Clapp
would think as | do. Another grill
Who's to keep the name in the family
I'd like to knowi | shall be extinctl--
And now she wants me to put up a note
in the church for "blessing received"
"Mrs. Clapp has very obstinate
streak in her disposition in this respect.
It's wasting powder to reason with her.
1t seems to go into one ear and out al
the other. II she gets going on one par
ticular track, you may just fold your
arms and let her take her time to get of
il. She knows | prefer boys-that wo-
man does-just as well as she knows hei
name is Hetty. Wei, there's limit to
human patience. | shall tell her, very
decidedly, as soon as her gruel-proba.
ton is over, that u stop must be put tc
this. It's no use for man to pretend
to be master in his own house, when he
is'ntr'
Now il strikes me that the foregoing
! is what Hamlet would call "o'er stepping
the modesty of nature" but | may be
wrong. II is wonderful what rage fol
book making has seized the human fam
lily. The fowery path of "literdtoor'
seems crowded with ambitious folks al
resolved to sit on the loltiest peak o
"Fame's dread summit" Not TO be be
hind the rest humankind, in this respect
I have for some months past been medi
tating a plan for New and Original
Primer" that shall suDersodo oil Others
now IN use, or that may hereafter DO ais
so9d." have not decided whether
will publish by subscription, or dispose
of the copyright to the fIarpcrs. know
how these raseally publishers are In thu
habit ofheccng poor authors, and | have
a IN ind to be my oien publisher--but thef
the whole craft, from Dan TO Dersheba
would set their heads against my wofl
and try 10 put IL down. Besides, Their,
are 40 many Smiths In the country, tina
ton chances 10 one the honor would n
Ia some other member OF tho family.
have not yet determined, either, who o
my countless friends, shall have the hon
or OF the "DedIeaiory Letter" where
with I mean 10 preiaee the Forthcoming
volume, Ia mo, 40 PIP, (Gllt edges pn'
sprlng.baek) The ehanees just now ar
la favor OF my friend who wrote th'
"lllstory OF iiumbugs."
have not written word IN this let
ter that had thought OF before com
meneng u, aud now haven't ROOM
but had Intended 10 say, and wlil say
that the Brookpihe American Ia the bes
newspaper In Indiana or Ohio, 80 far q
am acquainted, and that IL "eonaldera
ble." leunnot see that II has lost, bu
rather gained, by the editorial change
ills certainly much improved In appear
anee. Oxford Is about tho size OF Brook
Vile, (Which ~ as we suppose and ye
we have no paper published herel
Yours faithfully
JOHN SMITH.