Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-02-02
From Chambers Edinburgh Journal.

II.
tisfied with the common meaning assigned to it
that is, an excuse or extenuation of an admitted
offence. Husbands, as general rule, are TO
blame, there is no doubt of that; only we think
there are some small considerations which might
be urged in their favor, not by way of exalting,
but merely of letting them down easily.
The humane idea was long of occurring to us,
for one gets so thoroughly accustomed to the con-
dition of affairs in society, that everything seems
natural and necessary, and passes on without ex-
citing thought. But a week or two ago, we
had occasion to visit repeatedly rather large
and agreeable family, without once CHANGING to
meet with the Offender; and this had the effect of
bringing him before our cogitations. Had he
been present i'll the room, he would have passed
as natural and useful piece of furniture, and
so have escaped all special survey; but being OBJ
stinately absent, we of course turned the bulls.
eye of mind upon him, and had him up.
With regard to the family present, it consisted
of wife, one or two children, one or two grow
ing up, and couple of grown-up daughters.
All these were busy, from dolls and A B C's to
dressmaking and housekeeping One of the
daughters sang and played Delightfully."-; another
was artist of considerable merit for an anna
teur; and both were adopts at needle-work.
They boosted OF making all but their best bon
nets, and all but their addresses. The mother
was an excellent manager. Under her charge,
the business of the house went on like clock
work. everything was comfortable, everything
agreeable, everything genteel. The boys were
at school, studying hard and successfully one
intending to be a merchant-prince, another to
sit some day on the Woolsaek, and the third to
be archbishop of Canterbury. Indeed, they were
an exemplary family; and one day when we met
the lady IN the street, with her two grown-up
daughters by her side, and the younger girls
walking trippingly behind, all nicely dressed and
happy-looking, it struck us that there was an ex-
nj y1rIdn t,In ~, H.
and that she was nwardly assuming to herself
the merit of having made her own position. We
did not grudge her the feeling, for her self-satis-
faction had been earned: if some such inward re-
ward did not attend good conduct, it would be
all the worse for us in this world.
We had visited this happy family several times.
when we began to inquire, while walking home
ward in our usual meditatve mood, what it was
that held them together in so enviable a position
Their labors were all for themselves, for their
comfort, amusement, gentility, advancement.
They purchased nothing else with al, this outlay
of time and money. There they were, with no
object but that of passing the day, of enjoying
life, OF rising to some condition Of still higher
distinction or contentment. How did thew find
this possible? By what power were they sus-
tanned lmmoVable in the shock of social life, sur
rounded by all the cares and anxieties, and COM
petitions and heartburnings, and tear and wear,
and hurry and scurry, of the world Here we
caught with our mind's-eye the absentee, and
Immediately suspected that he was at the bottom
of it! But it was curious to think that he should
be the sun of this social system-that so meny
individuals should lean supinely upon one, with
out the slightest idea of mutual support. Yet so
1T was-and is. Society is composed throughout
almost It's whole consistence of such circles
each wheeling with more or less harmony, but
still wheeling round centre; and that centre is
the Offender we have now up.
;,,1iy Ia r
his own predicament. He knows he has wife
and children, house and servants to provide for,
and he does provide. That is all. He takes no
merit to himself, and none is due. In supporting
this Atlantean burden, he only does what others
do. 1t is the rule. And so he bends his Shout
ders, and On he goes sometimes stepping out
ike giant, sometimes tottering, sometimes
standing still to bemoan his fortune-not in hay
ing the load to bear, but in being unable to bear
it we'll. If things go smoothly-if his children are
we'll taught, if his dinner and his daughters are
well dressed, if his house is tidy and genteel-
why, then, if he is a praiseworthy person, he
thanks God and his wife. If things go other
wise, he grumbles at his hard fate, and makes
himself as disagreeabe as possible, or else trun-
dies his canister like stole; but all this time be
1T observed in utter Inconsistencies of his true
position. He does not think it odd that he is
travelling in his round of life with tail after
him like comet. He does not think about it all.
lie only knows that the thing exists, and must
be borne. If he is able of his own strength to
bearl 1T handsomely, SO much the better; but if
not, he never speculates on the possibility of de-
irving comfort and support from what is natural
" burden, any more than the wife and children
imagine that they are anything else than a tail,
with nothing in the world to think tof, or to do,
but to stick fast to the body to which they chance
to be attached, and make themselves as com
Portable as possible
And this last is the curious part of the story
The amiable family we have described talked
of the individual we have laid hold Of with the
perfect knowledge that he was their Centre, but
without the faintest consciousness that there was
anything but the mechanical between them
They humoured him when he was in good hui
mour, called him dear, good, old papa, got his
slippers ready, and drew in his chair to the
hearth for thatsmade the room all the more cheer
full for themselves, but when in bad humor, they
avoided or crossed him, wondering how anybody
could look sufky at such bright fireside and
suspecting him to be man incapable of feeling
interest in anything but his business, or his
clerks, or his bankers book. Was not his wife
to be pitied, after all she had done to make him
happy and respectable And was not this sor-
ry return to his daughters, for saving him mint
OF money oy making their own dresses? These
excellent ladies had nothing to do with the stabil
ity of their own Centre The house might be on
fire. but they were only dodgers. They had no
interest in the Offender when be was out of their
sight. They knew nothing of his crosses and
losses, of his dsappointments aud yexations, of
his faintness and WEAKNESS; they saw nothing
but discomfort ON his wrinkling brow nothing but
approaching age in his whitening hair, nothing
but i'll humour in his querulous voice, nothing
but selfish apathy in his spiritless eye and sinking
heart. They loved the husband and the father
when he was agreeable enough to be loved;
but they had no sympathy with the struggling
man.
NEW KIND OF MANURE---In the Island of St. Vim
eenta kind Of earth has been discoy cred very pc
culiar properties and witia valuable that il is likely
to become distant day, important aud regular
article oil expectation Lse less than tons have
been taken to bermuda, assist nthe formation OF
break water tn j. being erected by the Government