Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-12-02
A Life Picture.

The following beautiful sketch of the b;rtb onI
growth OF civilization in the West is from Freder;L
nremers new work, entitled Homes of the New
world" !. Will be recoHected by our old citizens
(says the Minnesota Pioneer) that Miss Re-.
spent SOME days in ST. Paul in 1850 as the cnast of
Ex.Governor Ramsey, and visited the Falls of 81
Anthony and other places Of interest in the neigh
oorhood She was highly delighted With the BE-
.Gresque beauties of the place and often observ
ed walking out alone along the bluffs of the Mss;
sippi, contemplating its natural scenery Who does
not see in the following picture the rise and
OF many of the cities Of the West and more par1ic
nriy OF our own ST. Paul. the future Metropolis of
Your Majesty has certainly often read descrin-
tions OF the wonderful waterfall Niagara; of the
almost miracul, US praries of the West, where the
sun mirrors his image in an ocean of sunfowers wa
wing IN the wind of the rapid growth of States md
cities in the Great West of the great river Missasc
slppi and the gold mines of California, and manv
other lions of the Great West But less known are
the hrst steps OF civilization, its first impress on the
wilderness and this it was. together with the great
spectacle of nature, which most attracted 1hf eari-
est attention for it is amusing to observe the frsf
steps of the child, and how he advances and grows
to mans estate. 1t is an image worthy the regards
OF motherly queen. The trees fall before the axe
along the banks the river-and rivers everywhere
IN North America little little log house is erec.
ted the skirts of the forest and banks of the rv
er a woman stands in the doorway with q littlg
chubby child in her arms. The husband has dug
Up the earth around the house and planted maize
beyond CRAZE couple of fat COWS; and some sheen
in the free, uninclosed meadow. land The husband
lls the land and milks the cows, and performs the
whole out of door work. The wife remains in the
house and takes care of child and home; nor can
any woman do it better. The cleanliness and order
of her person are reflected by everything within the
house No neater nor more excellent Rofne can be.
found on the face Of the earth than tkat of the A.
merican woman, even Of the poorest No wonder
that the husband is happy within it that the Amef-
lean knows few other pleasures than those which
he finds in his home other goal of bliss on earth
than that of possessing good wife, good home
The log house has been erected in the forest and
not tar from it are erected in the same way two or
three other log houses they all furnished with
excellent beds, and there ALWAYS lies on the shelf a
Bible, hymn-book. and some other religious books,
A little further off stands somewhat larger log
house, where dozen or two children--the haf.wild
offspring of the wlderness--are assembled. This
is the school. The room is poor and without furni-
ture; but the walls covered with maps of all
parts of the globe, and in the hands of the children
are books which present them with views over the.
whole world and reading books which contain the
nobest pearls of literature in paragraphs short es-
says, narratives, poems, &c. Anon other houses
spring up; some of framed timber some of stone
they become more and more ornamental tEe7 sur
round themselves with fruit trees and flowers: Won
see chapel of wood arising at the same time with
the wooden houses but when the stone house come
there come also stone church and State house -4
The fields around are covered with haryests: hocks
and herds increase and before long you behold one
or two steamboats, advancing up the river; they lie
to at the new buildings; they purchase wares and
cattle, and leave newspapers behind them. In two
or three years there is here little city of two thou
sand sons motherly women institute Sunday school
in the church, and assemble the little children to
instruct them in Christianity, and establish an asy.
lum for orphaned little ones Shops spring up at
the same time with the school and the church, and
they constitute, together with the printing press
and the State house, the ensign of the Ango.Amer-
lean and wherever he plants this, thence retreats
the red man, now almost without resistance with
his wigwam and lis subjected women. and goes to
light his fires further off in the wilderness He
knows by experience that the new erections which
he beholds will, within quarter of century, be-
come great city, with it's fifty thousand inhabitants
or more, and that the whole region round about will
be full of people alike potent in war as in peaceful
civilization"