Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-12-06
DEGERGBgR s.
Iabi,s' department.
TIE SPIRIT OF THE AG
The Social Circle.

DEAR Nh. EDITOR My first glimpse Of
social life in Raleigh, was made up of a CAV
laughing group Of young people collected
around q card table. Notwithstanding all
my religious objections toward an amuse-
ment Of such a questionable character. I do
not mention the fact here in the least spirit
Of detraction. In fact, l forgot them all for
the time, in my intense desire to be one brief
moment invisible, that / might steal IN to
the side Of that iall, finely formed, handsome
young man and whisper in his ear that he
would really appear to much greater advan-
tage If he could possibly assume an air a little
more oblivious OF the favors which dame
Nature had so kindly bestowed upon him.
Vanity is Objectionable enough in a girl OIL
fifteen, but when all her ridiculous airs and
grncesa are assumed by a man Of twenty-five.
1t is unbearable, indeed.
1t does occur to me, if / were the hostess
OF q hotel, could and would put forth some
little effort toward making the stranger in
my house feel somewhat ut home. A smile.
a kind word, a light cheerful greeting, does
much toward quiekening tho heart pulse of
the wearicd lonely traveller, and costing moth
ing beyond an effort, perhaps sometimes a
little sacrifice Of physical or social comfort,
1 think l could support the character with
some feeling or seHSOlance ID lcnst, of ruth.
~ q ~ LAAtth UHb EhU IHuQliy acknowledge
its impracticability, and even here | have no
complaint to make, apart from the fact that
If the lady of the house had not sat at the
head Of the table, | never should have known
1t possessed one.
The next day, n bright and glorious sab
bath, IT was my privilege for the first time to
hear the Rev. g. +. Deems, d. d., of the
North Carolina Conference and certainly q
more elegantly simple exposition of a pas
sage from Gods sacred Word never thrilled
upon my delighted ear, or awoke sublimer
echoes throughout the mysterious confines of
my own hearts home. In the substance,
style and manner Of his discourse you recog-
nize the browning virtue to natures noble
man, in that humble simplicity which con-
strains him to forget his W elevation, in
the fact that humanity every where possesses
tho Same infrmities, and to some extent,
susceptible to cultivation, the same virtues
that more gloriously adorn his own charac-
ter. II had the right to add a word to the
complimentary resolutions of the late Con-
ference, / too would urge that the claims of
the Old North State be not set aside by her
worthy and well beloved son.
Our first interview upon that Sabbath eve.
mhd my immediate transfer to your own fire.
side where a genial heart cheering welcome
made me at home in an instant, are no items
W 9Wo W Jbhf buN interesting i uuTC saw 10
Flora, and Inez, and Matte. and the rest Of
our social circle who were not there. Socially,
the week that followed was a very pleasant
one to me, and despite the crowd and dust
1 found much to interest and instruct me on
the Fair grounds. Still it was such a hete-
rogeneous mass Of sight seeing that nothing
made q very definite impression on my mind,
except tho beautiful paintings of Mr.. Cope
land, and especially his representation of old
Rip Van Wrinkles awakening. The old mans
face is certainly one Of the most expressive
lhave ever seen on canvass. A half dreamy,
unconscious languor is just merged into one
of still deepening wonder and amazement,
and you gaze and gaze upon it until YOU al
most grow vexed that he does not start up
ana relieve himself by a loud and startling
hurrah Tor the Old North State. The female
1yOuFs8yU ~ spsuEHOs
the face, which was all a-glow, from the lofty
feelings Of inspiration ond pleasure he hac
so successfully depicted. Each face in Mr.
Co2eland's rooms, whether you know it Of
not, is n study and the only one familiar +
me (your own, Mr.. Editor / thought one O
the most perfect / had ever seen. In m.
humble opinion, rs a Portrait Painter, h
possesses merit Of the highest artistic order
Through the yeriest accident l subsequent
made the acquaintance of q brother of his
and spent in conversation with him such a
hour as you afterwards recall with the sam
feeling YOU would imagine Il tired and thirst
traveller remembered the sparkling gush an
musical flow Of q cool clear fountain in tn
wilderness through which he was wendin
his lonely way.
l can by no means neglect to note my visi
to the schools for the blind and for the Diet
mutes. True, / entertained a pretty fair idt
in my mind Of the manner in which the
--z...n. ..,-a onpIroAa1 h,k L had nav,
before seen the nimble fingers run over u
words in bass relief on the page of a boo
and hear the lips articulate IN proper tin
oil its sentences, whilst the sightless bal
roved and wandered about in the realms
vacancy. The blind are almost proverbial
serious and sad and who can wonder, VIII
they enjoy the blessed privilege Of lookiI
out upon the clear blue arching sky, the VI
dant forest, the flashing waters, and abo
all the dear faces they love, and the kline
beaming eye that looks back hope, and lc
and Joy to theirs, but from all of which
blind are irretrievably excluded. To the
let the ~grumbler go and recognize his d.
and burning ingratitude, by contrasting
incalculable blessings and powers OF enJ
ment which o kind heaven has melted out
him. The general temperament of the d
and dumb is Of a much more joyous and s
guine nature. A very great variety of
preston is to be read from their faces, al
should think a person of ordinary disco
ment might learn in n short time to inter
almost all their thoughts and feelings tn
from. This warmth, this vitality Of exp
sion, was peculiarly exempliGed in a
bright little boy whose mother resides in
own immediate nOighbOrhood- Stral
though l was to him, / enquired for him
he was pointed out on the play groun
After observing him some time his tea
caught his eye, and by a sign almost i'm
ceptible to us, brought him IN a momer
his side where ne stood with his eyes !
enauiringly to his face. A few passe
the hand and movement of the fingers,
such a light broke over that child's face,
a glorious, radiant smile illumined his v
maintenance as he turned suddenly to n
There was a burst Of home recollection
that light, q mine of love in that smi
world Of meaning in that glance, and
ume Of messages to loved ones in all.
the mute prayer, to me, was one OF the
thrillingly impressive things ever witne
never before realized the unsurpassed
ouence of movement, l never felt befor
nv yery hearts core, the strange, mex
bic awe which silence could impose.
extra sensibilities are interviewer wit
6bres Of nv heart, nor does it require