Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-07-22
EDINBURGH, April 9Th, 1852

EDINBURGH, April 9Th, 1852.
Your kind favour reached me about two
months since, bearing news both sad and joy.
full; and ! will leave you to infer from your
knowledge of humanity how welcome must be
a letter from a friend to a stranger in a strange
land" This years session has just closed and
| have concluded to write you q long letter.
as you claim to be partial to such, and l have
commenced accordingly, and if l weary you at
this time in following my meandering course,
I trust you will forgive me, for I hope to give
you sketches of high and low life,-of hill and
dale,-Iake and stream,-cottage and CASTLE
as ! have had opportunity of observing them !;
but first | proceed TO notice the contents of
your interesting letter.
have dwell often upon your representation
of the departure Of --, 90 ready and
resigned, as 10 make even the most worldly
court such a death. When I babe her adieu
about a year since, I little thought that would
be the last. But she is gone-the gates that
opened upon Eternity have been unbarred, and
fearlessly she walked through to ken the glo.
ries of the Celestial City and that heavenly
host whose throng e~ncircles the throne Of the
Eternal King. She has gone, having laid aside
the vesture of mortality and clothed 10 immor-
tai robes, to act in a more extended sphere,
and evermore rejoice with angels and the re.
deemed. singing praises to God and the Lamb.
She has gone from the preparatory to the As.
sembly of the Just; still reckoning in her flight
for friends to pursue. and pointing them to
that Jesus whose blood washes away the stains
of the most guilty and whose love, stronger
than the barriers between life and death. has
broken the bonds, and set earth's prisoners
free. regret her departure, but perhaps it is
wrong. Her loss will be DEEPLY felt by friends,
and more by her children. 1t appears a sad
event When a Gather is taken from a family of
chiIcren, out more sad when the mother is |
taken. The children are then scattered abroad,
homeless, and often almost or quite friendless,
or should they find homes, they can never be
that Of the mother; yet, such is the case for
som good, perhaps, which we know not of. I
have experienced enough Of the wilds Of
life, from this very cause, to be somewhat able
to judge the misfortune attending those 90 un-
fortunate, for at four years Of age l was de-
prived Of my nearest earthly friend but I re-
member well when she taught me to kneel by
her and repeat the Lords prayer. never can
forget, and many times when l would err, the
simple thought has restrained me. visited
her solitary abode, when in 49, where her
body has so long rested, unconscious of the
treat of even kindred earth. She has finished
her work-her flesh slumbers in the valley
the moonlight sleeps upon her grave, while the
spirit. ItnsL has flown 10 q celestial cline. ~
Then the 4" old Oak Tree. still stands, and
long 1 hope it may. often see 1.-THE cane
brake and the bayou in my struggling +,
I would like once again to sail on
The bayou in my canoe.
But l will now return to Edinburgh to give I
gou a few items, by way Of transition. I have
ust attended a beautiful party, instead of a tea
,arty, at the house Of the Principal Or. Gun ::
given in the true Scotch style. .
ind that Scotch ladies', unlike many American, il
10 not fear to shake ~hands,-and | assure you, i
exhibited 90 little of that perdant qualify 50 2
to country folks. The Doctor is !,
|uite plain, takes snuff about Eve times an o
our. with a peculiar rub Of the back of the I
and after the process. Haydocks, instead of "
errings for breakfast, which you are aware 4
re On essential part Of a Scotchman's food. t.
indeed, sometime. I think some Of them res Vi
embIe the fnny tribe. Everything was in per- 0
.ct order, but no servant allowed in the room :,
uring the process Of eating and conversation 8,
he family were surprised to find that I drank G
tes, coffee, nor milk; they tried to think Ie
very strange. lEach parcel Of food, bread II
'eat, &C., was enveloped in a napkin, and er
pom a plate. All fine tea drinkers-but the III
ne. There was considerable decoration and "
show dignity and state, which did
,t correspond very we'll with the band Of beg.
'rs under the windows, playing upon their !.
d brass horns, for pennies. The Doctor is ~
,arly seven feet tall, with an intellect in pro. ~
triton to his stature, which is improved great :"
by sisdom dust. He talks much about ue
and wishes to establish . friendly feel. 90
- he says the time will come when Pro. !"
must be nourished by Great Britain ~
d America. He is one of the most profound ,
IN in Scotland. ha
Our Professor of Natural Science is about peI
years old, and you would be amused to see fro
out seventy students following him on hill =,
d dale. on Saturdays, gathering flowers, ha,
and minerals. He told me that he used chi
walk IS miles each day in search Of geolo- me
=, .,,.h. II. hi. :. -h;.. al \. Id. bel
Q an old Scottish bard-his step firm and ,.