The Sierra citizen., 1854-07-08

ceptlopS! Oh, decisive thought
What reason have we to expect that
a special miracle will be wrought in our
behalf; and why should not, in our case,
the same causes produce the same effects ?
All! we reason not thus in other things.
Suppose we believed that thunderbolt
would be hurled from heaven into our
midst and that one Of us would certainly
be killed by the stroke. would we sit calm
" awaiting its descent, and each one say
to himself, 1, at least, will be unscathed 2
Suppose some fierce animal, goaded to
madness by hunger, were driven in sudden
+ ly upon us--to be consistent, we riust re-
main unmoved, and take courage from the
consoliny thought that ne cannot eat Ii Us
all. Let terror, then, add swiftness to our
fight, and as we would escape, with almost
lightning speed, the pressing danges, let
US not await in cool tranquility one which
is not less certain Because it is less swift. y
And again, he thus remarks:
GO The tree il known by its fruit says
the highest authority, and he who endea-
vors to reason against the dictates of OBJ
scrvation and experiment will be thought
to have lost his senses as we'll as his pains.
All the attempts Of metaphysicians
to unveil the secrets of the human mind,
have resulted in showing us the utter
| futility OF trying to fathom its recesses.
We have only learned that we are deeply
ignorant; for, apart from a few selfevident
truths ard what we CLEAN from revelation,
we never can have any other knowledge
than Such as we learn from observing facts
and rcfeeting on their relations: Would
you thii.k him a rational being who, when
sick, refuses medicihe because he cannot
understand the process by which it eradi-
Gates disease? Is is necessary before you
will consent to move your finger, that you
should understand the mysterious connec-
ton between mind and matter? The
theory cannot be demonstrated mathemat-
ically, though it is susceptible of the moral
proof.
And We will not forget, that what
ever be our position in life, there are be-
ings around as whose minds we help to
model; however dependent we be upon
our neighbor, still, his habits ours Serve to
form. We each one can effect some good
by proper endeavor, and our influence,
small though it be, yet, like pebbles thrown
on the limpid water, will produce many a
gentle undulation, whose circling waves
may strike some distant though ingenious
mind and effect bis thorough reformation. "
II After the Grafton the members of the
9Order, and a number of invited guests,
among whom the fair sax-Downieville s
beauty, fashion and intclligence-sat down
to the most sumptuous repast for gala
occasion it has been our good fortune to
Asnjoy for many years, The tables -four
in number, each sixty-odd feet long) groan-
ed under the weight of viauds rare and in
viting-everything that the ingenuity of
Mr.. McGrath and his auxiliarics from La
Belle France could devise. BY special
invitation we obtained seat in the heart
Of jollny and good humor, and what could
we do but go it!'' We dipped in right
and left, (not because we were hungry,
but simply because it was fashionable, and
it would be a pity to have such nice
things spoil J and with the very cream OF
zest hid all we were capable of holding.
In the absence ofwinc, which, by the way.
could have added nothing to the pleasantly
of so fine connpany, orange and lemon
ade were supplied in superabundance.-
Ice and snow from the mountains, and
another excellent beverage, which is some
times described by putting the fore-fnger-
Of your right hand in the ori6ce above the
chin, and placing it against the inside of
your cheek, with quick forcible motion
drawing it out, was there by the wagon
load, and reminded US of fre-crackers in
the plaza and Sacramento street, San
Francisco, on similar anniversary.
Dinner being over, the Order moved in
procession to the hall and dismissed, to
prepare for the evening ball. At sunset a
salute was fired, smashing sosle windows
| which nobody cared for, it being Fourth
/ vi aUOuG lCll y CIUCh liz
1 of Terpsichore assembled at the St. Char.
les, and passed the night in the innocent
. and healthy exercise of dancing, and, per-
adventure. making love!
Not the worst place for fun on that
| day, was the Democratic County Conven-
ton, held in the church; but of this we'll
treat under its appropriate head. For
Eside-splitting laughter, however, Downie.
vile Theatre could not be beat; and in the
street, too, occasional bursts would make
the welkin ring. Not fight, that we
are aware OF, disgraoed our village on the
4th Of July, 1854.
i OUrslDE.-Major pownie, The old pho
neer, and from whom our village derives it,
!, name, has promised US series Of letters
3 descriptive of his adventures in Caaifornia
and particularly in Sierra and Yuba eoun
ties, which cannot fail to be read with in
, terest by great majority of our patrons