Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-04
Editorial lettings Down.

anu SOoH IouHu ourSeH ut eIuons uaNiuS HcG
with no incident worth relating, except a
I" threatening-match" at Warrenton Depot,
between a hack owner and a r~ed-eyed, pouch
mouthed Jew who refused to pay his hack
hire. Any amount of naughty words and
brandishing of fists were INDUCED in, but
like Bob Acres of old, the spunk oozed out of
their fingers ends as soon as they would
double up their fists to strike.
When about leaving Weldon, there was an
other "%cursing touch INDUCED in 10y a
young verdant one who had evidently been
imbibing, who swore g no man shall run over
me-" He was remarkably brave, but on be-
ing told he must behave himself or he would
be put off, he suddenly became as quiet as a
whipped cur and coilcd up in one corner as
graceful as a bag of potatoes, and gave us
some of the finest specimens of his imitation
of the trombone.
1t only required some three hours time
for US to be safely landed in Portsmouth Ovel
that safe though expeditions route, the Sc
Board and Roanoke Rail Road, of whQS
fcers and Agents we have always
the kindest respect and' a~ttentiog
Gresham full, at Portsmouth p;.d:~-
yer to Norfolk and took up>wo huuu;oa
the Boarding house of Mr. onortorao4
; for hospitable entertain1 n su.w NIL
isnot excelled by anXoent ond 1901 ~
!. other City. No w1 bonSs II N that SotI a. 'a ARE
a jam there for sI0Bnder we found a regular
be t"H-and w houses are always sure to
t Next day lsy deserve to be.
c QUITO tneSas Sunday and Christmas, too;
e latter " credit of the Norfolkonians, the
ana tbs made to give place to the former,
n oath slday passed off as a Christmas Sab
a Cum build. Weattended Divine Service in the
quit rland Street Church, where we heard
Mr.an interesting Discourse from the Rev.
andsad, strikingly opposite to the occasion,
beautiful on account of its simplicity
anu the fervid piety which breathed from eve
ry sentiment. At night, we heard Rev. DR..
d. S. Doggett, at CRANKY St. Church. His
subject was The alliance between Poetry
and Prophecy, founded on the beautiful Ian
!gnage found in the 35th chapter and LIST and
'nsd verses of Isaiah, beginning with-"The
- ''~1erness and the solitary place shall be glad
sm, and the desert shall rejoice and
hJoSoo as the rose," &c. We have seldom
vas a sernl, il . rich intellectual renast-it
"nu : exauisitely chaste and REIN
lime deeply pious ap1
'ui'lV"'eo 'nous"' S4Ah~ t
mo the heart and affections of men. y
Monday was set apart for Christmas festiv-
tiles, and a lively, merry time the peoples"
to 6aes-af it. We saw very little
drunkenness on the SfrSsts all seemed to
be determined not to be deffS1ded OF the
pleasures of the season by the treac6srGds
god, Baochus. But, the way the boys, and
the 9 mems" too, for a matter of that, did
fire squibs, pop crackers, and explode torpe-
does, was a caution to the Mayor, who had
published orders the thing must not be did
but some woulddi it, and next day the May
or give 'em jessy.
All ages, sexes and conditions were on the
s~treets-ladies of every hue, pretty. homely
and abominable. We were struck with the
little oyster shell bonnets which the most
fashionable ladies wore, on the hindermost
knot Of hair, and the hair combed back so tight
as to start the eyes out of the head of the
wearer. But we remembered it was the oys4
ter port we were at, and if the Indies choose
to devour the sea varmint and then don his
shell, it is none of our business.
Speaking of women, by the way, reminds
US of a " hannimal" we saw several of, who
seemed to be neither fish, flesh nor fowl"
in the way of genders. They evidently once
belonged to the cashmere order, but what
they were now, puzzled us not a little. Their
feet had certainly been dubbed off, showing
us more clubbed-footed men than we had
ever seen before. What once were legs had
become ashamed of the company they kept
and left the indescribable to peg it through
the world On stills our billy-goat's shanks
were large to them-and then every fellow
had on his wife or sweot-hearts' shawl, and
Rugged it to him as close as though the dear
c~ritter were snugly ensconced therein. What
on airth sort of varmints are they rumin-
ated we, when we were enlightened by a
couple of darkies, whose attention had also
been attracted. Said one" Sam, is denis
dey what dey calls the Bloomders ?" "No.
Scip, denis dc gemmen's what de;ermed to
to take up the cast off garments of de far
sec. You sec, de way | know, Mass. Charles
saw Miss Alice slip on his breeches, and
watchedher fxin' up, but said muffin. Byme
by Miss Alice dashed off in breaches and
calf-skin CATERS into the street. Den Mass.
Charles put on her rigging, dat is, her corset
prunel CATERS and shawl, and he walked GU.
and when all desc hairy-mouthed gemmens
seed him, dey fought him de latest dat had
come over, and dey all took to de shawls too
mems is the gumboes, dey is !" Scip seemed
perfectly satisfied with the explanation, anC
giving Sam a three cent piece, we passed on
We had not gone far before we saw one 0
these sam sort of bipeds, but o. what
nose red as a beet and big as a speaking
trumpet. He was evidently sup to snuff.
After a thousand thoughts, we finally cam
to the conclusion that this must be the nos
that Solomon sang about, that was " like tn
tower of Lebanon, looking towards Damas
GUS" To blow that nose, must require tn
strongest northeast gale that ever blowed.
We visited most of the places of interes
in Norfolk and Portsmouth, and on Tuesda