Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-08-08
gaAits' Department.
ron THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
The Social Circle.

Inc Social Clrcle.
DEAR GmLs;-Again / como to you withN
n heart OVERLOOKING with gratitude-grati-
tude that / have been admitted into your
gifted circle-and, dear Mollie, | know | shall
love YOU always for the warm heart welcome
Won extended me. Will you all indeed love
the mountain lassie-and will your hearts
thrill with ioy mt the mention. Of her name2
Yes. nv warm heart tells me you will. / am
rude and wjld-the untaught child Of Nature
and like the timid fawn may never venture
beyond the limits Of my mountain home,
and mingle in the gay world in which some of
YOU move the " gayest Of the gay" but still
have n heart that throbs responsive to the
upgushings Of your Owl If you will come
20 my rude mountain home IN the Wills OF
tho TOld North State" where flowers bloom,
birds sing, breeres sigh, and
"The sun loves TO pause with so fond a delay
That the night only draws a thin veil DER the day."
during the sweet spring and summertime,
and snow wreaths and fairy frost-work"
alternate beautifully with the deep fringe of
eyerQreens that skirt the mountain side IN
the out door world, and warm cracking "LoG
ur,po 6res and cheerful smiling faces glad
den the home circle during the bright, beau
tiful autumn evenings and long winter nights
in the world within-Ah, methinks / could
show you such n picture Of " rural seclusion
and contentment'' cs would charm and be-
wilder and entrance your very senses-and
YOU would "fall in love" with my mountain
home. What a merry TING we wouldShave
talking, reading, walking riding, visiting
the mountains, gathering fruit and flowers
and MAKING LOVE to the MOUNTAIN ladies.
But dear, dear girls, wild and hayward as
I am, there is still one great grief Of my life
anu longing to pour into your listening ears
that / may receive the balm Of sympathy
and consolation / know you will extend. Ye
have hearts of pity l know, and can drop q
tear with me over the grave OF departed
hopes-of buried greatness.
/ have n generous, noble, high-souled
friend--Ahl and a more than friOnd-one
ihro' whose veins the same warm blood
courses that circles round my heart-ont
whose gifted genius and brilliant mind nigh
have chained the listening multitude will
its burning eloquence-but alas the fire o
that genius and the light of that mind hav,
been quenched in the liquid fires of lntem
perance. Descended from one Of the brav
heroes Of the Revolution-and the last-wit
n few scattering exceptions-of q noble hous
many fond hearts turned to him with trus
ing confidence, and hailed the future as tn
dawning Of n new era in the history of the
family--as the period when the mild lustl
Of that STAR that rose and set upon the ba
AlenGlu HllHHb NC I6kAAlulbu ~ IeCtlNG "a
tional brightness from the reflection thro' OIL
80 gifted and good. But alas! how blightC
are sur fondost hopes, how withered are Of
sweetest, widest dreams of future felicit,
Little does he dream that he is trampli
thus lightly upon the finely strung chords
n thousand warm hearts-little does he thi.
he is bringing the "gray hairs" Of many
loved ono with sorrow to the gravel u
dear girls, family over the dim outlines
shadowy futurity dawns a ray Of hope-tl
tho wandercr may return--for nightly
incense Of many prayers is waited up to
Throne Of God in his behalf, and sur
Heaven will not turn a deaf ear to our 81
plications. j know he loathes q drunkar
life, and would shrink with horror from
drunkard's grave-and many have been
resolutions to quit the wine cup-but so Il
as gtidcd shiskey signs arc hung out at CIV
turn, and the sparkling beverage held to
very lips by the laws of our land-just
long will manly frmness waver and faltel
upoAI tile Uat ors and irG sSe, may we
pect the present state of affairs.
Oh | would that my countrymen m
arouse from tho lethargy, and rescue An
ca from the gulf into which the enemie
humanity would plunge her. | would
the advocates of Temperance would risC
EN MAssE, drive from the seats Of power t
miserable besotted apologies for men,
swear in tho face OF high Heaven, that
but the truly good and ~virtuous and s
should rule America.
Will they longer suffer the honor of
Nation 10 be stained by so foul a Grim,
Will they longer suffer thousands Of "
hearts to bleed ut every pore, and not
an arm in the cause Of humanity? Oh
the stars and stripes of our proud Amt
longer wave over a people wALLowINa ii
MINI and sinking dannpr and laanar ~
slOughs Of iniquity? Sometimes, dear
l feel--and ] know with your assistanC
could with my weak arm snatch the p
Flag Of our still proud Nation from its a
dy downiallen position, and unfurl
above the fumes Of the STILL HOUSE an,
curses OF IatemperaIce; and / would q
wipe from my country this one foul
that stains her fair name. Will you
help me? 1t is said in the Holy Script
that "whatsOeveT q man soyeth, that
he also reap - and | fear America is SO
to the demon Alcohol, and in the VOL
spirits lost" many of her rulers will
the bitter curses that have been laid I
them, and the hot scalding tears Of the
ow and orphan will be poured upon the
ked souls, and their prayers will be
many serpents Kissing about their ears
the liquid fires of alcohol will burn into
very yitals, and still like the sworn
never dies" consume not and above q
wrath Of God will be poured in a bu
current on their defenseless heads. TIL,
heaping up wrath against the day of W
and not content with digging for them
a bed in that /" lake that burns with I'll
birthstone" they are dragging their
mortals with them down to perdition. ]
that even lost spirits will shrink with
ernm SO cn~rEnntan-nbiert. and devils wi
SO full one could write q lifetime an
-r-r~v+~4eevH4 H Htids ne Ueu faf tMfAepnl
With q heart OVERLOOKING with 10
gratitude to you, and a prayer escapin
ITS secret affairs for your present and
happiness, bid you adieu for the pre-:
CARRIE CLINT
Oak Hill, July, 1856.