The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-10-31

ry, hypocrisy, Islander, or ridicule-fOr
they are as abhorrent to taste as they are
to virtue. The more perfect musician
is, the more offensive is o discord to his
ear, and the more cultivated our minds
and sentiments are, the more odious to
US are the forms of evil.
Politeness may c~oexist with the deep
est ~depravity; but this does not prove
that it is not desirable, only that some
thing more is; and the same may be
said of wealth, genius, learning. The
form of p~oliteness though it may exist
like the form of religion without the
spirit; its object is to make us agreea-
bic that we may thereby be beloved
And the surest way to seem SO is to be so
the very attempt to be a gentleman sug-
gests the cultivation of the heart
Moreover the very forms of politeness
are themselves a discipline of hertz
The soft answer not only turns away
wrath in another, but subdues it in our
selves. You may inquire if man have
a heart full of love to God, what more
does he need in order to be polite7 He
needs cultivation of mind. With the
kindest intentions VIC may gave pain
instead of pleasure, from want of consd-
GRAFTON or want of knowledge of the sit
a%tions, circumstances, wants and feelings
of men, or of the conventional rules of
social life. Even when we do what
should be done, and say what should
be said; we may fail, with all our good
intentions and good Offices, to throw a
charm around our words and actions
The kindest heart, indeed, may be in
crustcd with rudiness, and inpertinence,
and.impudence, and clownishncss and
coarseness-may be like a jewel of gold
in a swine's snout. Even genious and
learning may be united to the kindest
disposition without making an agreeable
companion. There may be associated
with them an over estimate of self or un-
der-estimatc OF others; a too great tao
~iturnity or a too great verbosity neg
lect of attention or a violation of estab-
lished order; an insensibility to what
is pleasing, or an ignorance of what is
decorous and although the absence of
polish does not deprive genius and vir-
tue of their vaiuc, it may be their due
REGARD. 1t is only when they are con
nected with politeness that they are as
apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Letno one suppose that politeness en-
crvates the character. 1t is consistent
with the noblest manlincss-with faith,
courage, temperance, patience, godli-
ness aud charity in requires no sacri
fees of duty or of principle. Which
would be most likely to shrink from
the post OF danger, the clownish soldier
or the polished officer? Which would
be the most likely to lose his principles
the rude peasant who utters them in the
street, or the practical ~disputant who
reserves them for the rostrum ? Which
most likely to promulgate them with
success, the man who pronounccs them
in vulgar language and bitter denuucia-
ton, or he who sweetens them with the
honey of persuasion: Calomel is meme
the less effected because disguised in su-
gar, AID all the mora likely to be taken.
I am aware that it gives an advantage
to error aud vice; but why should not
truth and virtue avail themselves of
that advantage. There is a Strange Wo-
man whose lips drop as a honey-comb
and whose mouth is smoother than oil,
and it is not because of the honey and
the s~moothues that her feet 60 down to
death and her steps take hold on hell,
and if her charms are used successfully
to conceal the NORWOOD of sin and the
ewerd of destruction, may they not be
employed to convey to beauty of no.
liness and the word of love? Indeed,
divine Wisdom renders herself attract
ive-she beauties her house, she hews
her seven pillars, she furnishes her ia
BILE, she sends forth her ~maidens, who
with winning sweetness say, :" Come,
cat of of my bread and drink of the wine
that l have mingled" She makes all
her paths pleasant as veil as peaceful,
and all her hills spicy.
Pardon my dispersion. | wish l
could convey to you some idea of a
French gentleman's winning ways. l
onee remarked, " France is the belle of
the nations" 4 Frenchman arose, and
walked across the room to me, with a
c~ountenance glowing with gratitude and
delight he extended to me his hand, say
ing as be shook it, 81 thank you, my
dear sir, for making that pleasant re-
mark of France" AT the house of Mr..
Mason-our ambassador to the Court
OF st. Cloud-after our host had sum-
med up his objections to Paris, 1 re-
marked. After all that, Mr.. Mason,
1 feel very much at home in France"
A Frenchman seized my hand, in appa-
rent ecstasies, saying, My dear sir,
a thousand thanks to you; we are your
debtor, you shall be still more at bone
in France" When 1 parted with a
gentleman on leaving Paris, he looked
me in the eye and said, " Don't yon
forget me till 1 forget you that will be