Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-12-05
For the Spirit of the Age
To the Social Circle.

To the Social Circle
] have, dear girls, been INDUCING in an
unusually long, delicious idle spell. l sat by
the window, and saw the " day God" sink to
rest, and draw his curtain of glorious hues
over the western sky. | watched the purple
and golden clouds, float like fairy things for
n time across the rosy sky, and shed long
lines of golden light, mingled with the COM
ing twilight, shades over the tops of distant
forests, lighting to picturesque loveliness the
rural landscape so familiar, and so dear.
/ fingered spell bound until the last faint
rosy tint died out, and the evening star rose,
and shed its diamond beauty upon the scene.
Fair star from childhood | have loved it's
mild and steady radiance. l have watched
its ~glimmer, sometimes with a saddened heart
and have gathered comfort and hope from its
steady, constant light. One after another
stole out, until the sky was hung and span
gled with heavens distant lamps" Then
the moon rose, and threw her beautiful robe
of silvery shadows over earth. My thoughts
wandered to you, gentle friends, to all the
linked spirits of our social band.
thought Of you, Mollie, as | often do, for
getting that thatsweet familiar name belongs
to-G stranger Mollie, Nellie, l am a spir-
it friend-it must be so. I thought of Lora,
whose beautiful letter of welcome to the
"Circle," have put away among my store
of treasured things" l thought of you
Matte, as frequently do; Of our gifted Flor
ence, Of lone, Estelle, Carrie, Kate, fanny
Kate(, Aunt Maud, and all the bright links
of our chain of love.
l turned from the window to find the lamps
lighted, and the loved ones drawn up around
the cheerful FIRE. When ! sat down the sun
shone, but the moons light and ewes witch
ing hour found me dreaming still.
Still thinking of you l rose to get my pens
and portfolio, but voices were calling me, to
mingle my voice in the evening songs. Free
at last, | sat down to write, with cheerful
voices sounding in my ears, and my little
brothers "good night kiss" still warm upon
my cheek. Do you doubt, dear girls, but
that my words to you come right straight
from the heart, when I write amid such
scenes rs these, the beautiful in nature and
in home?
| fear this letter Of mine, will meet the
disapproval of our quandam friend, the Ma,
jor." | have woven too many stars and
moonbeams into it, to please his august fan
cy, | expect. "Stuf and nonsense, Social
Circling to get a husband" ETC., etc. This
wondrous silence of his, portends another
" %crO1C," j think, and such an one as will
send silence L" amazed and startled from his
shadowy home" Major, if you are off in
some corner, charcoaling us, calling us SEN
tmental, romantic, yiSionary, etc., ETC., lis
ten to me a moment. l am not going to be
saucy,-just imagine me making a military
salute, with all Difference, as l ought, to my
superior officer. Why so, "of the earth,
earthyf :" Why not let your imagination
soar away into the fairy land of dreams oc-
casionally2 Why call an enthusiastic love
OF "the beautiful" romantic nonsense WIN
not lift the eye of reverent admiration up to
that star-gemm'd sky, whose Creator saw
was good" Why not look with love and
awe, upon thelowers. snnbeams, streams and
skies, and all the thousand beauties of this
lovely earth of ours Nature is refining and
eIeEating-hoty-we unconsciously look from
nature, to " natures God" Every created
thing Is worthy Of the "Great first cause
from the tiniest flower to sublime Niagara
and the burden of our thankful heart should
be- my Father made them all!'
1t cannot be that any are entirely blind to
the beauties Of nature. Major Original
10 not don't believe it, tho he would have
us think he confines his imagination down
10 selfish, domineering ROSTERS and deserted
hensl
Where are the gentlemen of our Circle ?
what are you after, gentlemen /? YOU don't
anyofyou fatigue yourselves writing to US. I
imagine. must confess to a decided weak.
ness for gentlemen's society, (and correspon-
oence too sometimes, and / am glad YOU
have joined us. Just imagine me setting
you chairs, and acting as usher general with
q white apron on. You can easy do il. if Won
have vivid imaginatiOns. Well, 1 must saw
good night" as | see by the clock that
some OF you mustbe wandering in dreamland
ny this time-without you keep yerv late
hours I've written myself in a good humor
with myself and everybody else, for / was a
h''is sad while "Stargazing," as the Major
would say. Good night.
m MINNIE, OF MD.
ohurehyille, Md.