The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-12
A GLANCE AT SARATOGA.


my observations, as l sit musing on the piazza
of Congress Hall, which, as everybody knows,
has been enlarged and beautiied, and taken its
stand where it was in days of yore, and where.
as everybody knows, it has not been for the
last few years. Many other improvements have
been also made about the village, showing that
the Saratogans mean to keep up with the times,
and not permit age to mar their attractions,
though they boast of being the oldest watering
place in the country.
In some respects, things are always the same
here. The fountains are always bubbling; and
as long as they bubble such life-giving waters.
there will always be multitudes thronging to
drink.
| L am always reminded of.the Pool of Be-
thesda; for, though it is not an angel that dis
turbs The waters, unless they assume human
! forms, they must be disturbed by somebody be-
fore our thirst can be quenched, and we can
be healed. In the height of the season, there
are four little boys, each with four little dippers
attached to the end of long stick, which they
plunge into the fountain, and hand to those
who are waiting, and to whom they attend &C
cording to the maxim of the miller, " first
come, first served"
Some people suppose that it is impossible to
drink too much Congress water, and they stand
and get all they can get for an hour or two ;
but if you can get competent medical advice,
such as the Saratoga physicians are always hap
by to give, you will drink glass or two, and
then take walk around the pleasant groves,
or a ride on the circular railway, where you
may go round and round three times for shil
ling, working your passage.
The groves, the winding pathways, and the
birds, are always here So, too, is the Indian
encampment; and they always look like the
same Indians to me, the same baskets, the
same bows aud arrows, fans, needle books, and
pincushions, and the same pots and kettles
| When you have walked awhile, and made your
self agreeable to some fair damsel, provided
you are not bondman, and obliged to make
yourself agreeable to your wife, you may take
a glass or two more, and by this time there will
have arrived so many, that it will be quite an
exercise for you to shake hands and exchange
greetings. Everybody will exclaim, how nice
everything is looking this summer that there
are more people than usual at this season that
we are having very fine weather. that the crops
are getting on remarkably we'll Everybody
will ask at what house you are staying, and how
long you intend to remain; how many glasses
you take in the morning, and how you contrive
to pass the time.
Men who think there is no way to live but to
be investing money, and counting dividends,
pronounce Saratoga life terrible BORE after
three or four days. What people can find to
interest themselves about here for weeks and
months, they cannot imagine. They know
nothing about studying character, but see in
all this gay and brilliant throng only so many
men and women eating, drinking, walking.
| They have never learned to trace the shadows
on these sunny faces they have not the key
to unlock hearts and to be moving among hu-
man beings, without single talisman that
opens to us the portals of thought and feeling,
must be stupid life indeed.
| somewhere read an article on the era
tionale of Watering Places" and the young
author was one who had looked deeper into
the human heart than many do in life OF
threescore years and ten. | often hear it re-
marked, of young and beautiful girl, How
foolishly she is spending life; frittering it away
in gaiety and dissipation; hirt-a heartless
thoughtless firt." We sat alone one night, in
the deep shadows of an overhanging elm. She
joined me, with this exclamation Oh, what
a false and miserable world. How hate it /! -
1t does not require any particular inspiration
to teach US what has Disguised a young, bloom
ing girl with life. blight has fallen on her
hopes, and all her woman's aspirations have
been turned to bitterness. So | said, "But ali
the world should not be condemned for the sins
of one or two" "No," she said, it is not for
one or two, but l have never found spark OF
truth or honor in the heart of man." This
was sweeping denunciation for one who had
travelled and mingled so extensively with the
world. | had never seen her before, so knew
nothing of her personal experience; but as she
rested her head upon my shoulder, and burst
into tears, understood what words could not
convey; and when she had a little recovered,
she poured out her heart. 1t was dark record,
indeed, of wrong and falsehood, of trihing and
dishonor with trusting spirit. She did not
ask me to keep her secret. She knew / would
cut off my right hand before | would betray it,
and there was no blush of conscious sin or folly,
as she confessed one love and then another,
each meeting the same fate, and leaving her
for time crushed and wretched, but to rise
strengthened and purified for new life.
"Mother wants to see me married and settled, !"
she said, and wonders how can refuse this
and that rich man, who will make me such an
excellent husband. Alas! l have seen too
many, married to rich and excellent husbands,
with hearts yearning for what money can never
| give. / know myself too well to desire to ven-
ture upon such precipice, for very sure L am,
| that no strength of earth or heaven could keep
me from falling headlong."
Her friends called her a foolish, sentimental
thing, deserving the path of womanly duty, and
very likely, by and by, they will convince her
of the necessity of marrying an establishment,
and she will become false, unfaithful woman.
like hundreds of others, still maintaining in the
eyes of the world the "highest respectability."
Soon she brushed away her tears, and mingled
with the crowd, smiling as if the world had al
ways smiled on her. | sighed, and said, q Poor
thing" but while watched her in the dance,
| / thought, "Among all who pronounce her gay
4 hao 10 not
| soul so deep, so filled with high and holy
thoughts, so worthy the companionship of an
! gels. What sin is there to her in that gay
dance, and what to her is fattery and aduls-
| ton q? Her heart is worthy shrine for woman's
/ hottest love. She has given all its freshness
| up to be spurned and trampled, but she will
| know, by and by, that one, or two, or twelve
| false tongues are not enough to condemn
| world. There are as many noble men as wo
| men, as many who would scorn to tri1e and
| betray.
I Just now heard from the lips of true CO.
quette, whom another was reproving for her
unworthy encouragement of true affection
"Oh, fudge! men have no affections, except
bilious affections!" So she smiled deceitfully
on all who came, and triumphed in their hu
initiation, declaring it was only returning evil
| for evil, which, according to her code of ethics
was right enough.
Summer idlers have found hundred hills
and smiling valleys, over which to roam away
| the sultry summer months; but yet there seems
no diminution of numbers here. Congress
Hall has been enlarged a third Of its original
size this season, and next year the Union is to
have similar enlargement. The more room
they make, the more they have to occupy it,
they say; and as it is very evident that people
increase and multiply in the land, do not see
why this may not be good philosophy. 1t is