Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-03-05
ynmber 27.
LADIES DEPARTMENT..
UriItsn fer the Spirit sf &S Are.
To the Social Circle.

Az bnO OSSASA O4SAs'
hsssriJe5 10 he GentIepea Of he Circle.
Six weeks Of sleighing, intense cold &c,
has froscn my ink and caused my ideas TO
be iu rather concealed state also, but has
not succeeded in causing the ice Of forget
fulaess to freeze ever the gushing fountains
Of love and friendship. which are ,pringing
il my heart. But if my heart had been
frozen over with fsrgetfuluess aud indifer-
euce as thick as that which now binds the
dark blue waves Of our silvcry Susquehana,
the icy letters would have broken with very
indignation, | think, upon reading the fol-
lowing words Of a song, sent me by q friend:
IN drown the Are rithis my soul.
Built up on wcmAr's faith
By quaGng deep the sparkling bowl
With bubbles full Of death"
Alas! when will poesy cease to scatter
its lovely flowers around the fatal cup whose
sparkling waves are TOO surely 'full Of
death And strains Of delicious music
lsud their inspiring aud bewitching power
20 cast yet more alluring spells around the
festive cup. Nethinks the twin spirits Of
music and poetry, as they hover with bright
extended wings over this happy land of
ours, must turn sorrowing away, as those
up0n whom they have shoWered their best
gifts, use them but to make intenrperance,
the curse Of this glorious land, a refined
aud exalted thing.
They remember not Byron, Burns, and
others, the light Of whose glorious intel
lec,s were dimned by the dark clouds Of
incompetence, as stars 60 out, whose bril-
liarcy storm-eloads have hidden. Fer as
surejly had not 'old Scotia's' sweetest
bard slept meath the soil Of his native
land, in the very pyido Of glorious man
hood, had not the worm Of the still 81
lontly but surely sappsd the very founda
items Of his physical and intellectual life
All and it vas far better for his 'sWee
Highland Mary that she did die in tn
first flush Of youth and beauty, than livin
she had been the wife Of q drunkard, eve
tho that drunkard be tho gifted poe
HG.2s.
Are there u5s others? Have We not Ii
ilIustrious names Of Steele, hamtv, aI3a PC
who did indeed seem the fatally gifted
And yet our American poets 60 on, wroatl
ing the flowers Of their sweet fancies ar
beautiful thoughts over the face Of o
King Alcohol and hiding his grim fe
lures beneath their gems Of poetry, un
men buw down before him as tho his
1uancc was not a stain upon our nation
brightness. Why young men are beg
ping to imagine there is something excec
iugly %pootical in going off and drowni
every intellectual faculty in wine, if g
chances to have the moral courage to ref
she honor Of their heart and hand
"PR dropa 1' Rrs rithi- ny soal
Built ny on woman's faith,
By qnl6ing deep TIE parking boui
Wih babJies JuU Of dso'h
And ,re have orr share Of the blame
bear. For too, fair gentle won
lifts the goblet to the smile vreathed
and bows with graceful inclination as
wine that stingeth like an adder pa
the handsome lips Of brother, friend
lover. All! t~houChtless girls, they Ii
dream Of the fearful WOES they bring d
upon their own hearts. .
And what a false, delusive dream !
that forgetfulr5ss Of sorrow can be fc
ia the wine cup, for its waves but fix
ranking thorn moro deeply in the h
The still small voice adds its reproac
paug, aud but deepens the hearts un
Oh ! look not upon the wino,' To-
meath those sparkling waves Turks not
physical but moral death.
For that rosy vine, some can be
stamp eternal misery upon their souls
shame upon their names, give up
proud intellectually, and lay their
aaivsring with youth and beauty,
%drunkard's grave /! How very sal
oh E! how very true. Yet that brave
army over whom waves the banner OF
Purity, and Fidelity are rapidly ST
tltmen OF our CIRCLE, are soldiers j
little army, aud are using avery me
make others as temperate and hal
yourselves.
Oar new friend, Alpheus, who jc
with SO much 'srcpidAtion,' is surel
eome, and as he does not seem TO b
ing a very lofty position, aud-a
Leop Kar, l, with much '~trcpidati
vits him to the very next chair to
j hope bis { extreme bashfulness,' "
prevent his accepting it, and usiu
able pen Of hia often in the cause be
upkolds. MINNIE, OF 4.
Oak Lawn, Feb. 18th.
- -
written for the spiriI Of tn
To the Social Circle.