Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-09-10
For the Spirit of the Age.
To "The Social Circle"

Months, weeks, long, bright sunny days,
have passed sincelastI sat down, pen iE hand,
to hold communion in Thoughts great ST.
lent land" with the "linked spirits" of our
social band. Bright flowers have bloomed
away their sweet existences; moon after
moon have poured their silvery light over
our shadow-bound world and then waned to
glow no more stars have sparkled, smiles
have dawned and failed, and here in Septem-
Der, summer almost gone, | have drawn ray
portfolio upon my knee and sat dowp to haze
a chat with the Social Circle. If forget
not, was nearly the last one who wrote, and
since then have been indulging the pleasant
anticipation of q halfdozen answers None
have come. No wonder! the Circle has
gradually become a body of grave, dignifed,
reserved married people. Carries married
sweet Mollle's married LOra is in the same
fix, and while gentle Mattie's silence is ter
ribly ominous, and Florencc's lawful pause
foreshadows that some coming event. Is
going to check all the sweet fancies that used
to flow 50 freely from her pen. Where are
Kate Careless, Aunt Maud, Frank and Rueb?
Echo answers 9 where 2" And to cap the
climax, Alpheus, our entertaining, funny
Alpheus, has committed that mistake of u
lifetime" "fallen in love"-not only with
one girl, but t,00! "Great was tie fall"
when the witty, talented Alpheus lowered
his colors and surrendered "at discretion, !"
I've no doubt, to first the hazel, and then
the black eyes.
Well, | believe | have no weakness of that
kind to record. l, Minnie of Md, glory in
being just about " as single as a stray glove"
neither married or engaged to be- heart
aohoLe and fancy free," all except just a little
half defined liking for one pair of eyes, thai
/ think are the darkest, ~prettiest and mosi
expressive in the world. | am decidedly ep.
posed to fibs, CT | would not tell and / make
the least possible grimace Of defiance as the
confession goes down.
l don't know, dear Alpheus, what the ad
vice will be that Matte, Sallie or Gertrud,
Perry will give, but mine is to extricate your
self from the difficulty as soon as possible
Tho | haze no doubt that the "strong neces
sity of loving will cause US one and all sool
to say Alpheus is a0edded to his idols, +" lie
him alone" My theory upon the subject 0
love is, that it is a hazardous business. An
have Shakespeare to support me, for he says
1.-THE course of true lore never did run smooth.
Landon calls love, "life's best, but most be
traying witchery." Mrs. Hemans, my ow
sweet ~favorite says,
"Oh love
Obtain'd with trouble and withpainpreserv'C
Never ut rest"
Moore says, and l have no doubt he knew
ITO love is painful, it is true,
And not to love more painful too;
But oh it is the worst of pain,
To deeply love, yet love in vain"
All the poets agree in denouneing the te
der passion in no very tender terms, and
must confess | agree with them. Look
the head. aches and heart aches it produce
The pale cheeks, the panied culver of IL
lip, the misery ofdoubt. the anxiety of ''hol
deferred" the dark despair of certainty, t
, jealousy, " cruel as the grave" Just thil
! Of ones happiness depending on the CLAN
r of an eye, or the tone of a voice. How h
. initiating that q step can send, by its comir
the warm life blood to the cheek, or cause
. to pale like a lily, because it comes not
n Yet | hare read that such things are, an
= believe it. Yes, Alpheus, my advice is
"chain down the tempest in the yearni
hcart,"-qu1 looing but | cannot tell
hoU! MINNIE, OF MD
Oak Lawn. Md.