Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-05-14
Ynmber 81.
LADIES' DEPARTMENT..
Written for the Spirit Of the Age.
The Social Circle.

Written for the Spirit Of the Age.
The Social Circle.
"The glittoring dreams which pass before
the mind,
Are not by Heaven for propheciesdesigned
Nor by ETHEREAL beings sent us down,
But each one is creator of his own."
Forgetting for awhile the rare loveliness of
this lovely Spring morning, and turning a
deaf car to the melodies Of the merry war
blers Of the grove, I have come to greet each
one of you, dear friends, with q smile of
pleasure and the sincerest wishes of joy
And | fain would tell you something Of my
woodland home-reposing 80 snugly down
amid a grove Of oaks, Of 50 many bright and
beautiful flowers. have watched from the
first opening bud, 10 the withered petals scat
tered around It's stem, and last of the silver
moonlight, glisteuing on the emerald leaves,
and stealing so gently in my window. But
of these charms, more anon.
had thought 10 weave q tissue-like dream
for our amusement, but accidentally came
across the lines transcribed at the beginning
of my letter-and Of course they set me to
thinking aud wondering if it were really
true that " each one is creator of his own"
Yes, surely these day-dreams are dissipating
10 the mind, and should be rarely INDUCED.
They are after too much Of the l%anciful, lure
ing US from the path Of duty, and reality,
and often making It q task to descend again
70 the world Of thought and action. know
from my own observation something Of the
dependency connected with this yielding Of
the stronger faculties of the mind to the
'eakcst, aud | firmly believe this state Of the
mind is ms often induced by the perusal Of
tho ettnuinnIu InVsanl C,1lo. "a ~NoI~-. Ia
e%rature, as from any other cause. Not that
/ condemn the entire suppression of all light
and %fanciful dreamsthey are so easily induced
by the surrounding beauties of our proba-
tionary home, and the joyousness of our W
hearts; nor yet censure the reading of these
little waits, Of stories Of the hearts secrets,
and other captivating traits Of our own ma
turc 80 winning to the dreaming mind, and
devised so artistically into moral novelties.
But we should indulge charity, not forgetting
we arc the creators of a great many of our
Joys and sorrows; and that our mind and
heart are gems liable 10 be furnished by the
contact Of aught that is repulsive and poi
sonous in It's nature. Gems too, which will
brightly g%Iisten in the perfect day." if we
but watch and guard our hearts, already
prone to evil, so that they become not dull
and furnished. IT'S said that "life is but a
dream at the best" Can this be so? Are
we placed here TO dream away an existence,
as q preparation for Eternity? j cannot be-
lieye this-a death blow to all thoughts of
eternal happiness.
How much is tobe done My hopes and fears
Start up alarmed, and DER life's narrow verge
Look down-on what? q fathomless abyss;
a dread Eternity how surely mine!
agree with Alpheus that an exchange of
sentiment is necessary for the life of our
Circle, and surely we can do this without be-
ing undiSniiied, and at the same time aim
high in the way of social conversation. And
that injunction Of his, never to forget our
high and holy mission in promoting the cause
OF Temperance either by word or action
When we reflect that the cause falls heaviest
upon woman, howcan we for a moment so
far forget what is due our sex as to counte-
nance tho circulation of the ruby poison =
Not many days since, / met with a poor wo-
man aud two little daughters. Her counte-
nance was very detected and she seemed 80
poor and unhappy | inquired of q friend her
name and situation. "Would YOU believe
that once she was fair and accomplished
surrounded by kind friends, and though de-
priyed Of many Of the luxuries Of life, ney-
or OF the comforts SsS5ils cos
SSlnXSsss MN. beenme the common drums
nrd or the road side. His wife bore up q
long time, but at last yielded to the syrer
which made her husband q brute, and now
with % family Of small children Dependent
on them for support, live upon the charity
Of their neighbors, q drunken and beastly
set" And has there been no effort to reform
them Yes, but so long as these little retail
shops are licensed to spring up over the
land, they can never be reclaimed. With a
sad heart turned away wondering why men
could BE- so depraved as to retail murder anC
misery 70 their fellow creatures.
MATTE MAY.
Eliu Wood, n. g.