Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-02-20
ynmbsr 25.
LADIES, DEPARTMENT..
Written for tho spiri. Of the Age.
To "SAmbo" and Small"

TO bAmDo ana small.
GENTLEMEN 81 notice in the last Spirit
OF the Age. for | was not permitted to Pc
ruse your MSS.) that you have serious OBJ
~Jections to the " Social Circle" department
Of the paper, and bcstow upon it some very
severe epithets which the good Editor demon
mates " ungnllant," &c. Now, i shall not
take you to task tor want Of gallantry, but
wish TO say n word in vindication of our ia
vorite Social Circle"
This department of the Age was instituted,
I am informed, by a trio of Ladies, possess
ing as much intelligence and intellect as per-
haps either OF your own supercillious selves
can boast Of. Their articles we're chaste, re-
fnsd and breathing the pure spirit Of morals
aud education. ! am sure you do them in
justice, when you assert there was nothing
TO be gained" by parusing their letters. But
one Of them has been taken to that blest
abode Of tho saints Of which she loved to talk
and sing and write so we'll. Another has
removed " far, far away" and we seldom hear
anything Of her and another has allowed
her pen to grow idle, from some cause, and
we hear nothing now from the gifted, the
intellectual LORA-one whom we feel proud
80 say is as far superior to either "Sambo"
or &" Smalp"-(drst rate names for two such
croAkers) as the sun is to q rush-light. Since
its institution, tho Circle" has considera-
bly, enlarged, and the names Of several very
intellectual ladies have baen enrolled, among
whom are some whose names adorn the pa.
gas Of the Periodical literature Of the coun-
try.
-rRAv H@&hd now for our vindication The
Ladies who have contributed to this depart
ment, have done so from q two-fold motive
LIST, to improve themselves, and IDLY, to in
terest others and if we have been 80 un-
fortunate ~ to fail to entertain you two gen.
tlemen, we are g%ratifed OF the assurance of
our Editor, that We have not been go unfor-
tunate with al. And if we have sometimes
written without any good being accomplished,
we are left to congratulate ourselves that We
are not the first who have had to mourn over
%"loye's labor lost"
It's not in mortAls to command success
Bus they may do more-they may deserve II"
And such, | doubt not, has been the honest
effort Of every member Of the Social Circle.
But do not think, gentlemen, that 1 am Of
Tended with yUu, for the TITS you have made
Mt us. Presuming them to have been made
with q good purpose, wo will endeavor to
improve by your criticisms, and avoid much
that perhaps should have been guarded
against from the frst-too many words and
too little thought. Thanking you for your
WAN AAN 1AAAA NAttNfNNftftuf 1ADNAb Ga
in rather a churlish way | now turn to say
afeW words
To our Social Circle.
LADIES: You have read, doubtless with
face sufFused with bushes and mayhap a lit
tie anger, the +" complaints" noticed in til
last Age, against our much loved "Socia
Circle" Ii is said to be good policy in war
10 gather wisdom from your adversary;
and in this instance We may well learn some
thing to profit withal, from the carping Q
our opponents who would crush out on
+" Circle" altogether. We are compelled I
admit that there has been TO much Of a same
ness in tho writings Of many who have al
pired TO n place among US, till we have grow
sick Of this same p%rattle, about being we
coined that stool in the c~orner-about ha'
ing nothing TO recommend them to the Gil
cls-and all that sort Of thing. To be car
did, | have grumbled not n little at tn
myself. But then we can write somethiu
that will please and profit even " Sambo
md "Smalf"-and do hope their ~strictur,
meHUvr out upon q IoIue
nobler, more intellectual subject than son
Of us have been wont to dwell upon.
What shall it be said in this day Of i
tellectual progress in female character ar
intellect-when Female Colleges, Seminar
and Schools Of the highest order arc dottir
our country all over-when kind Parents a
expanding millions Of dollars annually f
the intellectual cultivation Of their daug
tiers, and hundreds efteachers are employ
in enlightening and developing the fema
mind-in this day Of female Intellectual pr
Grcss, shall it be said that Southern Ladi
can write nothing from which anything is
be gaincdi Forbid it woman's pride a.
woman's genius-forbid it every sense
wOm0n's honor and excellence.
How often have we felt indignant at t
insinuatiOn that woman was mans mental
ferior-and jet we are so %1ippant and ira
silent when we write for tho public eye, Il
We feel compelled to admit there is too mu
truth when such accusations as those unC
consideration ace heaped upon US. Let
resolve to wipe off this reproach from c
far fame and let each of us resolve to Sc
up to the Age, forthwith, good, strong, I'M
lectuAl articles, such as will compel CIV
croaking " Sambo' and "SmalP' to exclai
who would have believed III"
There are many noble, lofty themes VII
We might discuss certainly with prot
ourselves and perhaps to others. The 8
lime principles Of our holy Religion-the
n~evolent and pure cause Of Temperate
the beauties and glories of Nature-the sr
gled Heavens, the beautiful oarth-the 4
or sunny sides Of real life-the ten thous
ennobling thoughts and feelings with wi
slucatiOn, science and experience have ste
the labrat0ry Of our minds-these an
thousand other subjects furnish us food
contemplation and expatiation that mi
we'll arrest on Angels attention.
Let whoever wishes to make such cor
buttons, walk in aud hang up their bonn
without whimpering, curteysing and begs
for admission, for DO assured you arc :"
come to our mystic band"
Come, now, Ladies Of the /" Social Giro
let Us indeed make our department one of
most brilliant, intellectual features of
Agei We can do il, else our good Par
have foolishly Squandered their money
attempting to give cultivation to our mi
And now, LORA, the Queen of Intellect in
band, give us one Of your good logical let
and FLoRgNcE FAY, the gifted and intc
tual Florenee-and then the rest Of US
try and gather inspiration from the
thoughts you send as that will convince
NO have not sat at your feet TO gather
dom in vain.
From your sincere friend and well.w
MoLLl