Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-28

An EEGLIsHMAN's DIGNTTY OUTRAGED.-An Eng
ish merchant Of our acquaintance, says the Boston
Ledger Of Wednesday last tells the following good
thing at his own expense. He had come out to this
country, as he expressed it 10 wind up the affairs
of a concern which owed him considerable money,
and having never been in this country before acted
precisely as if he had been at home. He got
along pretty well while he had occasion to take a
Journey into Maine. There he managed during a
stage ride to get on the box alongside the driver.
He states that he was greatly surprised after Il g
coach had proceeded mile so, to hear the driver
familsrly address him thus Captain l guess
we'll have rain fore long Our English irleDd
pulled up his shirt collar and looked away with
out deiguing any reply. Shortly after the driver
made another observation on the state of the
roads, whereupon the gentleman said, my man;
I'll thank you not to address yourself to me, and
unconsciously pnl!ed at his diokey again; but the
good nstured oquscity of the driver was not to be
so easily depressed, for when agsin it had been
rebuked with another pull at the dCke y, it broke
out in this overwhelming manner: Look hare, cap
tain if you pull your collar much more you Il Jerk
up your shirt tail" The Englishmsu confesses
that it was impossible for him to maintain bis
hsbtusl reserve from the instant, so, passing from
one extreme to the other, be INDUCED in repeated
outbursts of merrment in which the driver hearth
ly joined; and they parted at the journeys end
upon the best ofterms.
IEFEUENCE OF CITY LHE-Rev. Dr.. Scott, the
eminent Presbyterian divine, has been Iecturiug
before the Mercantile Library Association OF San
Francisco His views of the influence Of city life
on youth widely differ from many who have treat.
ed OF the subject but are vel worthy of attention:
The country and the village may be the best
place fer the birth and early training Of youth, but
it is in the excitement Of the city that the highe
development Of mind are made The powerful
minds that have swsyed the des.inies Of mankind,
though not commonly born IN q great city, have
generally gone TO reside there to feel the pressu
Of that activity which would draw out their
strength and to find a theatre suitable for their
talent Our men of letters have their homes 10 or
near our largest cities Hume whose authority
is great in all matters Of literary experience, says
that "a great city is the only ht residence for
man of letters" This is true. In the co lntry
there may be leisure but there will be wsnto tim
pulse for intellectual pursuits. The mind Ian
cuisines in the midst of wilderness. "Tis better"
in the development Of intellect ''to dwell in the
midst of alarms, than reign" in q horrible solitude.
The mind without Congenisl spirits stagnates
1T gathers the rust Of decay" as Il e immortal
Chalmers says, "by its mere distance from symps-
thy and example" See his polity of cities. It is
theIpresencs Of libraries and Of literary men, and
under the pressure of intense excitement, ths. the
human mind ordinarily comes forth in its greatest
power.