Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-09-03

to defend it against the atheism which has
been called glory All ended in soldier
and some apostate republicans travestied in
ito courtiers. An atheistic republicanism
fcannot be heroic. When you terrify it, it
bends; when you would buy it, it sells it
self Who would take any heed The peo-
tple ungrateful and God non-existent! So
finish atheist revolutions
s HUMBOLDT.
Humboldt's figure is not large but is ra-
,ther stout: his feet and hands are small, and
rof beautiful form His silver white hair
the high large forehead the mark Of genius
is eyes are blue, and notwithstanding his
vanced age, are full of expression and life.
! lis formed lips reveal particular smile,
half sarcastic, half benevolent, full of spiri-
5tual supremacy.
While speaking he sits forward, his eyes
cast to the ground; from time to time he
lifts his head, friendly smiling, thus anima-
! ting the listener. Conversing with him, you
forget entirely that the celebrated man has
passed already his S7th year, so juvenile,
/ fresh, and exciting are his words, flowing
in wonderful change, mingling humor with
instruction. He is, in the truest sense and
fullest meaning of the word, the best nara
tor, the clearest orator, the world knows.
An immense amount of knowledge is always
| at his control, and, Notwithstanding his great
Iage, you cannot perceive the least failure in
his memory. He probably has no equal.
Facts, names, and figures never escape his
memory, and he remembers often with the
same tenacity the smallest affairs as the
greatest and most valuable facts.
E The principal feature of his whole being
IS rare humanity for others, which almost
reaches self-forgetfulness. 1t is only known
I to his most intimate friends that Humboldt
l.pends the greater part of his income for
@harity, and in aiding the support of young
.nd aspiring students. His private proper
j, is not very considerable, but he receives
- Es=e=1 41o.-..,--ia Q large salary for
his position at the court, and besides this a
corresponding sum is paid him by Cote, the
publisher Of his works. By the simpleness
of his wants this income would not only be
sufficient but would allow him to lay up
something; but Humboldt thinks to make a
better use of it by changing the fate of some
unfortunate young man.
The Influence he has with the King he
uses for the promotion of science. There is
no person of talent, no juvenile genius who
is not noticed by him. Far away from any
envy Or faint-hearted jealousy, he procures
for meritorious scholars not only the neces-
sary respect, but also employment, Offices,
and honor Of every kind
It may be interesting to learn how this
great naturalist spends his time. Humboldt
rises at about half-hast eight o'clock !; at
breakfast he reads his letters, which he gen
orally answers Immediately. There is, per-
haps, no letter-writer so punctual as he,
though very few persons have so large a cor
respondence to all parts of the world. At
ter this he dresses, with the aid of his vatet
de chan1bre, to receive and announce visitors,
or to make visits himself until o'clock
At 3 o'clock he goes to the royal palace,
where he generally dimes, if he does not in
vite himself to dine with some family of his
acquaintance. He remains mostly at Alex
ander Mendelssohn's in whose house he lives.
At o'clock in the evening he usually re-
turns to his home. He then goes to the
court or in society, from which he returns
at about midnight. Now is his real and best
time for working in the profound, nightly
silence he writes his immortal works, often
in summer, until the day shines through the
windows. It is always 3 o'clock in the
morning when this juvenile old man thinks
of allowing short rest to his almost ninety
years-old body, to gain the necessary power
for the new days work. 1t is, indeed, we
think strange story, and still every word
of it is true.
Humboldt has no family of his own, his
nearest relations being the sons and daugh-
ters of his excellent brother, William, for
whom he has touching fraternal regard.
''You should have known my brother, says
he, with amiable modesty, 'he was always
the most talented of US two brothers. y
Humboldt is animated from a real antique
feeling of friendship; his benevolence and
zeal to serve others are in our selfish, ego
tistic times really admirable, and almost
without parallel. Through his many con-
nexions with the principal persons of all
countries he became, in the truest sense,
the intellectual medium of our present Eu-
ropean culture and of every scientific i'm
provement.
The first time that Jerrold met with Dib-
den, the latter said to him: -.-
"Youngster, have you sufficient conf
dence in me to loan me guinea p
EYES," said the author of 'Black-Eyed
Susan have the confidence, but haven't
the guinea
| All is we'll that ends we'll,