Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-01-23
From tha Daily Iournal. 2l,t last

side of the State. To-day The mail brought us "ot@-
ing. Neither paper nor letter. word nor message
We are solated-cut off-left to the freedom or our
own will This IS one of the misfortunes entalled
upon US by the fal-one of the results of " mans first
dsobedience n and the thought carries US away back
to those earlier times when such things were not
when fross and SHOWS came not and mail failures
were unknown. We have news-nothing to write
about Now, inasmuch our first parents got US
into this unpleasant position, we think it is only fair
that they should help TO get US out OF It, Let US
therefore turn for while 10 "the good old days OF
Adam and of Eve'' We don't mean 10 preach we
have no time 10 do much Of anything.
Man fondly looks back to a prmeval time
when his race was holy and happy The traditions
of the heatheD and the revelations acknowledged by
Jew, by Christian and by Mahomedan agree on this;
for the system of Mahomet acknowledges the reve'
lations of the prophets and teachers of the jewish
faith and attaches sanctity to Jerusalem only less
great than that which it accords to Mecca and Medl
na the birth place. and the tomb Of its founder whose
mother is said 10 have been Jewess.
Whilst the active West is The seat of scientific dis
covery and physical progress, the msdltatlVe and
stereotYped East is the fountain of religious faith
and abstract speculation. Mediately or Immediately
all the sects of the earth with their dogmas may be
raced to its fertile BOSOM even the numerous persua-
sons that divide christianity found to have had the
advocates of their peculiar doctrines and creeds
among the earlier Eastern professors of the faith
preached by the Apostles.
1t is, perhaps, due to this common origin either
through direct revelation confused tradition, that
nearly all place the scene of innocence and happiness
in the midst Of shady gardens and running waters
where spreading trees would afford shelter from the
noon-lid sun, and flowing streams refresh the at
mosphere Of climate go warm that clothes were
unknown. Such is the cture drawn by Moses, and
SUCH or nearly such, is the faint tradition OF nearly
all the faiths of heathen nations who have not sunk
10 point below humanity 1t is in accordance with
that yearn;ng of the heart which comes upon all
when wearied with the battle of le-when the chains
of what is called civilization have worn our spirits,
as it v ere, to the zone, and we would gladly throw
off its shackes and be careless and as happy as
the first pair who had no chlls or want TO guard
against-no rivals to excite jealousy-no appearances
or pomp to keep up-no lost friends to mourn-no
past errors to deplore.
But how uncivilized were the primitive pain
They knew not OF stately mansions, with gilded mir
fair face, it was in one of the streams that went
forth out of Eden, better still, mrrored in the clear
depths of Adams loving eyes. She trod on Towering
carpet fresh from tn, hands of the great creator
soft that her delicate and youthful foot was
| not softer OF more delicate in lis touch. She knew
not of Crinoline, nor of Moire antique, and would
have teen much puzzled by a hoop. She had no
French Cook, nor Italian Music master. Her ambi-
ton did not prompt her to turn Bloomer for as Adam
| had no B-oomer garments, she could have no
temptation 10 steal them. very uncultlVated young
woman was Eve-not at all strong minded female
NOT fashionable one we fear Almost savage,
but for her genteness. Almost simpleton, but for
the divine lore that she received directly from
verse with heavenly vsitants-or, and this is more
likely still, for Eve not ashamed to acknowledge
| Adam as her head--hat she received from these
vsitants through Adam
! And Adam too, how much was he behind the age
he knew not even if the rivers of his paradise were
navigabe for steamers-poor fellow he knew not even
what steamers were. Of all the things over which
men toll and upon which they vaunt themselves he
was profoundly ignorant. But he and his fair wife
were fresh from the hands of their maker whose i'm
age they bore, pure and unpolluted. They had a
world for heritage, and in all its wide compass o.
pain TO be endured, not an enemy to be conquered
Of what we call civilization they had none-arts-
-manuiactures-all that represents the toll o
the body or the mind they dreamed lot Of. The.
, were skilled in nought but to love God and one an
7 other and 10 be happy. And they were happy, O
how happy.
: Well, we all want TO be happy. Happiness is wha
we are all toiling,after. Do not toll too hard 4!
Is not the ideal we set up far TOO artificial! Surel
it is Is not much of what we call civilization wors
than barbarism in that it carries farther away ror
the standard of happiness presented 10 US by revea
n ton ?
It 1t seems to US at times when wearied and three
. with The constant battle for existence-when de
e pressed in spirit by the disappointment of som
t cherished plan, that the Mosaic account of man
happier state agreeing it does with the primitiv
traditions OF all the earlier oriental race is ransmitte
to us more lesson than history. Apart tror
that greater lesson of obedience TO the divine CON
mands and the terrible consequences of disobedenc
as shown in the fall of man. there is also this lessor
to be derived That happiness is to be found in whs
is simplest and most natural in what is artif
l. cial and forced. That the wearisome efforts of a
: over civilization badges of unhappiness. Ev
never wore an apron until after she had fallen.
It We have seen many statues of Eve, but none tina
i fully came up to ideas or conceptions of th
d character Since We all claim to have sprung fro
her, the sculptor is too apt to confer upon the ia
young bride of Paradise the characteristics of the
e tron-the mother of Cain,' of Abel, and of Set
e This is Eve, but not the Eve of Paradise-not tt
It Eve of the poets dream. Powers Eve is especial
a.; A. 4bo kol Doll