Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-03-31
For the Spectator.
To Mrs. Kate Kareless.

ure your late cOIIiIluuCdIion III VIC oPSS'n'o'' .
And as my friend, William Wolfe, Esq, has
moved to 'parts unknown" take the liberty
addressing to you few lines Of encourageme
in the good work you have undertaken.
Allow me. however, in the first place, n
dear Mrs. Kareless, to say, that your commun
cation furnishes an apt and beautiful illustrate
of truth expressed with much elegance by m
favorite author, the glorious 'Sunrise" of EDglis
ppetry, in the opening Of the 9th canto of Il
first book of the "Faerie Quesne," as follows:
"The noble hart that hsrbours virtuous thought,
And is with child Of glorious great intent,
Can never rest until il forth have brought
The eternal brood of glorie excellent"
The difficulties, dangers and distresses 70
encountered in your abortive efforts to reach tn
post office in search of that "important letter,
which you have so feelingly and graphically de
scribed, excited my tenderest concern and livel
est sympathy, because
"Naught is there under heav'ns wide hollownesse
That moves more dear compassion of mind
Than beauty brought to unworthy wretchedness,
Through envies, snares, or fortunes freaks unkind
Indeed, to tell the whole truth and shame hi
tulignous majesty, l must confess, that durin
its perusal, gave cause
ITO be suspected of more tenderness
Than doth become man"
But the main purpose of this present writin
is to speak word of encouragement to you il
the Hercuean task you have so manfully under
taken, you will find it not childs play to arous
the Common Council to the rigorous discharg
OF their proper duties. But nevertheless BIZ
you persevere-difficulties have no other effor
upon noble and generous natures but to redou
IL tl,o ,fr cfir 10 4
rouse lion, than to chase hare" And can
not for moment permit myself to doubt you
success you shall be rewarded by the pleasure
of walking on clean wide and solid pavements-
"for when world of men
"Could not prevail with all their oratory,
Yet hath woman's kindness overrul'd."
The Common Council are in some respects,
think, like the pbilosophic inhabitants of Lapu
ia as described by that veracious traveller Gul
liver. He says" she observed in that Island
many servants, with blown bladder fastened
to a stick like fail, which they carry in their
hands. In each bladder were some dried peas
or pebbles. With these they now and then flap
ped the mouths and ears of those who stood
near them. The minds of these people being 81
taken up with intense speculations, that they
can neither speak, see or hear without being
reused by some external faction upon the organs
of these senses Tor which reason those persons
who can afford it, always keep flapper Gn
their language called Clmenole) in their fani-
ly."
Now it appears to me this exactly describes
the case of the Aldermen and Common Coun-
cilmen of Stauntcn, they are 40 completely alb
sorbed, and SO intensely occupied in the impor
tant work of digging deep cisterns in high pla-
ces, and building magnificent halls in low places,
that they can give no attention to such common
and every day concerns as pavements aud side
walks. So think, my dear Mrs. Kareless, that
it ought to be subject of public rejoicing that
you have SO particularly and dsinterestedly un-
dertaken the work of "Climenole" to our "ci-
ty fathers" and if a gentle flap with the "blown
bladder" upon their acoustic and visual organs
will not arouse them from their deep abstrac
tion think you would be justified in using the
'stick" upon their venerated pates.
"Well yoke together like double shadow,
and will succeed. The Council must, indeed, he
made of adamant if they can resist our united
efforts. One Of the happy results of "lonely
concord" in the accomplishment of any purpose
is that the
"weake she makes strong and the strong thing does
increase
For our encouragement we already have an
earnest of what the Council will do, if we can
get them "fapped" into hearing and seeing upon
this matter, in the fact, that years ago, they di-
vided off with substantial and costly curb the
mud through which the bpeds have to wade
from that allotted the special use of the quadru-
pedal citizens.
l hope you will not permit the jeers and
gibes of the ignorant and malicious, to slacker
your efforts or cool your zeal in this crusade
you have undertaken against worse than Sara
cenic neglect of the comfort and convenience o.
a christian community. You will be prepared
70 hear from croakers and old fogies, that wo
mans proper employment is "To finger the fine
needle and nyce thread" and leave management
of public matters entirely in the hands of the
men. heard one of this class, the other day
declaring that if women's dresses were curtail
ed to a reasonable length and width, and theil
feet protected By pair of ''treble-soled boots,
such as careful mamma provided for the Prin
cess Royal as part of her trousseau, they could
very we'll reach the P. o. even if the walks
were somewhat "soshy," and his opinion was
that the dresses needed shortening much more
than the walks needed paving. 1quote these re
marks merely to express my adherence & detest
alton ofther sentiments The idea that woman
would be better employed in sewing and knit
ring than in directing and controlling public
matters, is in the highest degree preposterous
This notion that woman's duties are circum
scribed by the domestic circle reminds me of th
absurd follies of certain political projectors
of the Academy OF Lagado as described in th
travels of Mr.. Gullver. He says she fount
those unhappy people actually proposing schemes
for persuading monarchs to choose favourites ol
the score of their wisdom, capacity and virtue
of teaching ministers (of State) to consult tin
public good, of rewarding merit, great abilitie
and eminent service, of choosing for employ
ments persons qualified to exercise them"-to
gether with many other equally foolish and Chi
merical projects.
hope you will not be offended when l tel
you that candour compels me to differ from yol
upon the "stlts" suggestion. They are an arti
Gle by no means admire They are ungrace
tul things either to walk upon or write upon
and don't know which esteemed less. a Stilt
ed gait or stilted style. But if the Common
Council should determine to adopt your sugges
ton, hope they will not go back to that old
exploded, and impracticable method of "seale,
proposals and lowest bids" But will adopt tn
modern and less troublesome mode of directing
some one to furnish the articles, and then charg
the Council what they cost.
But | hope the 'stilts" will not be adopted
much prefer seeing Miss Kittie Sprightly an
Miss Fannie Flaunter tripping gracefully throug
the streets or even "sloshiug about generally
on their natural pedal extremities, to seein
them propped up, out of sight and hearing, o
great pieces of hickory wood" 1t is to
Brobdingnagian idea for me.
Now, dear Mrs. K, a word or two in the strict
est confidence. AS | have gone with you i
your scheme zealously and heartily, hope 20
will not be disinciined to do Inc kindness,
being matter affecting the pericardium. Nj
Kareless, good man, seeming to have q lease c
life until the extremity Of three score and ter
don't you think you could persuade either Mis-
Fannie or Miss Kitty, that my homely virtues c