The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-20
WASHINGTON. D. G.
For the National Era. -
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SARAT 06A.

o.
UNITED STATES HOTEL, Aug. 20, 1859.
DEAR G***: Last evening, Mrs. c. ant
myself attended the Presbyterian church, and
heard discourse from the eloquent President
Thornwell, of South Carroll na College, who re
sembes in his form, face, and wearing of hil
hair, so am told, the late Rev. Dr. Claiming
Southern ministers and Western minister,
have way of their own, and can easily be dis
tinguished from Northern preachers. They
have an ease of manner in the pulpit, a free
dom from the trammels of notes, which is Ger
tainly very attractive; for have often though
man who reads his sermon closely resemble,
a crow in a corn-6eld, who every minute lookl
up and about to see who is looking at him.
On coming out of church our attention wa.
arrested by the strange aspect of the heavens
of which we could only catch glimpses through
the foliage of the trees around the church Sc
we FASTENED to reach an open space where W.
could see the skies with unobstructed vision
This done, the most wonderful display of the
grandeur and presence of Deity have ever
seen, or expect to see this side of the, grave
was all above US. Near the zenith was a pa
vilion of glory whose crimson drapery, fringed
with light, hung far down toward the horizon
forever changing in its inexpressible beauty
Mrs. c. stood silent at my side, nor could !
find any words to express my emotions of awe
1t was not such display of Almightiness as al
Sinai, when God descended in flames of fire,
and rolling thunders and forked hghtnings
but what we saw spoke to our hearts of a pres
ent Deity. We two stood alone and separate
from the crowd of observers, for there was no
one with whom we could consent to share our
thoughts; and when we returned late to our
hotel, we found Dick with Aunt Jane waiting
for us in the parlor, and he must needs talk
learnedly upon the causes which produced this
phenomenon; and cut him short, by saying,
petulantly, 81 hate all such philosophizing. -
To my JOY, dear Mrs. c. came to my aid
Your Laws of Nature, Master Dick, are
nothing else than Gods ways of working The
only true philosophy, and that which will bear
the tests of human scrutiny, is this--GoD, in
slant and eDeryrchere. This glorious magnif-
cence we have looked upon Just now, / hold to
be caused by the direct and present volition of
the Almighty. We are taught. I'm Him we live,
and move, and have our being. Tonight zoe
feel III" ,.,fsasa',
Now, have something to communicate to
You, dear G***, which will surprise you but
perhaps not, and it is l who am all astonish
nent, and not you. To tell you all that has
happened just as it took place, begin thus:
This morning, for the first time since the de-
parture of We Six" heard Dick at my door,
1t was not his rap, rap, but sort of hesitating
tar nd / Ir,f Ia
cry of /" Coming coming" as had been nv
wont, but | rose quietly and dressed myself,
taking care to brush out my curls and to put
on my prettiest morning costume, for had an
Intuition, feeling that this interview would
be one OF peculiar interest TO me. This done,
knalfa IN say tho Ia-a:s r-~ys.-. L.
cHstomed to do before leaving my room, and
SO l prayed, forgive me my debts as forgive
my debtors" as it reads in st. Matthew'S Cos
pei; but my conscience pricked me very hard,
and, after pause, recalled myself, and said,
forgive me my trespasses, as | forgive those
who trespdSs against me;" and having done
this, / rose, and found myself in the kindest
mood possible. You must know that Dick has
been very reserved ever since his talk with
Aunt Jane, and has never made any allusion to
Amelia, or any of her party. So have been
careful never to speak of anything which has
occurred since our coming here. AZ n
On opening my door, saw Dick standing
on the step OF the outside door of our hall, with
his back towards me. / knew that / had kept
him waiting longer time than usual, but then
| expected he would have been looking out for
my coming, but he did not turn round even,
and / felt all my warm sympathy sink down
plumb to zero for I thought Dick would have
come toward me with extended hands and had
he done so, and asked to kiss and make up"
leaving all explanations to be made next Christ
mas-day, | would have consented with all my
heart. But not so Dick. Coming up to where
he stood in sullen silence, said, +" Good morn
ing, Cousin Dickl You viii please pardon my
delay, because, you know, / was not expecting
you" lie replied, in a tone very brusque,
Perhaps have trespassed upon your morn
ing slumbers /" and had he not used the word
trespdssed / should have made reply not
more kind in manner than his own but did
not. So we two walked in silence along the
passages, down the staircase, through the hall,
across the piazza, down the steps to the pave
ment; here Dick made no offer Of his arm, and
as | saw he kept himselfto himself and, as
guessed, Dick was getting ready for a quarrel,
thought it prudent to keep at safe distance.
And so it was, as when two hostile ships OF war
meet on the broad ocean, they FIRST pull up their
flags and then prepare for the combat, firing
their heavy guns, 1ntil, drawing nearer and
nearer. they sesd forth their broadsides, and
growing yet more fierce they grapple and fight,
hand to Hand, eagerly striving who shall do the
other the most harm. Or, if you think my
figure (which / have taken from the life Of Paul
JOnes) too grand for such an affair ours,
then let 1T be, as when two dogs meet upon the
pavement, they draw themselves up, snarl at
each other, then show their teeth, and growl a
while, and finally fly at each other with all
fury. So Dick and l.
Would you believe it, dear G*s*, he charged
me with flirting with Mr.. H, and repeated
to me long string of instances when had
given Mr.. H my preference to any atten.
tons of his own. In a word, he showed me
that he has been all this while the dupe Of
Amelia A., who readily made the discovery
that her best way to secure Dick while she was
at the Springs, was to SOW the seeds Of discord
between us and if had not been so angry,
l should have laughed at her surprising sue
cess. OF course, did not defend mysef-noi
L But, so soon as could find the opportunity
| turned the attack upon him, telling him be
was the greatest of billiards, and that he was
receiving from Amelia As hands just what
he merited, and that admired her skill in put
ting him in the pillory of his own unsurpassed
stupidity, and that had no doubt but that she
was making the circles at Newport merry al
his expense, with the story of her exploits a.
Saratoga These sayings Of mine enraged him
to the utmost. He never saw himself as he
then did-fdcts he could neither deny nor for
get; and these facts stared him full in the face
grimacing horribly to him after the manner Of
Alonzo the Brave to the false and fair limo
CINE, as she sat at the marriage banquet with
her rich baron, when the stranger guest raised
his visor, and lo f@
The worms they crept in and the they crep out
And sporIed his eyes and has temples about
w hile the Spectre addressed lmogine - :.