The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-08
WASHINGTON. D. C.
For the National Era.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Of SARATOGA.

United STATES HOTEL, Monday.

<HofttUys
DEAR GH**: The Sabbath has ever been re-
garded by Christians as manifesting Gods
mercy towards poor laborers and oyertasked
oxen and horses 1t is not less mercy to the
fashionable circles in this Caravansary, for a
Sabbath TO intervene between ga Saturday and
Nonday"-not for the reason Dibden gives in
has famous song, which Uncle Ben once de-
Hghted to sing TO us children
"Of ali the days that's in the week,
! dearly love bat day,
And thar 'he day that comes between
Saturday and Monday;
For then I'm drest all in my best
To walk with Lovely Sally.
O she's The darling of my hear,
She lives IN oar Alley
aud for the reason that everybody here are
dressed up every day in the week in their
Sunday go-to-meeting clothes" And this re-
minds me, that last Saturday morning, as the
We Six" and Dick and were gathered in a
shady corner of the piazza, making conun-
drums, Amelia said she had one of her own,
whereupon our attention was all concentrated
upon her; and here it is "Why is Saratoga
Of St. John" Nobody was expected to guess
ii, and so We to use Mr.. Is phrase, guv it up"
d" Because" said. Amelia, people here and
there are devoted to music, they wear their gala
dresses every day, they have nothing in particu-
lar TO do but to drink to the full of the waters
Of life forever springing up around them" l
said it was a most miserable failure; whereupon
Miss Amelia and her cousins, Clara and Eliza
D., insisted that / should offer better one
but said was not ready to meet such chal.
lenge; but as they were very pertinacious,
seeming little piqued by my criticism, pro-
posed this Why is Saratoga like vanity fair
as described by John Bunyan? To this, any
number of replies were given, some of them
clever, and all witty. These, however, did not
satisfy Amelia, who would have me give them
my own answer. | did so. Because it is the
place where faithful Christians pass through a
fiery ordeal" This provoked the ridicule of
Amelia and Eliza D, conveyed with great
delicacy of expression, but felt it, and it red
dened my cheeks for shame that had ventured
upon such a speech as this. 1t was neither
well timed nor well expressed. Mr.. H
said Z" / was certainly the most accomplishing
Of martyrs, and that he would esteem it an
honor 10 bear my cross for me-" You know
my tendency is to be pugnacious, but as / felt
myself all In the wrong to make piety the subject
of conundrum, was silent. And | mean
to hold my tongue. For, beyond the discharge
Of our religious duties in our closets, leaving
the influence Of that secret life to be expressed
in its natural effect upon our words and actions,
do not see what young Christians can do in
the way of protesting Christ in such circles as
are to be found at Saratoga Springs. There are
homes where good people CO. One of these,
Mrs Mason's, private boarding house, has the
soubiiquef Of" Saints Rest and, though but q
little way off from this Hotel is widely separated
in taste and culture-we going for the distinc-
tons of dress, and they in social and easy and
delightful intercourse for the charms of intel
ect. The Union Hal was pio,ts house some
years since, and they had morning and evening
worship there in former days; but when the
new drawing room was erected and band OF
music engaged, dancing and praying were
found incompatible; and as the devotees Of
TerPsichore were SO much greater than the
wOrshippers of God, daily public prayers and
the singing Of hymns were discontinued.
Dear G***, is it so, that dancing is incom-
patible with worship 1t ought not to be. To
worship God should be as natural as Joyous.
ness, whether expressed in skipping a rope or
in dancing. And it is SO in Scotland, in Swift.
zerland, and in Germany. This, then, must be
the last influence of the mistaken zeal of Puri.
tanism, which struck down all that was beauti.
tul IN art, society, literature, and in worship,
IN their stern conflict and zeal to create and
secure the constitutional and religious liberties
of England. This was said to me by Mr..
II, as we sat together looking on the love-
o ly scene of the dancers in the ballroom last
Friday night; and l recall it now with pleas
ure, for | thought his remarks were worth
treasuring up-and here you have them.
But l sat down this morning to tell you of
onr Sunday at the Springs. 1t was beautiful
day. Dick and / were,out as early as seven
o'clock; and we spent an hour in the Congress
Spring Park, talking Sunday talk, as it was our
duty to 90. On our return, Aunt Jane was
dressed, and our rooms were in proper trim for
prayers. This we do at eight o'clock every
day. 1t is among the difficulties of re-
llgious life at the Springs, lin this Hotel, GER
tainly,) to- find time and place for morning de-
yotons. AT first, we were liable to all kinds
of Interruptions. The chamber-maid would
bolt in upon us brush in hand, or some one of
the neighbors along our corridor would tap at
the door to take us down to the breakfast table.
In despite of every sort of annoyance, Aunt
has persevered. Dick reads a chapter read
hymn-for Aunt thinks it would be little bit
pharisaical for us to sing it, even in our cham
bers-and this DONE Aunt reads one of Thorn
tons prayers, her favorite formula of worship,
as you know. We usually descend to the break
fast room before nine. Yesterday, at ten O'Clock,
the world of Saratoga was on the move. The
hotels began to pour forth their several con-
gregations into Broadway, all on their way
to one of the several churches of this village.
The famous DIR. Murray, known to the religious
world as hur1dn, was TO preach in the Presby-
terrain Church. He is man of infinite humor,
and Is very popular here and everywhere. He
pointed out to me, some mornings since, one OF
those men who delightin wearing close-bodied
frock-coat, /" all buttoned up before and low
collar and white cravat and was parson,
beyond all question, "very High-Church.''
DO you know who he is I? 4" asked DR.. M.
| replied, 81 do not know his name, but he
doubtless belongs to the Bishops and other
clergy Yes, indeed" Gle looks like a
walking prayer-book bound up in calf"
Amelia was anxious / should go with the
We Six" to hear Doctor Mayo, of Richmond
who was to preach sermon On Liberal Chris
uanity;" and as this service was to be held in
N. Nicholas Hall, she thought my devotion to
the patron saint of our city ought to be mo-
tive to induce me to 60 there. told her moth.
ing could induce me to make such use of q
LORD Day; wherenpon, she expressed her as
constituent at such exclusiveness, and wondered
why it was she felt so great an inclination to
secure my friendship. l didn't tell her what i
thought, that if Dick was out of the question,
she would very soon find way of disposing OF
me. o y
have something to tell you, if we ever meet,
ana had designed to tell you of something that
Is happening, but that would lead me far from
the topic of this letter-my Sabbath of vester.