Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-05-11
Cables Department.
Mrs. M. z. GoRMAE, Editrsss.
Observation and lettings.

1 was one oil the gay ana happy thr0ng that
engaged in the Sabbath School Children's
Festival last Wednesday. am not going to
give an account Of that-anothcr will perform
that duty TO the readers OF the Age. But
have a fondncss for drawing within myself"
as some one has exprcsscdit, when surround
cd by the crowd, to make observations and
gather wisdom Of mind, and when among the
young, to gather freshness and JOY from the
bright smiles and happy hearts around me.
AND having done so, | have jotted down a
few ofthe reflections that the scenes around
me occasioned.
Much Of inward character is written upon
the face and shows itself in the manner of
any individual. But a desire to please, or at
least be agreeable, is almost universal. There
is here and there an exception, and such ex.
ceptions are found in almost every company.
Wepity the poor soul that has no geniality, no
sunshinei in his or her composition, and whose
murky countenance gives a sombre hue to ev-
cry thing around them. We saw two such
only two-among the more than half.a-
thousand humans" q believe this word was
tolerated in Kossuth,) on the festal scene re-
fcrred to.
Every body else seemed TO feel happy
tried to look happy, and to make every body
else happy about them. And not only did
they try to look happy, but beautiful also.
The many brighteyed boys, swcctlittle girls,
young men and maidens, all seemed to put
on their brightest smiles, their most winning
manners, and to do the agreeable" in the
best possible manner. And those who did
not, Of any so u~nfortunate,) they certainly
desired TO do SO.
Since then the desire for beauty is so gen.
eral, it is important that the many seekers
for It may know how they may best possess
1t. The use of studied p~ostures, delicate CO.'S
metics and the many arts of fashion, are the
means to which many resort, to increase their
beauty, but true loneliness can never come
from these. The true secret of beauty is
within the reach Of all, and neither gold nor
silver is needed to obtain it. Let the youth or
HhV nOhlh NC OGhullluI, OILY De tenn
perate, and pure, and gentle, and Just, anG
merciiuL, and the charm Of feature and grac,
OF presence which draw us to the truly love
ly will not be wanting. Thoughts are tn,
seulptors that work upon the yielding fea
lures Of the human countenance, and if thes
thoughts be pure and noble, they will brin
out the lines Of principle, the rounded grac
Of kindness, and benevolence, the quiet beau
ties of g~entleness, till the whole face glow
with the graces of q true life. A pure an
loving soul is what can alone light up
sparkling eye with its deepest charm. nm
give to tho person its l~oveliest grace and a
traction.
We may find beauty Of feature and era,
OF department, but if these only hide a val
and empty mind, we soon see through Il
outward p%retence, and the mask of superfci
attraction loses its loveliness. But when v
see plain features glowing with sense. a,
Kindness, andintelligence, we find that these
ward graces so mould outward form and featu
into their image, that they wear for us a co
slant charm and attraction. No woman G.
be truly beautiful, and maintain a consta
charm and influence of lovelincss over h
intimate and daily companions, though s
wore the form and features of Venus, if the
covered only a shallow, frivolous, unculti,
ted mind; while the person who has fully {
yeloped the inner graces and virtues of Ii
viii never fail of moving in a sphere of
traction and ioveliness, though destitute
beauty of form and regularity of feature.
They, then, who would add to the freshne
OF youth the charm of loneliness, will do W
to heed this truth.
What gorgeous mistakes do some you
ladies make in their efforts to please a sen
bic man. The boisterous laugh, halfrib,
jest, semi-prOfane exclamation of a young '
man, has driven many a v%irtuous, refr
young man from her side to seek more G.
genial society. An old Poet uttered a trui
when he sang
"ModoSty Isl quality thathighly asorn, a wOmn
And he might have said with equal tru
that bereft of this, all other adornments
but Idle mockery.
But my cogitations have run into a I
some homily, and-I desist.