The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-12


little harsh in my opinion, but still set
him down among the apes There is much
that we may learn from the dominant race,
much that we may proftably follow
Now" said I, turning to my emigration
friend, "as mining, agriculture, manufac-
ture and commerce are the great sources Of
national wealth, would it not be we'll for
us to initiate the adeptness that the white
people have gained in these arts, and so be
prepared to add to the productive industry
of any country where we might choose to
emigrate2"
| think our great want" exclaimed a
pale, nervous looking man, whose pale,
soft hands, and unsunned brow, spoke the
dreaming scholar more than the practical
man, that our great want is proper ed
ucation. | believe" and here he paused
and coughed slightly, it was one of those
coughs that always sound like death
knell, tolling the departure of loved and
precious life, "yes, believe in the march
of mind, in the progress of thought, and in
the government and rule of ideas"
And while he spoke solemn brightness
lit up his eye, deep glow overspread his
pale cheek, itwasnot the tinting of crimson
or vermllion, his cheek was too dark to show
the flushing blood, but it seemed as if his
soul had flushed through cheek and brow
lighting them up with an unearthly ra-
dance. ! felt strangely awed, there was
something in his manner that painfully
disturbed me; the careless smile died from
my lips, tears sprang to my eyes, but
pressed them back, | was in fashionable
society, and what right had | to act out
the deep sympathies Of nature, without
having my motives misconstrued, and my
actions misinterpreted.
Ny friend" said !, laying my hands
upon his shoulder, to the horror of my city
friends, did it unconsciously, for l was
only taking counsel of my sympathies
Are you," said sadly but earnestly, q" a
living example Of the fact that man sins
against himself when he cultivates his
mind at the expense Of his body2 Pardon
me if express myself freely to you.
may appear eccentric and rather strange
but you know that it is said that eccen.
tricities on earth are customs in heaven.
think that you have made mistake
which is scarcely just to our people"
He looked steadily at me with look Of
grieved' surprise, as if he thought that he
hadspent his youthful vigorin the cause Of
his race, and did not deserve reproach on
that score
"Now," said I, you are strangely gift
ed; the power to mould public opinion, tc
influence, sway and direct, has been placed
in your hands, and see, they are growing
too feeble to hold with unfaltering grasp
the threads of existence; you have shatter-
ed the casket in which has slumbered
some of the richest gems of mind and
thought You have done it by divorcing
your mind from your body; for years you
have been thinning the partition walls Of
your spirit, till l fear that your health is
almost hopeless wreck. Now, my dear
friend, permit me to say to you, forget that
there is such thing in the world as book,
go into the country, make acquaintance
with nature, fall in love with every little
squirrel darting lithely before you; instead
Of books make companions of the pigs and
chickens Instead Of burning your mid
night oil, get up early in the morning,
flowers; so among the haystacks and hunt
for fresh eggs, pick vegetables, fresh vines
and stems, luscious fruits from well-laden
boughs; send the fresh currents of life glad
" through your veins; iberate the pent-
up electricity ofyour life, by healthy exer-
else, and thus take care Of the casket in
which such glorious gems are enshrined"
| paused in my speech; the student
looked grateful, more, perhaps, 70 my
sympathy than advice. thong ht some of
the girls were a little annoyed, and the
next day my well meant effort was con-
strued into design to fascinate the stu
dent, and rumor said that / was dying in
love with him, but he did not care any
thing about me. However, just as I fin
ished speaking, l heard buzzing noise,
mingled with whispers Of admiration; the
marriage ceremony had commenced and
the loving hearts were made one.