The constitutional union., 1860-11-16
FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Stand where we will on the dusty road of life, thick darkness rests on the way before us, while with the reflex glass of memory we can look far back into the dim distance, al- most to the cradle where mothers voice hushed us into quiet slumber It matters little whether the time be five or fifty years, the scene is equally clear, and scarcely appears more distant
 Let us try our glass on halfa century view, and see what scenes appear in the retrospec- tive vision.
 It is the last of August 1910. Nature has not changed at all. The rains and the sunshine have ripened the golden harvest the apples and the corn are before us, fresh, lus- cous and bountiful The shrill whistle of the locomotive has never yet been heard, nor have canal boats been seen coursing their way through the interior of the country.
 The two-wheel heavy coach called "chaise" was in common use, though the light four-wheel single wagon was getting into fashion.
 Ladies spun and wove their own dresses fifty years ago; and the same wool that warm ed the sheep in March, arrayed the mother and daughters in goodly garments for Decem- ber
 The people of that day read less, but thought more. They got the news but one day in the week, but it furnished theme for remark and study, in the field or by the wayside, in the other days.
 The schools of that day did not differ so much from the schools of the present day as some people imagine. It is a favorite theme with our young lecturers on school and edu- cation, to draw on their imagination for Judi crous contrasts between the district schoor' as it was, and the improved system which they, of course, assisted in inaugurating. More branches are taught now and many facilities have been added in the way of books and apparatus; but we think there was moro thoroughness and discipline then than now. Correspondence fifty years ago was very expensive. Letters sent over 800 miles had to pay p cents, and those over l50, eighteen pence. Nor had any dreamed of sending in- telligcnce on the wing of the tanned light ming.
 Political parties have passed through many transformations in the last halfcentury. Two great national parties extended through the whole country-the democrats having the general Government, and the federahsts with a majority in the several States, and formed large and respectable minority in both Houses of Congress.
 British Orders in Council and French De- crees had embarrassed our commerce, and an embargo had been tried by way of retaliation; but 1t proved more disastrous to ourselves than them, and in 1909 WAS repealed. The eight years of Mr. Madison's administration was stormy and exciting period, party spirit sometimes raging so fercely that females around the tea-table engaged in warm politi- cal discussions
 We shall only glance further at the change fifty years has brought about in farm work. The blow has been greatly improved, the sickle and the scythe are almost superseded, the fail has given place to the thresher, and the cultivation of the farm is kind of scien- tifc sport in which gentlemen of leisure en- gage, with the prospect of new experiments and new inventions that shall yet essentially tighten labor.