Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-08-01
THE GAZETTE.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. AUGUST /, 1860.

REFINING EFFECTS or OH hNESS--~A""y W
o,, c~eatest ceniuses nave been persons oi
some remarkable physical weakness at some
ner;od Of their lives. hirkc White always
was Coleridge was nearly al his life
Walter Scott was II cripple, and both he ana
Lord Bryon h;id one, If indeed the latter had
not two club tes. Robert Hall was martyr
TO e series of complicated disorders through
life, diseased aene. making HIM suffer 'ne
aponies of a thousand deaths. 1t would
seem then. that suffering gives pecullai
sensitiyeness to the whole nervous system:
or is in some way connected with IT, anu
hat r - this acute and sensitive state ol
mind that All the highest works and Efforts
of ge,ius are produced. In private lite, as
in nuhlic. the same is observable. " no can
NOT call to mind some member OF tam
i,y always ailing, always sick, and yet the
most exemplary and influential member ol
The family circle? In the toughest famileS
in the backwoods such child will grow up
Nth tastes so pure and simple, habits 80 neat
ard so refined, and affections So elevated, as u
giva all tbe biphest results vi Il most finished
aducaton without going through any OF the
fashionable forms Of city instruction. She
NAV he the weakest of the whole, and yet
her words of love and gentleness light up the
whcle family circle and rule, and regulate,
and refine the whole. Or. IN the humber
walks of city life, one such weak and sickiy
child will contrive To establish habits OF neat
ness. and cleanliness, and refinement III all
attic or a cottage, such rs are often Naihly
sought in palaces and splendor. II she dleS'
her memory is fragrant, the whole family
circle. perhaps the neig hborhood, are re-
ally elevated by the memory oi the plans
and liz bits she first established, and OF the at
,uosphere she breathed. But If she recover,
,hen she carries up into life and vlgor the
neatness, order and quiet elevation first con
ceired through the refining processes OF sui
fering and OF sorrow.
Cur best writers, our most ingenious III
yea,ors, our most acute metaphySlclanS,
cleZrea, thinkers and ablcst discovers can
generally trace some sharpening OF the intel
lect and refining Of the nervous system To
.ic1ness or enteeblement ut some period or
otker of life And thus it is that the sick
ness which weakens and weares for the
time, and incapacltates for exertion alter
wards, capacitates for a entold and higher
excellence and usefulness. So long aS the
depressing effects OF sickness lasted, 1t was
wustingand hindering, but these soon pass
aWGy ana leave Il permanent elcNatloh ana
Improvement on every side.
Nearly all sorrow has in it the same tend
&ncy. While it lasts, it dcpresSes action,
brushes hope and destroys energy, but 1t ren-
ders the sensitiveness more acute, the SYM
oathies more genial, and the whole character
less selfish and more considerable. 1t Is SAID
that in nature bur for the occasional seasons
OF drought, the best lands would soon degcu
crate, but these seasons cause the lands to
suck up from the currents beneath, with the
moisture, also those mineral nanures that
;.sIorc aud tertilize the soil above. Ii Is
1huE with sickness aud with sorrow, once
Gurr OunteC, they tertllZe the character and
develope from the deep fountains OF the hui
maa heart Joy and iruittuiness not other
wise alta Unable.
Even error. though while it lasts, sicken
ing, deadly and destructive t. the ndlvldual
gher seen To pe erroneous, and tOrSakcn and
rejected, produces moral senSltirenesa
against error most beneficial to society. The
reaction from ,yranry begets the highest,
pur.st and best defended and defined forms
of liberty, and from the depths Of sin and
degradation the returning prodigal rises to a
higher II our esteem. than the elder brother
Ilant, and the recovered sheep gives more
Joy ,aan the ninety and nine that went es-
t:ay. Thus it has been that the greatest
vent iE history has been the advent Of Him
who came to seek and save that which was
:ost.-PhH. Ln{grr.
The PEXNsrLVaNlA--CouE LADY.
during tie contlagratlon, While Capt. Teal
yes over the side OF the ship, working III the
r7gtar 10 construct raft, and his officers
we're similarly engaged, Mrs MrCleary was
IN deck Of .he burning ship. working with
ell :ke Drawer? of n heroine. She, mn'ng
ell the rest, was the coolest and calmest, and
her calm and collected manner inspired all
around her she gathered up chairs, doors,
spa rs, matches, or any floating material that
she could find, and threw them over the side
% the ship to Captain Teal and his officers,
enG cn one occasion, when the iashlngs that
he Captain WAS uslng had gwen out, she
rushed into the burning cabin, the flames
from which were madly fastening on every
hing around, and making her way 10 I'll"
Captains loom burst In the door, gathered
Up several lead lines rushed again upon the
Geek, and in that awful. that trying hour
ri IL death IL its worst, most horrible ANA
:er.ible form stared her in the face, she cody
AID deliberately picked up an axe that had
bsaa used 10 remove some of the doors, NC.
enc chopped the heavy leads from the lines,
before throwing them over To the Captain,
knowing, and what is most remarkable
thinking of il st that moment, that If the
Capita did rot catch them they would in
st;ntly SIM; beyond his reach.
"'F ny FATHER WILL HOLD THE ituFE. -
II The Highlands Of Scotland, there is a
Irc2nta;n gorge twenty feet iii width and
,vo hundred feet i'll depth. Its perpcndjcu-
la& walls are bare Of vegetation, save in their
ere ices, IN which grow numerous wild flow
or OF ~are beauty. DESTROYS of obtaining
specimens OF these mountain beauties some
scientific tourist once offered Il Highland boy
IL han1some gift if he would consent To be
lowered down the cliff by Il rope, and would
ea,l.e: Il little baskettul of them. The boy
looked wiSttrlly AT the money, for his parents
we're poor; bu, when he gazed III the yaw-
nina ohaSlti, he shuddered, shrank back, aud
declined. but t;Iiul love was strong within
him; rnc after another glance ii the gifts
nj u thc terrible assure, his heart grew
st~cn", his e=e> flashed. and he said -" Ill
10, i: n: tathcr will hold the rope And
hon, 9TH unShriukng nerves, cheek uu-
3l&acaed, and heart firmly strong. he suffer
cu his /; lher To put the rope about him. low
er him into the wild abyss, and to suspend