Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-03-26
lCoMMUNICATED.

n
l.arn,s 70 soothe the savage breast" The
p paId;ty of this poetical expression, is veri-
Nd and youched for by the accumulated ex-
nerience of ages, and by the common ooser
yation of daily life; consequently, 1t deVolves
,ot upon any one, at this late day, 10 prove
iss truth: Nor is it requisite to write an
elaborate article, in order to prove that OF an
nusic. that of the perfect serenade IS the
swsetest and most luxurious, that
"No vocal dream
Warbled in sumber BY the NightengsIe
Can match its melody.
"Ob, Nights that furnish such treat
AS even Gods might taste.
Ths noet as student in the school of fine
orts though he excels in his special depart
n,snt is generally well acquainted with all
Ina branches of that school; and, beyond a
Jopbt the author of the verse quoted at the
hoad of this article, was an adept III the
ao;once of harmoniaal sounds, and was tho
xoushly conyersant with the effects pro-
duced upon the mind by the various depen-
Jonc;es and relations OF sounds to each
e,har And. as he could offer his song with
s,sb nice sentiment and artistic grace, most
sunremely surprised would he have been, to
I.ye heard the sounds with which the streets
nf Alexandria were redolent on Thursday
n;sbt last. had he been informed Of the pur-
nose for which they were produced-for
most assuredly he would have remained igno'
rant npon that point, unless some one IN the
crowd from which the sounds proceeded, had
informed hun. ;.
Now. the idea foreibly impinges itself upon
nv brain. that the signiheation of word
should at least approximate that OF the word
from which Il ia derived, and as serenade
i proximately deducble, etymologicaily,
from the Latin SereaHS-~signitying calm,
serene. soothng--judge Of my establishment,
when. after O'clock upon the night named,
! was awakened irons a deep sleep-into
which. after several hours of hard striv-
inc. | had fallen--by the furious beat OF
the drum, (both basso aud KETTLE the mar
shall clashing of cymbais. and the harsh
Grating sounds Of the trombone
agepding with tremendous sounds, my ears
asunae.
With drum, troWbone, with cymbals, ana WIN
thunder.
In alarm sprang from my bed. ana rush
"a b the window; but before had applied
uy dexter ear to the broken pane, through
which the soft and bRlmy zephyrs OF March
find entrance to my sleeping apartment
.-"Sweep on We bitter winds '-seVeral
thoughts had reyolved in my mind, around
the common centre Of astonishment. at
first imagined that an insarrection had been
discovered. and that the citizens we're being
called out to suppress it; then, that the nihr-
chants. who are opposed 10 the one per cent.
tax, were marching ont Of town with mar
tial music, and escorted by the Home
Guard !" then. that the contest going on IN
the State between the Wise and Hunter par
ties. had doft the garb of words. had as
sumed the militant apparel, and that the
partizans Of each were rushing TO their res
pective standards: then came the Hash only y,
of the thought. that the bill allowing the
Washington Railroad to connect with the
Orange depot had passed the City Council,
and that the citizens had risen en- ndSSe 60
preyent it: then, | remembered there had
been a brass baud in town the evening be-
fore, and just as ! had arrived at the con
eIusion that some well disposed, but inversely
as well informed individuals, were laboring
under the strange and extraordinary dslll-
sion that they were serenading the ladies Of
the city. the sounds ceased. All. now,
Thought |, the delightful strains of well
cultivated barytone solo--some Brlgnoli,
perhaps, as yet to fame unknown-will swell
and yibrate upon the midnight stiffness
And as the mere mention OF the word serc-
made calls up before me the image OF an
italian cavalier, standing III the shade o.
some outrageous arbor beneath the bal
eony Of his sweetheart, sweetly and softly
telling his love in rosaries of sonnets, to the
accompaniment of the tuneful notes of the
gentle breeze, and Of his own guitar, con-
graduated myself upon the anticipation OF
having nv shocked nerves SO soothingly
treated But, alas. the days of yaticani'.
ton are passed and gone. For, instead OF
low, melodious, heart-melting sounds, harsh
discortant words, as Of persons engaged IN
angry strife, fell upon my disappointed ears
ooh ever thus from childhood'S brightest hour
We see ones fondest hopes decay
Drums had been beaten too loud; cymbal>
had been clashed with too much vigor
trombones had belched too generously; The
clamor had been too great; tor even The
yigiant guardians of the night could moi
rest well in their heavy slumbers through
the dreadful din, but, startled from then
lairs, they rushed usly-clankins
their heavy sabots on the frozen pavement
to scare away, if they could, the disturber'
Of their slumbers--to the scene OF the up
roar, and incontinently seized from among
the vast eoneourse now assembled, the ob)ec'
through whose diabolical influence their rest
had been broken in upon.
The loud discussions which here ensued,
interlarded aud explained with many classic
phrases and explosives, afforded to me no
sufficient consolation for the loss Of my an
ticipated solo. SO, thoroughly disappointed
and completely chilled, ! retired, mentally
consigning all ll-advsed serenades to the
depths below. "Nulla venenato litera mixta
ioco est" GUTTA.