The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-07-04
CHIPS FRoM AN OLD BLOCK.

II is worth noticing as a curious circum-
stance when persons past forty before they
were at all acquainted, form together a close
intimacy of friendship. For gratis of old
wood to take, there must be wonderful con
genially between the trees.
A man of sense is not ashamed of power
ty, or of deliberately confessing it; but he
keeps the marks of it ont of sight. Il, for
my part" says one, "am poor, and | feel no
shame at all at its being known. Why, this
coat that | have on, have had turned, be
cause | could not well afford a new one; and
care not who knows it :" yet if there had
been in his view nothing indecent in the dis
play of poverty he would have worn the coat
'rifEoat turning.
OF persons who have led temperate lfa
those will have the best chance of longevity
who have done hardly anything else but live
what may be called the neufer cerJs-not
active or passive, but only being; who has
had little TO do, little 10 suffer. One who is
of the character of an active or passive verb,
or, still more, both ombined, though he may
be said to have lived long in everything but
years, win hardly reach the age of the ncu-
tiers.
The occasional rush of seditious rabbe
of doubts no more argues the want of ha-
bitual faith, than the variations of the com
pass argue the severance of the connection
between the magnet and the pole or, than
th7 oscillations of the ''rocking stone" argue
that the solid mass can he heaved from its
bed. A child may shake, but a giant cannot
overtum it..
When the moon shines brightly, we are
apt to say. GLOW beautiful is this moan
light" but in the daytime, "IIow beautiful
are the trees, the fields, the mountains" ~
and, in short, all the objects that are illum-
mated; but we never speak Of the sun that
makes them so. just in the same way, the
really greatest orator shines ike the sun, max
ing you think much of the things he is spea-
king of; the second-bcst shines like the
moon, making you think much of him and
his eioqaeaes
There are many (otherwise) sensible peo-
pie, who seek to cure young person of shy
ness by exhorting him not to be shy--telling
him what an awkward appearance he has
and that it prevents his doing himself Justice.
etc. All which is manifcstly pouring oil on
the fire to qucnch it. For the very ca;,sc Of
shyness is an overanxiety as to what people
are thinking of you; morbid attention to
your own appearance.
Hardly any one ever laughs when he is
quite alone; or if he does, he will find on
that it is from conception o.
The presence Of some companion whom he
thinks likely to have been amused, had he
been present, aud to whom he thinks ofdes
;ribing or repeating, what had diverted him I
self.
The sort Of advantage which those Of high .
moral principle possess, is analogous to that .
which man possesses over the brute. Man
IS an animal as well as the brute but he is
more. lie has, and therefore can
understand, most of their appctites and pro-
oensities; but hc has also faculties which
hey want, and Of which they can form no
notion.
The love of ornament crceps slowly, but
surely, into the female heart The girl who
wines the lilly in her tresscs, and looks at
herself in the clear stream, will soon wish the
lily were fidlcss, and the stream mirror
We say let the young girl seek to adom her
beauty, if she be taught also to adom her
mind aud heart, that she may have wisdom
O direct her love Of ornament in due moder-
ion.
A BEAUTIFUL THoUGHT.-Among some Of
he South Sea Islanders the compound word
or hope is beautifully expressive. 1t is man
olana, or the svimH'iRg atoaght-faint float
ng and keeping its head aloft above water,
yhen all the waves and pillows are going
vet one-a strikingly beautiful definition of
Iope, worthy 10 be set down along with the
nswer which a deal and dumb person wrote
nth his pencil, in reply to the question,
What was his idea of forgiveness F'-"It is 5
nc odor which flowers yield when trampled !
pom"
OH MADs.-Alany of the satirical asper- I
ions cast upon cid maids tell more to their 5
redit than is generally imagined. Is a wo- {
ian remarkably neat in her person, she a
i'll certainly die an old maid" And If she q
kind and humane to the animals about +
er, nothing can savc her from the appellation c
f "old maid., In short, we have always a
,und that neatness, modesty, economy and a
umanity, are the never-failing characteristics
f /" an old maid"
FEMALE SocrETr..To a young man, moth ,
g is SO important as a spirit Of devotion { !,
lext to his Creator) to some aimable wo-
l.. !