Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-30
Daily @ppeal
e Daily Appeal

NUMBER !.

F ,be Daily Appeal
TIE RAMBLER.
NUMBER L
There IS a kind Of knowledge that men cannot
ret from books. 1t must be obtained from in
t-escourse with the world, from minglng with
l. en-, and mixing with society.
No place Is better suited to study men than a
city. The country serves to study nature
ghe-e all is hesh-the trees are standing as ma
tue formed them, the me adows smilewith rural
.ordure, the little streams laugh along their ma
2, courses; all is natural, and all is beautiful
It is otherwise in the city. There nature has
surrendered to art. Green trees, and veInal
lleadows, and smiling lawns give place to huge
liles Of brick and mortar. The melody OF
sweet birds Is exchanged for the rumbling OF
drays, the w~hizzing Of steam, the buzz Of com
Iaerce, and the varied tones of hurried and busy
Ioen. The city is a great human hive. Corners
and goers, buyers and sellers, strangers and
friends, natives and foreigners, soldiers and civil
ians, greet the vision whithersoeyer we turn our
ewes.
This morning / felt weaned with books, and
determined to take a walk, and, by way Of vari-
city. to study one chapter of men. ! was soon
on Main street, the principal thoroughfare Of
this growing city, where ! entered at once upon
lie task had assumed.
Look everybody is in a hurry. No one
walks except the aged and iniirm. Everybody
runs. Hurry Is the wor1. On, on Is everybody 5
motto. Truly this is a fast age. People 1--we
last, they travel last. they become rich or poor
fast, aud they die fast.
Why is that tall man, who is engaged 1 in load
inr that draw 50 u-ofaup7 He ufprlardS every
Seuteuce he utters with some hOrrid imprecation
lIe swears as il lac had notes before him Ills
maths are new-fauEied and tar-6tched, and they
arc truly grating " % ears polite. ] am told
that profanity is by no means Uncommon ia the
city. tits heard NOT oaly in the streets, but at
ihe hotels, on the boats. in the cars, on the
wharf, at the depots, in business houses, and even
ID the private circle. And the little boys, too,
are initiating their seniors, cursing and swearing
almost before they can articuiate words with dis
tinctness. Is this q characteristic Of Memphis,
tine far-iamed BlUff City, the expected capital OF
the Confederate States Is this the city known
Jar and wide for The number and character of its
churches and sabbath schools Is this the city
ON which Providence has bestowed so many adj
yantages1 Then, why is 1t so profanel Why
IS the disgusting habit tolerated by the city au-
thorities
Would that not only Memphis, but the entire
South, while shaking off the vassslGge OF the
North, would be divorced from all vice, and
stand forth in virtue. peerless among the nations
ufthe earth
There is a female in tattered rags, leading a
Sicky looking child along the pavement; ] see
that She is weeping. Some sorrow is broodine
over her, or, perhaps, some care or pressing
want Is enswiEg, like q eanker worm, at hel
heart How easy it IS 70 be vituous and hon
est, when free from temptation but If Is quite q
different thing when loved ones are CRYING f0l
I-anT an ebfra~furr Fvfrb ooff Maru a MAJ
looks with horror upon one that viii steal A LOAF
OF bread 90 keep his wife and children from
starving, WIN could not himself withstand
stTong temptation lis wife rolls IN heI car
rage, or moves Ike a queen, IN her comfortable
mansion. Wealth has p~ouredupon her is album
dant stores. Her table is crowded with fish,
and flesh, and fowl, and whatever else the mar
ket can furnish, or her fancy crave. She Wor-
ships at fashions shrine, and is, at least, q pro
fessed w%oTshiper at the shrine of the cross
Might not change in her circumstances, bring
about ca change In her husbands standard OF
morals Let down that braided hair ex-
change that costly silk for the coarsest Of ap
parel; strip those delicate little fingers Of thi
Jewels That nov sparkle ufon them; let tina
litle hand, So soft aud fair, be stained with ex
pcsure 10 cold; let that loved and lovely VII,
want for bread, and might not her dotmg Aus
band rebel against the c0nVenti0nalities Of Life
and, ar least, feel strongly tempted 20 take By
force what he could not otherwise obtain
Here come several men IN uniform. They are
soldiers, and belong to one Of the Regiments
camped near the city. They have left home Z
fight for their country, and are now only await
ing orders from headquarters TO march. Two
OF the foBr are intoxicated, and can scarcely
move along the street. The other two are striv
ing 10 get them away from the drink-shops, anC
cut &c their camp. How disrustingly noisy they
aTei They are f-szad condition 20 meet Il.
Yankees. The foein wh0seheA1aA-now are
slays more than those who come with sword auS
bayonet. dis attacks are more 20 be dreaded
Mighty heroes have fallen before him. lie VIII,
subiugated almost the entire civilized world
who sappiaated kings and bartered empires
who Lett behind him whithersoever he went. th
marks Of de~solaion and ruin, fell at last unde
the attacks Of this insidious foe. Then let other
beware.
But this study. as wei as that ofboobs
wearies me. / must return 10 my room. It }
said that variety is the spice Of liie,' and
viii seek something Of this, by studying an.
then walking, and by walking and then study
ing. Iwish to wander along the streets on Sal
bath evening, and jot down whatever I see tina
may interest the reader.
MEMPHIS. 0erohar ~. 1861.