The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-12-12
From the Salisbury Banner.
A STRANGE INFATUATION.

deceived by outward appearances hateSer
puts on dazzling exterior, We are by some
strange infatuation, inclined to regard as greatly
superior to the plain and simple. A church
that is highly finished and most superbly orna-
mented will attract its thousands of worshi2pers,
though its pulpit be void of talent, and the
doctrines therefrom promulgated be the doctrine
of devils; while the unpretending edfce, in
which the grand and sublime truths of inspira-
ton are uttered by the lips of burning efoqrence,
has but few attendants. The spacious college
standing upon yonder hill, lifting its spires into
the very clouds of heaven as embleDatical of
the aspiring intellects that lodge and rule with
in, gathering into its ample folds the youths of
distant cl;mes may, nevertheless, be controlled
by idiotic and imbecile instructors inadequate
to the great duty Of imparing instruction to the
ignorant as Beezebub is to give consolation to
the pious, troubled spirit. Upon the other
hand, the ruined walled cottage, with its old
desks and plank benches upon and around which
the sparkling intelects Of thousands of our most
useful and polished scholars have been devel,
oped, is almost wholly unapprecated, If not en-
tirely repudated by the wealthy Of the land
Behold the coxcomb, "half powder and half
lace" as he struts along our streets upon his
high-heeled boots of ,selE-importance and puffs
his Spanish cigar. Who but he 1t would
seem that discerning intelligence among the fair
ones should and would brand such gaseous no.
nentities with ignominy, and fly from their pre-
sence as from the touch of the deadly viper
But what are the facts The brainless, SOUL
less, manneress fool, especially if he is titled
with Colonel, Major, or Captain, drags after him
a train of sparkling eyes and laughing faces,
while the honest, brave and manly soldier with
developed intellect and good moral character,
who fought through all the hard battles of the
late cruel war and proved himself to be superior
to war and it's concomitants, is about as little
noticed as the freedmen who stand around our
doors and beg for bread and employment. L
must not here be understood as plucklng
single laurel from the brow of our distinguished
and worthy officers who acted SO bravely in the
late cruel contest. But there we're those in both
ones to whom | refer.
There is in all probability as much deception
in names as 10 dazzling appearances. Giles a
graduate of A, or B, or G, College, is very
common remark that we hear, when need OF
praise is designed to be awarded Yes: and SO
he may be- But does it follow because man
has gone through the curriculum of a college,
he is therefore polished scholar and gentle
man? By no means Facts teach US that many
who have graduated, as it is called, and pocEeted
their sheepskins, have nevertheless carried off
from college more sheepskins upon their brain
less crarums than they have carried 10 their
pockets 1t requires men of minds to max
scholars; and men Of princip piles to make gentle
men, All the artificial stimuli and facilities of
our schools and colleges cannot create mind
1t is their province only to develop and bring
out those innate possibilities which God has
created Why then should fool be lauded to
the SHES ply because his father was rich
Al L
fatuation
But here comes Miss Puella, with all her
splendid accomplishments Bless her little
sweet soul, the young gentlemen want TO eat
her up She's Col. B's daughter, just fresh
from a female college, at which she graduated
Good morning, Miss Puella "Bon Mdtin
Monsieur" What do you mean by your "bong
mateen," Miss Puela? l meant to ask you
how you are; that is, how's your health, and
YOU reply to Ee in such an outlandish style !!
"Why, la Mr. A, I spoke to you in French
Don't you know that we ladies who graduate in
| French colleges are compelled to learn the
French as an accomplishment ?" What sort of
an accom- plishment do yau mean ?-but never
| mind Miss P, I wish you this morning to do me
favor. This poor woman present has just sold
my wife Il pounds Of butter at 81 cents per
! pound; but as neither my wife nor myself is a
scholar, we can't tell exactly how much to pay
her. Here, please take this slate and tell US,
will you? ''Why, la Mr. a, we girls in the
College never studied fractions. That depart
ment belongs to Male Institutions" Why, l
thought Miss P, that graduates knew all things,
Well we'll Tomorrow Miss 7, | am to leave
for Austin, in Texas Will you please tell me,
as | am poor lliterate man, what direction
must take and through what States and cities |
must pass "Bring me your map But, Miss
! P, have no map. DWELL, then, | can't tell
anything about your route. Ladies who sradu-
ate seldom memorze matters OF SO little I'M
portance."
WE'LL Miss P, please Darn my socks for me
till Mrs 4 gets breakfast; that's clever lady !!
! "You insult me, Mr A; do you suppose that
would be guilty ofsuch vulgar thing?" Well
Miss ?, if you neither learned at college to cal,
culate fractions, to understand Geography, or tc
darn stockings, in what did you graduate "In
! Music and other fine arts
And yet this young lady is surrounded with
score of admirers, all of whom feel that to secure
her hand would be to consunmate their earthly
I heaven; while just across the street lives Miss
Industria who is splendid English scholar
can cook, knit, weave and sew, and yet no young
man admres her, because she's not been to col
| lcge-she's not accomplished Strange intat
nation Which would make the better wife il
these days? Young men, judge ye
BURKE.