Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-12-07
s TIE SEASON AND ITS INFLUENCES. Wills
the approach Of winter insthe country disrobe

;. TIE SEASON, AND ITS INFLUENCES. w hist
the approach Of winter in the country sdisrobes
surrounding nature of many Of its; charms, In
8 the city it invests existence with new ANNA
ton, and the increased briliancy Of the dis
plays in store windows, the gay habiiiments of
the ladies, aad the general energy and elasticity
with which the tide of life. surges along the
streets, impart to the crowded ithoroughfares a
picturesuueness and fascination which they pos
sess at no other season.. Perhaps a great deal
of the universal buUyancy OF mind and matter
is due, to Christmas, chief of all the holidays,
which, though coming near the close of the
year, sends it CHEEKY influence before it, as the
coming of the sun is hearalded by rays of rosy
light before he rises full crbed In the horizon.
g For weeks before the advent Of this queen of
all the festivals, her avant courlers are seen in
those clustering glories in the shop windows,
which set the juveniles wild with wonder ana
excitement, and are suggestive OF the old inter
changes Of tokens of esteem and friendship and
of benevolent frauds to be perpetrated in the
name. of the mysterious patron saint OF that
season, upon the charming creduily Of child
hood. There is an old saying that the nights
before Christmas are the darkest in the year.
but the days in cities are certainly the bright
est, so far as happiness and vlgor OF mind and
body are concerned. Even the depressed COZ
dition of business and trade is not insensible to
the inspiring influences Of the season, and they
weare a more lively look than usual, as if In
sympathy with the general impulse to motion
and social festivity Those In the varied
branches Of lightwares will doubtless soon
be taking steps to make known how we'll pre-
pared they are to minister to the rational tastes
of the multitude There is but one drawback
to the genera JOY, in the condition OF the poor,
whose privations and hardships are increased
with the approach of winter, but even this it IS
in the power OF those who are more favored to
remove, by exhibiting their gratitude for their
own plenty, and content in aiding, through the
channels of our benevolent associations, the in
digent and suffering. San.
SLANG LANGUAGE. 1t is a subject OF
profoundrsgret to all who love our noble Ian
guage to observe the growing tendency in our
country towards the use of fslang phrases That
the Ounce and the sharper should employ them
is natural enough-for the first does it to hide
his ignorance, and the other to mask fraud.
But in men or women who profess and call
themselves gentlemen and ladies it is grievous
sin-for each use of these vile phrases is 8 stab
or de6lemeut of that noble vehicle of thought
the English Language-to preserve the pur-'
ity and power of which should be the pride
and pleasure of every one who loves his
country and his kind. We all tall into these
pharses heedlessly at times-because they 90
casionally have coarse humour about them
or becanse We are too lazy to fabricate phrase
of our own-or because we are all more or less
parrots. But we ought to remember that
every member Of a community is in measure
bound to see that no injury comes to the Ian
guage of his country. In it We have the deep
est interest, and should ever hold it as high
and sacred trust-not only to avoid the out
ward vulgarity, but the inward determination
W ~. for he who speaAs slang will soon come to
.tsaakt slang no matter how pure the fountain
. if the water flows in a kennel, it must soon be-
csme foul and unsavory.- Charlottesville Chron
II SUms.-We understand that number OF