The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-13

ally her own. There Is physical pleasure in
dong, saying, thinking nothing. The highest
reach Of human effort consists in Gisentangling a
sken Of silk for her, or turning over Dore's hide.
Gus sketches for the Idyls. At such q moment
there lie freshness Of cool waters in the accents
Of the pretty preacher. She does not plunge into
the deepest themes at once. She leads her listener
gently on, up the slopes OF arts or letters or poll
tics, 10 the higher peaks where her purely dog.
matte mission begins. She is artistic, and she
lsbors TO awake the idler at her feet to higher
views Of beauty and art. She points out the tint.
ing Of the distant hills. she quotes Ruskin, she
criticises Miais. She brushes her auditor with a
sense his ignorance, Of the base, unpoetic view
Of things with which he lounged through the last
academy. What she longs for in English art is
nobleness OF purpose. and we smile bitter scorn 10
me sunshine a. the ignoble artist who suffers
thought Of his butchers bills to penetrate into the
studio. II we could only stretch the Royal Acade-
micisDs beside on the grass, what a thrill an and
emotion would run through these elderly gentle
men as they listened to the Indignation Of the
Pretty Preacher. But art shades of into litera.
ture, and literature into poetry. We are driven
into confession that we enjoy the frivolous
articles that those horrid papers have devoted to
hersex.
Is there nothing-the Pretty Preacher asks us
solemnly-to be said against our own! And the
sun is hot, and we are speechless. II was shame.
fui OF us to put down the Spanish Gipsy," and
let II setuIn unfinished to Nudes. Never did re-
buke so Ell rs with shame at our want OF imagna-
ton and of poesy. But already the preacher has
passed TO politics, and is deep in Mr. Mills proph.
ecies OF coming events. She is severe on the
trivlslty of the House or the quarreisome debates
OF the past session. She passes by our murmured
excuse of the weather, and dwells with fine TEN.
perate enthusiasm on the fact that the next will
be social Parliament. Do you know anything
about the poor laws, or education, or trades So
cetiesi Have We subscribed to Mr.. Mills cleo.
ton? We plead poverty, but the miserable plea
dies away on the contemptuous air. What our
Pretty Preacher would like above all things would
be TO meet that dear Mr.. Shaw Lefevre, and thank
him for his efforts TO protect woman. But she
knows we are utterly heretical on the subject;
she doubts very much whether we take in the Vic
toris Magazine. We listen as the Tory mayor of
Birmingham listened 10 Mr.. Bright at his banquet.
ours, and the art is not ours but it Is pleasan. to
lie in the sunshine and hear it all so charmingly
put by the Pretty Preacher. We own that ser
mons have little 10 say for themselves; above
ALL that the impossibility of replying TO them has
It's advantages IN case like this. 1t would be
absurd 10 discuss these matters with the Pretty
Preacher, but II is delightful 70 look up and see
the kndling little face and listen to the sermon.
1t is, however, as the theologian proper, as the
moralst and divine, that we love her most. She
arrives at this peak at last. As rule she chooses
the tritest topics, but she gives them a novelty
and grace of her own. Even Thackerays old
" Vanity Of Vsnities " wakes into new life as she
dexterously couples IL with the dances of the last
season. We ned our applause from the grass ss
she denounces the worihlessness and friVOlity of
the life we lead. II the weather were cool enough
We should at once VOW, as she exhorts US, to be
earnest, and great, and good. Above all, let us
be noOle. The Pretty Preacher is great on self
sacrifice. She sent two of her spOlt dresses to
those poor people In the East End, after listening
to whole sermon on their snfferings The con.
gregation at her feet feels twinge Of remorse at
the thought of his inhumanity, and sweRrs he will
put down his cigars and devote the proceeds to
the emigration fund. Does he ever read Keble?
There is slight struggle in the unconverted mind,
and faint whisper that he now and then reads
Upper; bnt il is too hot to be fiDpant, or to do
more than swear eternal allegiance 10 the Chris.
tian year. The evening deepens, and the sermon
deepens with it. Il is one Of the most disgusting
points about the divine In the pulpit that he is
always boasting OF himself as a man like as we
are, and of the sins he denounces as sins of his
own. II is the special charm of the fair divine
above rs, that she Is eminently a being not as
we are, but one serene, angelic, pure. II is the
very vagueness OF her condemnation that tell on
us-the utter ignorance Of what ia so familiar to
US that the vagueness betrays the utter unskill-
fulness of the hits, and the purity that makes
them 80 unskful. II is only when she descends
to particulars that we can turn round on the
Pretty Preacher-only when q burning and i'm.
passoned invective against cider-cellars suddenly
softens into the plaintive inquiry, But. oh,
Charlie dear, what are the cider-cellars :" SO
loDg as the preacher keeps in the sphere Of the
Indefinite, we lie at her mercy, and hear the soft
Ihunders roll resstlessly overheard. But then
they are soft thunders. We feel almost encour.
aged, like Luther, to "sin boldly" when the sb-
solving fingers brush lightly over our cousinly
hair. Our censor, too, has faith in us, in our
capacity and will for better things, and il is
pleasant to have the assurance con-
armed BY squeeze from the gentle theologian's
hand. And so night comes down, and preacher
md penitent stroll pleasantly home together, and
mamma wonders where both could have been
- .asA~ d.. -. l.. L.. L..1 L.
ow with the sweet satisfaction that'her mission
8 accomplished, and that a reprobate soul-the
'oul too, Of such gentleman and agreeable
'eprobate-is won.