The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-07

THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD, AN OLD-FAsH-
1oNED GIRl~-In 1647 the Simple Cobelsr Of
of the ladies' dresses of that period: can
make myself sick at the time with comparing
the dazzling splendor wherewith our gentle
woman were embelished is some former habits
With the goosedown wherewith they are now
surcingled and debauched. We have about
6ve or six of them in our colony. IT l meet
phansie of them for a month after. It is enow
TO break the heart for to sec our goodly women
imprisoned in French cages, .peering out of
their hood-holes (big bonnets) for some men of
mercy to help them with little wit, and no
body to relieve them. 1t is no marvel that
they wear drailes on the hinder part of their
part Sut few sSuirreis' brains to help them
1risk from one ill-favored fashion to another.
It is no little labor to be continually putting
mp English women into outlandish casqnes;
months, grows sour for their husbands. When
hear q geutle dame inquire what is the new
it all haste. whatever it be, look at her as the
very gizzard of o tri1e, the product of a quar-
ter Of O cypher-the eptome of nothingW
THE ACTIVITY OF VEsUy1Us.-Dr. Cotton
writes to the Boston Transcript, from Naples,
under date of March 8: Last evening, as we
came home from the opera, we saw the grand
est spectacle yet presented by Vesuvius.
vast flame, or what appeared such. was issuing
streams, was pouring down the sides of the
cone Both these streams, 1 should judge.
were five hundred feet wide. Looking across
the bay in one direction, we saw in the rip
pline water the red light reflected from Vesu-
vius, and in another the white light of the
moon. The effect was strikingly beautiful.
The lava was as brilliant iron heated to a
white heat, and the clouds of smoke and sur
rounding air were tinged with red reflections.
Two ladies at our hotel visited Vesuvius to-
day, and could only get as far as the Hermit
age They said q stream of lava was flowing
directly toward them, and the constant thun-
dering from the old crater was fearful. A
stone over two feet in diameter was thrown
out and landed near where their horses were
hitched. They could see large stones constantly
being thrown up. As look at the crater this
evening, can occasionally see what appears
to be red stars flying into the air. These must
be immensely large as we are twenty miles
distant. Great anxiety is felt at the Hermit
age for their safety, as the lava has commenced
flowing down ON this side of the mountain.
AN ANGEL IN THE SToNE.-It is related of
Michael Angelo, that, while walking with
some friends through an obscure street in the
city of Florence, he discovered fine block of
marble lying neglected in q yard, and half
buried in dirt aud rubbish. Regardless of his
holiday attire, he at once fell to work upon it,
clearing away its filth, and striving to lift it
from the slime and mire in which it lay. His
companions asked him, in astonishment, what
he was doing, and what he wanted with that
worthless piece of rock. go there's an angel
net 'i it out" He had it removed to bis studio,
and, with patient toll, with mallet and chisel,
The let the angel out. What to others was but
y rude, unsightly mass of stone, to his educated
eye was buried glory of art. A mason would
:Shave put it into a stone wall; cart-man
would have used it for filling in, or to grade
the streets but Angelo transformed it into a
gem of art, and gave it value for ages to come
What possibilities of virtue and usefulness
may not a good man see in o child Do we
know how to get the angel QUIT Are oul
children to be only for filling in 7"
PEsEvERANcE.-Many years ago we enjoye'
q hearing of the great tragedian. Macready
halle CT never forget the DOW erfu
Impression then made on our youthful mind b.
the response of the Carolina! to the suggestio
of Francis: "But if fail ~ We never hea
this word without recurring to the reply:
T, the lexicon of youth which Fate reserves brgl
There is no such word as FAIL
Tho ouery of Francis: +" But if fail 7"
the key to most of the disappolntments W
daily see attending the efforts of men. 1t
the evil soil of timidity or lndecislon 10 r
eoive is to half win to hesitate Is to lose ii
battle. So, in every TRANSACTION IN me- lrTes
luton destroys many well-arranged plan
There is III u oh in our present surroundings to di
courage onr yonng men, but in aiding to deVel'
the magnificent resources of this great cou
their noble efforts. We then say, settle
soms definite purpose, cast aside all fear
doubt, and perseveringly keep right on uni
the end is obtained.-Otd Dominion.
A,>1Ess EpUcAT1oN.-Here is rich maj
.on who has been educated at great eXpen
and pains, who has graduated from Coliet
and has come out a gentleman. He e has mas studis
not with view of lifting himself for any a
".;nr in life but with a view of being &c
tieman. He reads, not for the sake of kno
ing anything. but for the sake Of being icing &c
he ,ybap he is about twenty-five years o.
finds himself poor mans sou, and depende
on his own exertions. And he says to nimse
"What shall do for living ~ He asks
feet, and his feet say 81 do not know"
asks his hands, and they say: II do not know
He asks his head, and it says II never learn
anything about how to get living. iher'
but one that can befriend TINS pc
wretch, and that is the sexton. Could al
thing be more useless than such . perso
Could there be anything more pitiable tn
such historiesi And yet they are occurri
every day.
WHAT Is LIFE i-Some writer-we know I
wbo-says: "The mere lapse of years is /
life. To eat and drink and sleep, 60 be expos
TO darkness aud the light, to pace around t
mill of habit and turn tho wheel of wealth,
make reason our book-keeper, aud turn thong
into an implement of trade-this 10 not