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quiring new accomplishments. Our heroine alone
has with bandaged eyes, by day or night, perceived
and known her acquaintances, at the distance of sixty;
or seventy yards: she alone has discriminated colors’
as readily bv the touch ihothers by risrht; and it is she l
only, of all the sleep walkers, tvho has demonstrated
the’perception of the hands ol* another when approach
ing, within two or three feet of her spine or epigastrium,
fin-sc facts are new ! Who can say they are unim
portant*?
€ o n g v £ 3 s t o ttl.
MR. CALHOUN'S S BEECH,
the. meeting of Southern Me.inbr.ru on the Slavcly Question.
Tho resolutions of thn gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Bayley) are good; and, considering the length of time which
he hits hud to prepare them, do him great credit, but they
are (Infective in several particulars—l ;hu, therefore, less un
willing to agree to the motion of tho gentleman from Geor
gs; (Mr. Stephens.) Anothar consideration strongly impels
loth- same course. lam thoroughly impressed tv jilt the;
a ci s.rity of harmonious utid united action, built on our part
;sd tho part of.the Southern community.
1 am opposed, however, to top great dt lav, and consequent
h would prefer that tlie committee should report to a meet
it: •to he he’d ou tho 10th. instr-ad the I Dili of January,
’’'lie Lr■gi.-lntures of Several of the Southern States are now
iff session, and it would he well that our address should reach
them in time to he acted on by them before their adjourn
ment.
i consider the address indispensable. Whatever notion is
taken must proceed from sluvehnlding States. If tho Con
stitution be violated, and their rights encroached upon, it is
fir them to determine the mode and measure of redress. Wt
i at; only suggest and advise. Wo arc on the theatre ofac
.lou —the witnesses of tho sluveholriing part of the Confede
racy— we see them plainly, we feel them deeply; they art
li'pi i and alarming; fur who behoves that propositions which
li-iv--, within a few days past, commanded the support of a
it 1 .'.; iiiy ol Iho Lower House of Congress, would even three
vr.. rs ago have been tolerated by any’ respectable portion of
. ;th t Ffonfio.
iVi are in thn initist of events scarcely of less import than
it >se of our revolutionary era. The question is, are we to
hold our position in this confederacy upon the ground of
equals, or are wn to content ourselves with the condition of
colonial dept ndenco?
Sir it would be worse than colonial dependence; for who
v u!d not prefer to bo taxed and governed, without pretencr
ol n presentation, than under the firms of representation, te
’ grievously oppressed by measures over which we huvt
i. .’on;t'ol. ami against which pur remonstrances ore una
vailing. It is undeniable that tlm encroachments upon our
■ miits have been rapid and alarming. They must he met.
4 qoiJci ivo tbut no Soutbyru uiqji can entertain, for out
m-micuf,’ u#’f(foa of tanie Stnm.s.snfh. The notion of tin
Bendi should be united, temperate, but decided—.our posi
tion must be taken daliberately, but held at evi rv hazard.—
’.Vo wage no war of aggression. Wc ask only for tho con.
siitution anil union and government of our fathers. \VV
ask of our Northern brethren to lenve us those rights and
privileges which our father.- held, and, witl.mit securing
which for their children, all know they would not have
entered into this Union. These wo must maintain.
It appears to me proper, that wo who nro hereonthethentre
o ueti m. should address our constituents of tho slavobolding
fcltufes, briefly and accurately portray the progress of usur
pation and aggression, vividly exhibit the dangers which
threat n, an 1 leave it in their hands to murk out the proper
line of fiction. What that should be it is needless here to \
discuss. Whatever it is, it should be temperate, mild and
(h'eid'ed.
Having expressed these views. I have to say that I make
no objection to the motion of the gentleman from Georgia
Mr. e'tephens) to refer tho whole matter to a committee, to.
consider maturely and report to a future meeting, bi t I would
rather prefer an earlier day tiff that meeting than the loth
it January, i am, above all, for union, harmony and do
<. jion on the part of’lhe South.
THU ATLANTIC POSTAL ARRANGEMENT.
The. Baltimore Sun gives the following as the basis of the
agreement come to by Lord Cinnricarde and Mr. Bancroft,
which has been confirmed by our government.
1. Entire reciprocity between llio two governments in the
transmission of letters by their respective steamers.
Tho rates of postage to lie uniform fur American and
English’ steamers.
tl. Tho British colonial mail to he conveyed through the
‘mud States and by tho American as well as the English
steamers.
4. American mails from Europe, Asia and Africa, to hi
conveyed lv tho British as well us the American steamers.
The lutes of postage will probably not exceed twenty-five
, cnis ou each letter fi-om the United States; or one shilling
..'.rlit.g oq Utters forwarded from the I’nitqd Kingdom. II)
this ai niigeiiitut a letter mailed in .any pad! of Great Britain,
or Ireland, and a shilling paid upon it du re,, will he deliver
ed in the United Stales without charge to the person to whom
it is and: roofed. So with a letter sent from tiie United Slates;
kv the payment of twenty-five bents’ here, itxvill be deliver
eit without charge to any pin t of England, Ireland or Scot
land.
ft/ 5 * Six hundred thousand francs is to be the salary of the
French President. Nearly five tiuiesas much as the Presi
dent of the United States.
filer at anil Helitjtous.
iiX ~ tz —. • i ■ ti*. ■ -fa - -.V.’
[From the Mother’s Journal.] !
OLDER SISTER. i
ff My sister! Think God, she is yet living. Let me recall
all I can of her narl/ love and kindness. I loved my father
uipfher, Lroti|cfj, with all the fondness of a petted child ;
hut my sister it was who joined my little plays, and sympa
thized w ith my ohiidith sorrows. When my brothers teased
:nc, it was she whd persuaded them to leave their sport, and
-oothed me into forgetfulness. She made the large baby,
painting its blue eyes and rosy cheeks in water colors, and
pilfering her own gJosJy ringlets to ornament its head. —
i| Wall do I remember the morning it was presented to me : 1
thought it perfectly beuuiftd, and wondered much how Lu
-1 cy’s hand could have ferried it. But my gratitude exceeded
jfny wonder, and, as I claipod mv arms around her neck and
kissed her, f felt that a mw link was added to the chain that
bound me to my sister ; and her quiet smile told that she was 1
repaid fer her labor. A t
She it was who madefy miniature bed, and basted the tiny
squares to the bad-quilt,and when it was completed she fast
iennd it to the small sticii wliich served as a quilting frame.
I When my companions vere invited to help quilt a bed-quilt
liulf a yard square, sliosil the tea-table with my little dishes,;
and tier hand prepared tie small biscuit, cakes, and pies that
were so amusing to all tb; party.
I remember when, after dreary weeks of absence, the stage
stopped at our door, my heart rejoiced, not that it brought
toys and pros nts from a listnnt city, but, what was better
still, that it brought Lucy with her own dear smile and pleas
ant Voice.
The mother of a largo family has many toils, but Lucy’s
hand prepared all that wm needed to clothe the little sister,
frequently from her own wardrobe.
As I grew up a wilfftand wayward, though affectionate
girl, loving better to rmsin the fields and meadows, gather-;
ing violets and berries, i* collecting green moss, than to sit
down quietly by her si'ik and study ; one moment kissing
bur wiili every e\pres.xjow<i£endearment, and the next, with
any fuithiul deg for a compimoif, far out of iter oali, bound
ing over the green fields,oiimbing fences; soiling andtear
inv my clothes, and perhqps fetching blood from my hands
dura face ; my sister still gave me lino upon line, and precept
upon precept, with patient perseverance.
It is but recently that, in looking over a portfolio of old pa
pers, I found a letter written by Lucy when I was but twelve
years old ; I transcribe a sart of it, to show a sister’s faithful
ness and a daughter’s car-, even though it expose my own
short comings:—
“When I see any ofotr family here, I very naturally in-:
quire respecting those tliiigs at home which interest me most;
therefore 1 asked father whetheryou had made any improve- 1
mi nt, but he could teH nu ot none. All then which I said
when ut home was to no (urpose. Is their no feeling about
you ? No energy ? Du inuke one mighty effort, and rouse
yourself. Make your bfe|, end put your rooip in order by
six o’clock ; and don’t be satisfied with doing this, —amrf
1 don't wait to be told what to do. In general I should think j
that this must be your stint for the morning, with getting
your lesson, unless vour clothes need some repairing ; this,
i, he sure to do in season, and always keep them put up nice.
At night come home with Augustus, or very near him.
“And now is the time for you to assist mother- You will
say, by the time you get into the house, ‘l’m tired,’ and moth
er will not even usk you to do a chose, because, you are
tired ; but you, after having taken the tea which mother has
been careful to prepare fbr you, forger that you are tired,
and run into the fields qr garden. Now supposing.yoti do
! feel a little weary w hen you get home, what then ! There
are few people in this country, where we work for our liv
ing, who arc not tired at night. Children and youth get very
soon rested. Yotir mother says she is tired in the morning
as well as evening. And must you sit down, to rest, or run
: a bout to amuse yourself, while she needs rest, but has to wait
‘oil you and James ? Don’t sutler mother to do any house
work at night. Insist on washing the dishes yourself, and
; don’t think that is enough,—do everything that needs to be
done.
i| “1 should like to know how you spent yesterday afternoon;
1 urn afraid you wasted it. Bring your lace home every
I Saturday, unless you know of something which mother vvisli
ics you to do, sufficient to occupy the whole afternoon. You
must get that lace done in four weeks, —and that, not by
negleoting mother’s work, but by improving well that time
which you ought to appropriate to that.
“1 rose yesterday at five, and went to bed at eleven, in or
der to finish that cap l had begun when at home. 1 earned
a dollar last week, between schools, by working lace, yeti
have not a cent in the world. 1 don’t expect to have the mo
ney to pay your bills when the quarter is out. All this 1
should think nothing oi if you ware doing the best in your
[tower. —that is, in-your duties ut home, in your studies at
school, and in the improvement of your manners. Do pay
some attention to your manners at all. nines. I entreat you
let mo hear of your improvement.”
txucli faithfulness was returned with & love aad respact
alinest filial. Many a time, when small, I used to ask my
father and mother it it was wrong to love Lucy best. As I
grew older Lucv was still my guide and confidant. She
watched over every imperfection with a jealous eye and as
~ I begun to mix in promiscuous society, site checked impro
; prteties, and reconinended suitable companions.
j. Years have passed away, and I have become a wife and
; mother. Siill a sister’s love watches over me and mine, and
t; frequently wo receive mementoes of affection. When a let.
Iter comes, saying Aunt Lucy is to visit us, the children
welcome it with shouts of glee. And when she comes, how
eagerly they fisteu to her statics and instructions.. She leaves
us, and a cloud passes over the sunlight of our happy home.
■ Then come the long letters, and such letters, so full of love
| and so full of interest; and even the children have their
[, share, written in childish language. Frequently these let
ters contain some kind, profitable hint to the parents, which
is treasured up, and long remembered.
1 transcribe partofanother letter, written twenty years af
ter the first:—
“1 continue to think Mrs. B a superior mother. I can
thii.Lof no better mode) for you. You are fast getting into
the depths of parental care and responsibility ; a position
from w hich I shrink more and more, —I pity mothers. How
( is Mrs. IJ worn by constant vigilance. Bjie is living
five lives at once, and feeling the friction-on her animal
tramp, and the responsibility on her heart of them all ; but
| her i.-i! .r isnot all ineffectual. Where lam sometimes situa
ted, I obserye a mother whose life is multiplied by a larger
.'number than Mrs. B ’s, and who feels a large measure
of r> , ..nubility, Lut who is deficient in the wisdom and the
p§v,. : which a mother must have to be successful; and she
n feels herself surrounded by minds and wills which hers
should c ntrol and train, but she fails in the attempt, —and
she feels (or 1 should, in her place.) the responsibility increas
; ing, and the struggle becoming more and more severe, while
! every ‘-tlbrt now to catch and hold the reins is met by united
jopposing forces ; and the household is borne forward as a
traveling party would be if every child as well as man and
; Woman were allowed to chirrup, and who jerk the reins, or
i apply the lash just as he pleased. There are some unpleas.
! ant emergencies in being but a passenger with such a partv.
I hope you, and your husband too, wifi realize the duty —the
; imp riant duty of family govcuumt vff The rg must*be a head
in the family) or no order and the time
struggling on through the trials teaching.—
j Some'limes I feel as if 1 had lostjtlio rortfs, and all are in dan
i;ger of instant ruin ; but I have adojfeed some measures of
late, w hich, for the present, I consider improvements, and
1 get along just now tolerably,—seeking every day, patience
and wisdom from above.”
Older sister, if you prove yourself as kind, faithful and
judicious a counsellor to the children of your family as Lucy
| 1 lias been to me, they will suy, “iiloss God for such a sis
ter.” Ella.
HINTS FOR TUB REVIVAL OF PRAYER-MEETINGS.
A writer in the December number of the English Evan
| gclical Magazine, gives the following hints in regard to the
best un thud of conducting prayer-meetings.
To my own mind, at least, it appears conclusive, that all
| .Scripture warrants the strongest expectations from the As.
socwlicm of God’s people for earnest prayers, and sufficiently
1 explains the consequences, of barrenness and leanness, in
. ’case of neglect or non-appreciation of this privilege.
. That such a want of appreciation, if not of the exercise it
seif, yet of the exercise as generally conducted in our Con
gregational churches, does exist, is, l think, too plainly evi
dent. Indeed, from the circumstance of the non-attendance
1 of managers, (the aduft male and rising vputh especially,) on®
” has been often lifelffled to doubt whether the pnm r-ftfcfttm
. wore realjjf reckoned to be an appointed service oi the church
; at //.
1 vulture to remind your readers of the following hints.'’ ‘
Shorter prayers, and more in number to engage.
Snort hymns : say two, or not exceeding three verses,(and
these set to suitable tunes, In proper keeping with the spirit
of the hymn.)
Appropriate passages of Scripture, to be occasionally in
terchaogeJ with the hymns, or read in addition; and upon
which,
Diversity of supplication, or particular themes of prayer
might, in an easy and natural way be encouraged, as found,
ed ou such passages.
I venture to predict, that, were but these points seriously
considered, anfltniufe matter of previous thought and study,
with a view to be acted upon by those who from time to time
lead the engagements; and if, in addition to this, notice wera
] given of the prayer meeting by the minister, Sabbath by Sab.
■bath, and intimation conveyed that none who attend,
td w ould be called on to engage, but such ns had signifie
; their willingness to do so, a very great change would soo;
I appear in our meetings; and our churches experience all the
:;healthful glow which would follow upon a more general and
■ constant atteuduuce on these means of grace.
CONVERSION.
The change by which a sinful child of Adam is made me<J
for In-aven, is effected by supernatural power or influence.—
The expressions, ‘born of God—bom from above—bom of tho
Spirit —created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works’—can.
nor mean anything less. And yet man -is not passive in
the same sense as a stone or block, but as all the faculties
and susceptibilities of amoral agent, which render it prnpef
that he should he called upon to ‘repent, and turn to Gad;
and do works meet fbr repentance.’
•1 It will avaii nothing to cavil ut these facts, or to allege mu
tual incompatibility between them. God has a w itness in
every man’s breast to the reality and reasonableness of
human obligation. Men are conscious that they ought to re
,i pent and serve God, and love him with all their heart; and
: that their inability to do this is not the want of natural powei
and faculties, but an inveterate aversion of the heart, coeval
> i with the commencement of their moral agency, and strength
ened by indulgence. It is not easy for a man to get rid of
I- this inward conviction, liowever much he may be perplexed
I by the metaphysical difficulties of the case.
•'j Ascribing a man’s moral and- spiritual exercises and
i aots to a supernatural origin, does not make them any the
’ lessbisown. It is hard to conceive of a moral character
s;,without moral exercises. A man’s acts are his own,, by
[January