Southern literary gazette. (Athens, Ga.) 1848-1849, May 13, 1848, Page 3, Image 3

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tions. Their existence then was enough for their happiness and mine. When storms pre vail and cold winds blow—when clouds cover the heavens and gloom rests upon the earth, then I thank God that, from this dreary world, my darlings have been taken where tempests never rage, and no shadow of darkness pene trates; but when the sunshine lights up the earth and reveals its beauty, and the music of all animated nature .attracts us into the open air, then comes the memory of those whose little senses were filled with delight at such scenes and sounds. Then I remember them as in the grave, dark and cold and noi some. O, no! Spring is no longer the hap piest season of the year to me; too many thoughts of the loved and lost are borne on its breezes! Original Correspondence. NEW-YOliK LETTERS.—NO, I. New-York, May Ist, 1848. My Dear Sir : —ln fulfilment of my engage ment I hasten to prepare a bulletin for the in itial number of the Gazette ; and since my cor respondence thus commences, with the com mencement of your enterprise, it will not be mal apropos for me to express to you my very hearty sympathy therewith, and my sincere hope that the eminent success which has al ready greeted it, may continue to increase with its progress. When I remember the prover bial liberality, and the strong local attachments and pride of Southerners and to that add the high individual and national advantages, which they must feel the possession of such an organ to otler to them, I cannot, for a mo ment, question your complete success at home) and with the extensive and valuable material which you will have at your command —with the ability which you possess of employing it to the best advantage —’the amount ol favor which the Gazette will find abroad , may, I think, be estimated with the same pleasing certainty. Since, then, I confidently antici pate that the leaves’ of your Journal will ever flourish as bright ever-greens, sparkling with the dew of wit and fancy, and casting a contin ually increasing shadow, m the grateful atmos phere whereof 1 shall long have the pleasure ol chatting with your readers, it is but meet that they should know in what manner I pur pose thus to bore them. it will then be my endeavor to clairvoy ance them weekly to this great metropolis, and to reveal to them its local events in all their varieties of occurrence. I shall drag them, with me, to our reunions, political, re ligious, literary, artistic and social ; where they may hear the varied gossip of the day, and catch the living manners as they rise.— ) shall sit by them on the sofas of the Opera; and, by way of a joke, occasionally crack a pea-nut with them in the “ Bowery,” Chat ham, 1 or “Olympic.” On Sunday w r e will lis ten to organ and eloquence, in our proud goth ic temples, where people go to heaven on damask and velvet; or we will dodge the rain-drops under the tents of the Millerites, where, despite all their efforts, their travels are still restrained to this sublunary sphere. W e will pour out our encomiums, as we trudge along, upon the dawning convenience and beauty of the Russ pavement, or we will —as all good Gothamites do—curse the aldermanic fllth in other quarters. We will occasionally look at the weather, and never fail to keep an eye upon the changes of fashion, as we course Broadway. We will discuss Smith's new book, Brown’s singular invention, Jones’ great picture, the burning of poor Thomp son’s house and the melancholy accident and fate of Jenkins. In short I shall endeavor to keep you au l ourant of all our city doings and sayings. I ani, as you know, a bachelor, and have of course, full privilege to run hither and thither, b\ day or by night, as needs must be, to cull these varied flowers. Nothing will escape It IITF G& IB &IS ¥ ®AUISIT fS ♦ me, or receive only partial attention. I am decidedly Catholic in my taste; am a politi cian, but of no party; a Christian, but of no sect; a good fellow, but not one of the b'hoys. 1 once visited Mr. Polk, and have shaken hands with Mr. Clay. 1 have a decided taste for “Josephus,” and read the “Wandering Jew,” with infinite gusto. I contribute to the Missionary Society, and am au-fait in the Polka. I sincerely hope that the apostle of Temperance, Father Matthew, will no longer continue to throw cold water upon the expec tations of his friends to see him in America, but will faithfully keep his ‘new pledge,’ to come in September next —at the same time 1 have no serious objection to join any well meaning gentleman, of good moral character, in a bumper of sparkling champaigne to the venerable tee-totaller’s health and success. Such, then, am I, and such will be the na ture and tone of my gossip with the readers of the Gazette. Those who approve will say “ aye!”—contrary—“ no!”—carried! But, as I was about to remark when this exordium occurred to me, the chit-chat which now occupies the public lip here, as every where in the civilized world, is the progress of the revolutionary movement in Europe.— All other themes are swallowed up in aston ishment at the mighty things already accom plished, and in speculations upon the ultimate result. Various demonstrations of sympathy have taken place and are still occurring here. Public meetings of the people of all nations have been held, and patriotic resolutions pass ed. The other evening a grand ball came oft’ at the Park Theatre, on which occasion a Cap of Jfiberty was presented, through the French Consul general, to the people of Paris. Societies for the promulgation of the demo cratic principle abroad, have been organized among the natives, resident here, of all the continental States; and old Ireland has sons amongst us ready to aid their brothers at home, in striking for freedom and potatoes. — There is a vast amount of humbug in all this fermentation, since the greater portion of the sympathisers are moved only by the novelty of the thing, and would hurrah equally loud at the very reverse intelligence, if it were as stirring and wondrous. Before the arrival of the steamer “America,” on Saturday last, the public were anticipating astounding news from England. And when intel ligence arrived tha.t all was happily sensible and quiet in the fast-anchor’d isle, people im agined that they were shockingly swindled by Fate, in the good lady’s omission to grati fy their reasonable expectations to hear of the triumphant march of ten or sundry more mil lions of Chartists upon London—the fall of that proud capital—the dethronement of Queen Vic. and the chipping off of her fair head, at the same blow as that which ‘ did’ Prince Al bert. Had this trilling news arrived, nothing better could have been asked for, by the next steamer, than the information, that the fallen noddles had been successfully reset, and Her Majesty, again in delicate health, in her pal ace. Upon the arrival of the “ America” it was whispered about that Louis Philippe was among her passengers—and I heard anew s boy, in selling the “ Extras,” throw out this intimation, hut it was only in a very faint and hesitating key, for even news-boys are known occasionally to possess some slight signs of conscience. Before I dismiss the European Revolution, to speak of an important municipal one, I must mention the droll effect presented to the eye, at the great public meeting held some time ago in the Park, to sympathise with the French. At one moment you were in Germa ny, listening to a barbarous rigmarole, which no one could even hear but the speaker; moving on to another stand, Jonathan was laying down the patriotic, equally incompre hensible, in the tremendous din and confusion of tongues; at another step you were among the French, listening to the Marseillaise, which, with the accompaniment of Yankee Doodle, Star Spangled Banner, and the Rails des Vache, was most strangely comical I as sure you. I shouted Vive la liepublique! in my sleeve, and departed. The municipal revolution, to which I just referred, is the progress now making in the in troduction of the Russ pavement in our streets. The part of Broadway fronting Stewart’s, which was laid two years ago, has proved so excellent and so durable that it will doubt less be, in due time, very generally used throughout the city. Those portions of Ful ton and Nassau streets, opposite the offices of the “ Herald” and “ Sun,” are just paved in this manner; and Air. Russ is now executing a contract ior that part of Broadway between Chambers st. and the Museum, along the line of the Park. He has already barricaded sev eral blocks and is busy night and day with eighty hands in the work. The cost for this job, about five short blocks, will he thirty thousand dollars. This is the period for the annual changes of residence among Gothamites, and thous ands are now transporting bag and baggage to new homes, to be removed again twelve months hence. Such a demand exists here always about May-day for all sorts of drays and carts, that the charge for the transporta tion of a load from house to house varies from three to five dollars. Our annual Exhibitions of the Fine Arts are now all open. The National Academy of Design displays nearly four hundred works, in painting and statuary. The exhibition of the landscapes of the late Thos. Cole is daily crowded at the Art-Union Gallery. Air. Bry ant will deliver an oration this week before the National Academy, at the Church of the Ales siah, upon the life and character of this great and lamented Artist. The Art-Union Gallery will reopen with its own pictures, on the 15th inst. Last year the income of this popular Institution was nearly fifty thousand dollars ; and it is expected that it will, this season, he nearer to one hundred thousand. In 1847 it distributed, to its members, nearly three hun dred valuable paintings, twenty thousand engravings and two hundred and fifty bronze and silver medals—besides providing the pub lic with a free Gallery of art, always accessi ble, and continually varying in its attractions. Besides these exhibitions, the “New York Gal lery of the Fine Arts” is open in the Park—a valuable collection of undoubted works of the old Alasters—in the Lyceum building; and an exhibition of paintings and statuary by the celebrated Count D’Orsay—among them a full-length equestrian portrait of Queen Victoria. In the Musical world, the “ Times” this week commences its second volume under most favorable auspices. Biscaccianti has giv en a concert at the Tabernacle, which was but indifferently attended. Antherson is get ting up an entertainment at the Society Libra ry. The Italian Opera is at present suspen ded, but efforts are being made to complete the promised season, and to give the twenty representations yet due to subscribers. I have nothing remarkable to record of the Drama. The Park is closed, and Collins is playing an engagement at the Broadway.— Samuel Lover lias been amusing us lately with his “ Irish evenings,” at the Society Li brary. It will, perhaps, be expected that I should mention some casualty, by way of fulfilment of my promise, in regard to Jenkins : hut, un fortunately, I have, at this moment, no defi nite recollections ot any discarded lover hav ing shot himself, or jumped from the dock, within the past week. On second thoughts, though, Ido recall a case in point—a very singular case. Stepping into an Oyster Sa loon the other evening, I joined a Coroner’s inquest over the dead body of a mouse, killed by an oyster! as was palpably evident—the head of the victim being still enclosed between the shells of the accused! The unfortunate mouse, observing the open oyster, had the fa tal curiosity and temerity to pop his head in T and the oyster, startled by this singular intru sion, instantly shut up! A worthy example, by the way, which I will as quickly follow. Ever thine, Flit. <tl)c Qfckctic of tl'it. BLACK, WHITE*.AND BROWN. BY THOMAS HOOD. All at once Aliss Morbid left off sugar. She did not resign it as some persons lav down their carriage—the full-bodied familv coach dwindling into a chariot, next into a fly, and then into a sedan chair. She did not shade it oft artistically, like certain household economists, from white to whitey brown, brown, dark-brown, and so on to none at all. She left it off, as one might leave off walking on the top of a house, or or. a slide, or on a plank with a further end to it—that is to say. slapdash, all at once without a moment’s warn ing. She gave it up, to speak appropriately, in the lump. She dropped it, —as Corporal Trim let fall his hat, —dab. It vanished, as the French say, toot sweet. From the 3()th of November, 1830, not an ounce of sugar, to use Aiiss Alorhid’s own expression, “ever darkened her doors.” The truth was, she had been present the day before at an Anti-Slavery Meeting; and had listened to a lecturing Abolitionist, who had drawn her sweet tooth, root and branch, out of her head. Thenceforth sugar, or as she called it, “ shugger,” was no longer white or brown, in her eyes, but red, blood-red—an abomination, to indulge in which would con vert a professing Christian into a practical Cannibal. Accordingly she made a vow, un der the influence of moist eyes and refined feelings, that the sanguinary article should never more enter her lips or her house; and this petty parody of the famous Berlin De cree against our Colonial produce was rigidly enforced. However others might counten ance the practice of the Slave Owners by con suming “ shugger,” she was resolved for her own part, that “no sable son of Africa should ever rise up against her out of a cup of tea.” In the meantime, the cook and house-maid grumbled in concert at the prohibition: they naturally thought it very hard to be deprived of a luxury which they enjoyed at their own proper cost; and at last only consented to re main in her service, on condition that the pri vation should be handsomely considered in their wages. With the hope of being simi larly remembered in her will, the poor rela tions of Aliss Morbid continued to drink tin* “ warm without,” which she administered to them every Sunday, under the name of Tea: and Hogarth would have desired no better subject for a picture than was presented b\ their physiognomies. Some pursed up their lips, as if resolved that the nauseous bever age should never enter them; others com pressed their mouths as if to prevent it from rushing out again. One took it mincingly, in sips,'—another gulped it down in desperation, —a third, in a fit of absence, continued to stir very superfluously with his spoon; and there was one shrewd old gentleman, who by a little dexterous by-play, used to bestow the favor of his small souchong on a sick gera nium. Now and then an astonished stranger would retain a half cupful of the black dose in his mouth, and stare round at his fellow guests, as if tacitly putting to them the very question of Mathew’s Yorkshireman in the mail-coach —“ Coompany! oop or doon ?” The greatest sufferers, however, were Miss Morbid’s two nephews, still in the morning of their youth, and, hoy-like, far more inclined to “sip the sweets” than to “hail the dawn.” They had formerly looked on their Aunt’s house as peculiarly a Dulce Domum. Prior to her sudden conversion she had been famous for the manufacture of a sort of hard-bake, commonly called Toffy or Taffy,—but now. alas! “Taffy was not at home,” and there was nothing else to invite a call. Currant tart is tart indeed without sugar; and as for the green gooseberries, they always tasted, as the young gentlemen affirmed, “like a quar of berries sharpened to a pint.” In short, it always required six penny-worth of lollipops and bulls-eyes, a lick of honey, a dip of trea cle, and a pick at a grocer’s hogshead, to sweet en a visit to Aunt Alorbid’s. To tell the truth, her own temper soured a a little under the prohibition. She could no* persuade the sugar-eaters that they were vam pyres;—instead of practicing or even admir ing her self-denial, they laughed at it; anc one wicked wag even compared her, in allu sion to her acerbity and her privation, to a crab without the nippers. She persevered not- 3