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sanri©lE 9 3 .
ATHENS, SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1848.
The Editor’s Lot.
Fortunate indeed is that Editor who is the bona
fide possessor of a lot—especially if it have excellent
improvements upon it in the shape of a comfortable
house and fruitful garden. Os such a lot we fancy
few Editors would complain—hut alas ! how differ”
ent, generally, to this is the real lot of the Editor.
Let us examine it with some care, of which commod
ity we shall find plenty on the premises. As we ap
proach, observe the railing which surrounds it. This
is certainly of a hard and enduring nature—and not ’
dear to him, si nee it is supp’.ied by the thoughtful
bounty of his five hundred friends, who never fail to
keep it up. So fearful are these kind friends lest his
enemies should give him offence, that they never suf
fer him to know the want of fences around his be
longings.
As we enter the garden of the Editor’s lot, we ob
serve that there are a great many more beautiful trees
and plants in flower than are really needed, which
accounts probably, for the fact that there is usually
very much less flour in the house than what might
be needed to supply the in-bred necessities of his na
ture. Observe that in one part of his garden, there
is planted thyme,—not a very large amount it is
true —but perhaps an average supply. Avery few
minutes will suffice to shew you, however, that his
dear friends will not allow him to cultivate his thyme.
They will take care of that, and frr the attention
each one bestows, he feels that he is entitled to a con
siderable portion of the same, until there is really
such a poor fragment of it left, that it becomes a
matter of the last moment to him to see that his
thyme upon earth is not prematurely cut off! One
of the most abundant plants which this garden ex
hibits, is rue, and this is the only one which multi
plies too fast for bis gratification. The penny royal
does not thrive at all, and the few sickly plants which
occur here and there, would scarcely yield a scent,
however-much pressed by his hand. That lofty and
magnificent laurel is esteemed by his kind friends,
the crowning glory of his lot—but he has long since
learned that a very large lot of glory will bring noth
ing in the market. We cannot overlook the fact
that amongst all the variety of roses which he has
with great pains secured, there is not a single speci
men of the thornless rose. There is a row of poplar
trees—which he has cultivated with great assiduity,
and has found them of so little real value, that he
cannot help counting himself a great ass for doing it!
lie has cherished with the fondest care that plum
tree, but, though it bears every year a profusion of
blossoms, there is very little prospect he will ever re
alize a “plum!”
He made several attempts to introduce the mari
gold into his parterre, but has so often failed that he
has come to the disheartening conclusion that it is
not the editor’s lot to marry gold.
We have lounged too long outside of the Editor’s
domicile. Let us enter and pursue our ?-vestiga
tions. He is a benedict , but not the subject of many
benedictions. We will not trespass into the family
circle, lest his amiable partner should scold us at a
round rate. Let us go into his sanctum—though he
is not there ; for he has a note to pay in bank this
morning, and no bank not'es to pay it in ; so he is
gone to some of his kind friends, who are in the habit
ot borrowing his paper, to see if he can make the rule
work both ways by borrowing theirs. We will give
odds that he fails !
1 here is his table, covered with books, papers, wri
ting materials, a paste-pot and a pair of scissors !
T his is his stock in trade—his capital, and is it not
a capital-joke! Look at that open book—“ The
Philosophy of Wealth.” Doubtless he can feel the
loss of it as well as any man living ! There is a little
lox labelled—“ Consolation.” It is not locked, and
so we will look within. Here is a letter which reads
2s follows:
Sir: \ our paper, addressed to F. M. G., is not
a ‘ en ou E and he says he’ll be d —d if he pays the
postage, let alone the subscription.
Yours truly,
P. M.
The Editor has made the following query: “ Will
he not bed if he refuses to pay the subscription 1
And if so, his is “ Love’s labor lost! ”
Certainly this is a curious case of “ Consolation.”
But here is another, which is a bill of One Hundred
a© ® lIE El 2a aTFIS IE & U ©ASSTFIFB,
and Twenty Dollars, for thirty reams of paper,
marked —“ Note past due .” He gave his paper for
that, it would seem, and while the latter has become
to him waste-paper, the former has daily increased.
Envy not, then, the Editor’s lot. He is the victim
of a profession which presses heavily upon him. His
faults are perpetually thrown in his face, while his
excellencies are effaced from man’s recollection. He
is the slave of the pen —but a stranger to the penny.
He spends his life, which is pretty much all he has to
spend, in toil for the improvement of the lot of oth
ers, while his own lot is sadly neglected.
The Fourth of July.
The Seventy-second Anniversary of American In
dependence dawned brightly and passed off with the
customary eclat in our town. The young gentlemen
of Franklin College celebrated the occasion by ser
vices at the College Chapel, in the forenoon, when
an Oration was delivered by Mr. B. N. Thornton of
Alabama, a member of the Senior class, and of the
Phi Kappa Society. We had the pleasure of listen
ing to the address, and can bear testimony to its gen
erous and enthusiastic sentiments, and to its chaste
and agreeable style. The Speaker’s subject was the
events of the past year —a fruitful and momentous
theme.
An address was delivered at night, by Joel A.
Billups, Esq., before the Athens Independent Ly
ceum, which we regret not to have heard—being ab
sent from the town.
£fje <Dltb.<WorttL
Affairs on the Continent.
France. —Our London Correspondent has given
us a birds-eye view of the French Affairs, and we
shall therefore confine ourself to those items of intel
ligence not included in his letter.
M. Thiers, Victor Hugo, and Louis Bonaparte
were among the Assemblymen returned in the last
partial elections in Paris. It appears that the Prince
de Joinville was arrested on his arrival at Paris, in
stead of being welcomed as the Telegraph informed
us last week. The former is certainly the most prob
able event of the two. The monster-breakfast was
postponed according to the latest accounts.
Austria. —There has been another Revolution in
Vienna, and barricades were raised all over the city.
Letters from the capital state that strong hopes are
cherished of the return of the emperor.
Germany. —Affairs continue in a very perplexed
and discouraging condition, but there are no promi
nent events to be recorded.
Denmark. —The Government has voted $260,000
for the defence of Norway by its own troops and a
large fleet.
Spain. —Reports were current in Madrid, on the
4th ult., that the Carlists would seek to renew civil
war in this country.
our (Gosstj) Column*
Those of our readers who were subscribers to “Ori
on,” will doubtless recollect that we had a fair cor
respondent under the signature of Inez, who flatter
■ ed us both in prose and verse, and breathed the kind
est wishes for the success of our Magazine. Shortly
after the discontinuance of the work, we received
from her a note expressive of her regret at the sad
necessity which controlled us, and a brief “ valedic
, tion,” in verse, to what she was pleased to call “ My
favorite Magazine.” We have preserved both the
note and poem as cherished mementoes. But we
have alluded to the past only to introduce to our pres
ent readers the self-same correspondent. With what
pleasure we welcomed once more the familiar hand
writing of our young friend our readers may imag
i ine. We verily believe that a long list of subscribers,
! with their current testimonials to the merits of the
Gazette, would have wakened less pleasurable emo
tion. But, gentle reader, hear what Inez saith: —
“ Dear Mr. Editor —I rejoiced and trembled when I
received the first number of your paper. I was de
lighted with its appearance and contents, and my
heart throbbed with the hope of its success; but im
mediately I thought of the past, and I feared then
for the future. But I believe your own irrepressible
buoyancy and hopefulness es spirit has inspired me
with coufidence in the Gazette. Oh ! how earnestly
Ido hope it will prosper. Asa daughter of the South
I pray that no cloud may overshadow its destiny.—
Would that 1 could ensure it a long and brilliant ca
reer ; for then would its triumph be inevitable ! I
like the form and frequency of your present issue,
and Saturday will be a festival day in my calendar;
for I shall literally feast upon the good things you
will send me. Last night while reading to papa the
Gossip Column in the last number, I felt that I too
must add my word of encouragement and congratu
lation. I said to myself, ‘ Shall others breathe their
kind wishes for its prosperity, and I offer no word of
welcome to the adventurer V So I went to my room
| and wrote the following verses, which I send to you
on the breath of as true and fervent wishes for the
success of your undertaking as your most devoted
friends can express. I shall be so out of patience
with our people if they let the Gazette go down, that
1 shall cry with vexation. Papa says he may possi
bly attend Commencement, and if so I shall certain
ly came with him.” Here is the poem alluded to,
and we thank Inez most fervently for her praise and
good wishes.
STANZAS TO THE EDITOR OF THE S. L. G.
Undaunted by misfortunes pust—
Thy strong heart trusting still
No fearful look behind thee cast,
Nor dream of future ill!
Press boldly on thy chosen path,
Though it be rough and steep ;
For many a wayside flower it hath,
And many a fountain deep,
Which blooms and wells to cheer thy hear|
Aweary with its care,
And nerve thy spirit, for its part
To bravely do and dare !
Press on ! for many hearts are fraught
With wishes for thy weal ;
Success is sweet when dearly bought,
As thou shalt surely feel! Inez.
. . . . The press of original matter in our paper this
week has great ly abridged our Eclectic Departments,
and left us no room for the Bowl of Punch. In our
copy of Punch for the 10th ultimo we have marked
some capital articles which will appear in our ne”xt.
For tho present let our readers imbibe the following
drops. Speaking of the crops, Punch says:—“ The
London Ilay Season is prospering favorably. We
have looked through the railings into the interior of
Leicester Square, and can assure the cab-horses of
the metropolis that there will be this year a good av
eraged crop. Wo have also seen two blades of grass,
of the very greenest description, sprouting up vigor
ously in the Exeter Change Arcade. The beadle
waters them regularly twice a day with his tears, as
the scene,he says, reminds him of the joyful hay-day
of his youth. An opulent farmer from Exeter is in
treaty with him for the crop.” The witty gentle
man tells us that he has long complained of the ex
pense and delay of the passport system on the Conti
nent, and congratulates himself on the recent chang
es which have taken place in that respect. As in
stances of the facilities of the system, he mentions
that two Sardinian ministers have been provided
with passports and even assisted in their departure.
The most striking case, however, is that of Sir Hen
ry Bulwer, to whom, it appears, every facility to
leave Madrid, with all possible speed, was granted.
Punch thinks that the journey from England to
Spain was never accomplished in less time, though it
is certain that the distance between the two countries
was never greater than at the present moment. It
seems that Mr. Feargus O’Conner made a solemn
threat that if Mitchel was couvicted by the Govern
ment,/<?s (O’Conner’s) head should feel no pillow un
til his manacles were struck off. Punch desires to
know how he sleeps since the verdict, whether he has
not been to bed at all, or got over his terrible vow by
dispensing with a pillow ! He thinks it will now be
a question of great moment, “ VVliat has O’Conner
done with his pillow 1” and suggests that a collection
of his rash “vows” would probably be an excellent
substitute, as they are certainly soft enough! . . . .
Our clever cotemporary, The Madison Family Vis
itor, says that lie “prefers Donkey kicks to Louden
Punch,” and rather censures our predilections for the
latter. We are sorry that our tastes differ; but
“’tis as ’tis and can’t be no’tiser.” We must be
allowed, however, to express our surprise that the
Visitor should prefer the John Donkey to the inimi
table Punch. It is true that the former keeps clev”
erly after the latter, as the Spirit of the Times just
ly remarked, sed longo interim 110. If, however, the
“ head and front of our offending” be that we do not
quote John Donkey, we shall probably be excused
when we say that the stuped animal has not been
anigh us for several weeks, and we fear it is no long
er true that “ the ass knoweth its master’s crib.”—
We hope the Visitor will reform his tastes, or we
shall conclude that he “ don’t know beans. ”
Notices to Correspondents.
“Charles.” We must respectfully decline your
verses addressed “To a young lady whom I saw
washing her lily-white hands on the back piazza at
sunrise in the morning.” The inscription reminds
us forcibly of some stanzas once published in the Au
gusta Mirror, (if we mistake not,) addressed “ To a
child reposing in its nurse’s arms under a rose-bush
in Jasper county.”
“ Effio Effingham.” We will publish your very
pretty verses but let us recommend you not to adopt
the foregoing nomme dc plume. If you knew how
ridiculous these alliterative names have been render
ed by the Home Journal and other papers, you would
certainly discard all connection with the passing fol
ly. We have had somewhat too much of this thing.
We await your permission to print you under some
other signature.
“ Lanneau.” We shall publish your favor with
pleasure.
Y. Y. Y. Why did you provoke us to say that
you are not so wise as you appear to be at the first
glance. At all events we cannot discover the wis
dom of your essay—The Philosophy of the Age.
<Dur Book liable.
| Lectures on Shakspeare, by 11. N. Hudson.—
In 2 vols. 12 mo. New York: Baker & Scribner.
A more acceptable offering than these elegant vol
umes has not been placed upon our Book Table, and
Ave have perused them with the deepest interest. We
recollect well the fascination which these lectures,
when delivered in the Northern cities, exerted upon
the popular mind, and how they were listened to by
| immense crowds of delighted auditors. We have at
this time a single object in view, which is to com
mend the book to the notice of our readers. We
j shall neither review its style nor its sentiments, but
award to both an honest and earnest meed of praise
which they richly deserve. The critics have had a
i great deal to say of these volumes, and have rendered
; a various verdict. But with these wc have nothing
to do, and the brief space wo can devote to the work
shall be employed in making our readers aware of its
merits, which, whatever its demerits may be, are cer
tainly neither few nor small.
Mr. Hudson is an enthusiastic admirer, as he has
been a devoted, indefatigable student of Shakspeare.
Ilisbook, therefore, abounds with ardent praise of
the “ thousand-souled” bard. But who will object
to this 1 Who does not admire Shakspeare 1 Who
is weary of bearing of his transcendent powers, and
his nobleness of nature 1 Our author brings to his
task then, a deep-seated enthusiasm for the man and
for the poet; and he has pursued it with an ardor
and an interest, which enkindle their like in the breast
of the reader ; whose attention will be rivetted to the
glowing pictures which are presented in almost every
page.
In his Prefatory Dedication, the author reminds
as that his themes are less, the character and genius
of the Poet, than Human Nature, that grand and
wonderful subject of which Shakspeare was —nay is,
in his works, the grand High Priest —the great Ex
pounder and embodiment. The distinguishing ex
cellence of his mighty works, is their adaptation to
the actual condition, circumstances and wants of
man, their fidelity to nature, their wonderful com
prehensiveness. Their themes, then, are the texts
of our author, and admirably indeed has he discoursed
upon them. We know of no more excellent commen
tary upon the immortal bard than these lectures of
Mr. Hudson, for which he deserves the gratitude of
every reader.
Ecclesiastical Mnemonika, or an A id to the Mem
ory in storing a correct knowledge of Ecclesiastical
Dates, etc., etc. By Hev. R. M. Abercrombie.
New York: Spalding & Shepard.
This little volume is what it purports to be, and
for those who wish to possess t hemselves of ten thous
and interesting facts in Ecclesiastical History, no
better aid can be procured.
The Missionary Enterprize, A collection of Dis
courses on Christian Missions, by American Au
thors. One vol. 12mo. pp. 308. Boston: Gould,
Kendall &. Lincoln.
This is a worthy book on a theme of more than hu
man grandeur and interest. To properly commend
it we have only to say that it contains Discourses on
Missionary Topics, from the Pens of such divines as
Wayland, Griffin. Williams,Kirk, Anderson, Miller,
Beecher, Stow, Mason and others. Either of these
sermons is worth the price of the collected series, to
those who love the cause of Missions—which is the
cause of Love, both human and divine.
Outlines of the History of France, From the
Earliest Times to the Revolution of 1848. Phila
delphia : Thomas, Cowperthwait & Cos.
Here, now, is an illustration of the progressive
spirit of our age —a History of France including the
Revolution of 1848. In three months after the de
thronement of Louis Phillippe, his eventful history
is incorporated in the text books of our common
schools! This handsome little volume is designed
for the use of schools, and well adapted, we think, for
the purpose. It is illustrated with neat engravings.
The style is clear and simple, and the analysis of his
torical events judicious.
Dr. Comstock’s Works on Natural Science.
1. Natural Philosophy. 2. Chemistry. 3. Botany.
4. Mineralogy. 5. Geology. New York: Pratt,
Woodford & Cos.
If wide-spread popularity be any proof of the actu
al merit of books, then are these works of Dr. Com
stock unparalleled. We have paid no little atten
tion in past days to the books in Natural Science,
and one prominent feature in these under notice de
mands especial remark. No sooner does a discovery
or an improvement in Science or Arts take place, than
it is embodied, with almost telegraphic rapidity, in
anew edition of Comstock’s various books. Hi*
Philosophy, for instance, has been brought down t*
embrace the latest events in Science; and what is
quite as remarkable concerning it, is the fact that
two editions have been prepared and extensively sold
in England; one of them under the auspices of Prof.
Lees of the Edinburgh Naval and Military Acad
emy, and the other was edited by Professor Hoblyn
of Oxford, a well known Medical author. These
Books are too well known to need particular recom
mendation.
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