Newspaper Page Text
shilling through the frigate's ports, and in a few
more minutes, the flames were sect! rushingj
up her rigging, as if a train hail he<'u touched.J
Then followed the cannonade, RHti dashing of
sweeps, with the approach of the ketch.
Presently a boat was seen coming alongside
and a man, in a sailor’s jacket sprang over the
gangway of the brig. It was Decatur, to an
nounce iiis victory!
From Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal.
LOVE AT ONE GLIMPSE.
Some years ago, there used to be | ointed
out, upon the streets of Glasgow a man whose,
intellect had been unsettled upon a very strange
account. When a vouth, he had happened
to pass a lady on a crowded t! orougufare a
lady whose extreme beauty, dthough dimmed
by the intervention of a veil, and seen but a
moment, made an indelhble impression on his
mind. This lovely vision shot rapidly past
him, and was in an instant lost amidst the
co nm >n place crowd through which it moved.
He was so confounded by the tumult of his
feelings, 'that lie could not pursue, or even
attempt to see it again. Yet he never after-
wards forgot it.
With a mind full of distracted thoughts, and
a heart alternately filled with gushes of plea
sure and pain, the man slowly lelt the spot
where he had remained for some minutes, as
it were, thunderstruck. He soon after with
out bcinir aware of what he wished or what he
was doing, found himself again at the place.
He came to the spot where he stood when the
lady passed, mused for some time about it,
went a little distance, and then came up as
when he met the exquisite subject of his reverie
—unconsciously deluding himself with the
idea that this might recall her to the spot.
She come not, he felt disappointed, lie tried
again ; still she did not pass. He continued
to traverse the place till evening, when the
streets became deserted. By and by he was
left altogether alone. He then saw tiiat all his
fond efforts were vain, and he loft the silent,
lonely street at midnight, with a soul as deso
late as that gloomy terrace.
For weeks afterward he was never out of
the streets. He wandered hither and thither,
often visiting the place where he had first seen
the object of his abstracted thoughts, as it he
considered that he had a better chance of see
ing her there than any where else. He fre
quented every place of public amusement to
which he could purchase the admission ; and
lie made the tour of all the churches. All was
in vain. He never agaiu placed his eyes on
that angelic countenance. She was ever pre
sent to his mental optics, but she never ap
peared again in a tangible form. Without her
essential presence, all the woild besides was to
him a blank, a wilderness.
Madness invariably takes possession of the
mind that broods over much or over long upon
some engrossing idea. So did it prove with
this singular lover. He grew innocent, as the
people of this country tenderly phrase it. His
insanity, however, was little more than mere
abstraction. The course of bis mind was
stopped at a particular point. After thistle
made no further progress in any intellectual
attainment. He acquired no new ideas. His
whole soul stood still. He was like a clock
stopped at a particular hour, with some things
too, about him, which, like the motionless in
dices of that machine, pointed out the date of
the interruption ; as for instance, he ever after
wore a peculiarly long-backed coat, as well as
a neck-cloth with a particular spot, bi ing the
fashion of the year when he saw the lady.
Indeed he was a sort of a living memorial
of the dress, gait, and manners of a former day.
It was evident that he clung with a degree of
fondness to every thing which bore relation to
tire great incident of bis life. Nor could he
endure anything that tendered to cover up or
screen from his recollection that glorious yet
melancholy circumstance. He had the same
feeling of veneration for that day, the circum
stances, and for himself as he then existed,
which caused the chivalrous lover of former
times to preserve upon his lips, as long as he
could, the imaginary delight which they had
drawn from the touch of his mistress’s hand.
When I last saw this unfortunate person,
he was getting old, and seemed more deranged
than formerly. Every fmiale whom he met
in the street, especially if at all good looking,
he gazed at them with an enquiring, anxious
expression; and when she had passed, he
usually stood still a few moments and mused,
with his eyes cast upon the ground. It was re
markable that he gazed most upon those whose
age and figure most nearly resembled those of!
his unknown mistress at the time he had seen
her, and that he did not appearto make allow- j
auce for the years that had passed since his ;
*eyes met that vision. This was part of his
madness. Strange power of love! Incom
prehensible mechanism of the human heart.
Women, the world over, are uniform'y gen
tle, courteous and polite. Ledyard, the trav
eller, says: “ I never addressed myself in the
langue of decency and friendship to a woman,'
whether civilized or savage, without receiving
a decent and friendly answer.”
An old farmer whose son had died lately,
was visited by a neighbor, who began to con
dole with him on his loss. “My loss!” ex
claimed the father ; “no such thing—it’s his
own loss—he was of age.”
A boarding-school miss, being unwell,
thought it was not genteel to say she was BiL
ious, so she complained of 1 icing Wtl/iain-ous.
These are the days of refinement.
AN ADVANCE.
A dushing blade, having gazed too long at
'the striped pig, was disposed to lie rather noisy
and pugnacious in the street at an unseasona
ble hour, and unfortunately fell into the clutch,
es of the Charlies. Ile promptly handed out
a V, tire usual fcC, to bo alowed to go on his
way carousing. “ ’Twon’t do,” said he of t>e
hook—“must have an X.” “What, ten dol
lars!—outrageous—never heard any thing like
it.” “Young man,” said Charley, nosuiuing
the gravity and sternness of one big in au
thority, “ l have to inform you that —ij/reet it
rit."
TATTY’S RETORT.—[founded on fact ]
“ Ah, know you not,” said Martha’s beau,
Whom she that morn had sent a-packing—
| " The doom that in the realm below
1 Awaits lone ladies, husbands lacking ?
Dismal for aye, the hapless maids
Lead apes, through Pluto’s gloomy shades."
“ I know',” quoth Pat, with scornful air;
“ Nor does the doom awake my fear;
I'd rather, far, lead monkeys there,
Than let a monkey lead me here.”
S. L. Messenger.
A TRAGEDIAN TURNED PREACHER.
The Louisv lie Theatre was lately crowded
to excess to witness Charles B. Parson’s cele
i brated performance of Othello, when the
I manager came forward and announced that
there could be no performance that evening, in
j consequence of the surprising conversion of
Mr. Parsons under Mr. Maffit’s preaching. —
The audience was very indignant and quite a
number of young people ran into Maffit’s
meeting house and commenced crying 4 Othel
lo !’so loud that Mr. Maffit stopped his ser
mon. Immediately, Mr. Parsons walked into
the broad aisle and pronounced in the most
emphatic manner “ Othello’s occ ipation’s
' gone !” and then proceeded to say that 44 A
change had come over the spirit of his dream;
lie had fretted his brief hour upon the stage of
Thespis and henceforth should 44 Perform” in
the House of Prayer and Temple of Zion ;
jhe had left the “Sock and buskin,” for the
! sword and helmet of righteousness, and that
instead of fighting Shakspeare’s mimic battles,
lie should hereafter fight under the Cross of
Jesus Christ, and finally exhorted his old con
rands to remain with higa and leave the Theatre
jto become the abode of huts. The papers
jsay it was Charley’s best performance, and
| that his thrilling eloquence will win him twenty
! fold laurels in holy orders when compared
with the stage. Chikago Democrat.
A CLINCHER.
Two gentlemen walking together were talk
ing of the senses, seeing, feeling and the like.
One remarked that his sense of hearing was
remarkable for its acuteness, while the other
was not wonderfully endowed in this respect,
but observed that his vision was wonderful.
44 Now, to illustrate”’ said he, 44 1 can see a fly
on the spire of yonder church.” The other,
looking sharply at the place indicated— 44 Ah!”
said he, 44 1 can’t sec him, but I can hear him
step!”
PHYSICAL FORCE.
A young man, a lecturer upon universal
suffrage, holding forth in a room in a cer
tain village, and while expiating on moral and
physical force, was asked by one of the audi
tory, a conservative, what was the meaning
of physical force, upon which the lecturer lift
ed up one of the candlesticks and knocked
him down, saying, 44 That was physical force,
rir!” This had nearly caused a row, but mo
sal force prevailed, and it was quashed.
A CUTTING REPLY.
A charitable divine, for the benefit of the
country where he resided, commenced a large
causeway, and as he was one day overlooking
the work, a certain nobleman passed by—
“ Well, doctor,” said he, “ notwithstandig your
pain and charity, I don’t take this t@ lie the
highway to heaven.” “ Very true, my lord,”
replied the doctor, “ for if it had, I should have
wondered to meet your lordship here.”
THE SELFISH MAN.
Colordon, when on his death-bed, was visit
ed by his friend Barthe, who requested his
opinion of bis comedy of the Selfish Man,
which he came to read at his bed-side.—“ You
may add an excellent trait to the character of
your principal personage,” replied Colorden ;
“ say that he obliged an old friend on the eve
of death to hear him read a five act comedy.”
VARIETY.
“ Custom cannot stale his infinite variety.”
Over the stall of a public writer in la rue du
Bac, at Paris, is the following inscription:
j“M. Renard, public writer, advising compi-
J ler, translates the tongues, explains the lan
guage of flowers, and sells fried potatoes.”
Book Making. —From a report made to
| the United Slates’ Senate daring the last ses
sion of Congress, it appears that the number
of persons employed in the United States, in
jthe various branches connected with book
I making and periodical publications, is about
200,000, and the capital employed in these
: branches, is estimated at from thirty to forty
| millions of dollars.
“ Why are you like an annual, my dear ?”
| said a saucy lover as he pulled Harriet into
his lap. “I do not know.” “ Why, because
[you are handsomely bound!” “Indeed,”
said the lady, “ why then am I like a law
hook 1” Really I can’t tell.” “ Because I
am hound in caff.”
Dr. Franklin has said, “ where I see a house
well furnished with books and newspapers,
there I see intelligent and well informed chil
dren ; but if there are no books or papers, the
children are ignorant, if not profligate.”
THE BEGINING AND THE END.
It has been said of William 111. that lie
commenced his reign by kicking his father-in
law from the throne, and ended it by breaking
his own neck. The first act would be consid
ered a very good one, were it not eclipsed by
the lust.
CLIMAX.
A lecturer on the history of chemistry, thus
described the celebrated Mr. Boyle: “He
was a great man, u very great man, lie was
j the father of modern chemistry, and the broth
, erof the earl of Cork.”
AFFFA'TIONATK CHILDREN.
Ws knew a blind man who Imd fourteen
II children, and yet was un ler the necessity of I
hiring a lad to lead him about the streets.
TIIE SOUTHERN POST.
From the Savannah Georgian.
The New Orleans papers contain a magni
ficent scheme of a Lottery to be drawn in Flo- !
rida, for the disposal of Property situated in
j New Orleans, valued at one million and a half
Os dollars, and with fairly, we suppose, about
one half—loo,ooo tickets—6oo prizes—
scheme price 815 81,500,000 —but selling
price 20—that is, projector, manager or some
body, must have 8500,000 more out of the
gulied public. We notice this, as we have
j heard some of our citizens express an inten
tion of purchasing, and we will ask the public
whether they will be guilty of the egregious
folly of doing so.— Mobile Chronicle.
I have copied the above for insertion in the
Georgian, having seen the Lottery alluded to,
advertised in Savannah, and will add what/
strikes me as exceptionable. The estimated j
rents of this valuable property are set down at j
five and six percent, on the Lottery reduction.
Now, will any body believe that business pro
perty in New Orleans, where the legal interest j
is eight or ten per cent, only produces five or ;
six gross? The real estate, (I say nothing of
1 the Bank and other stocks) as the editoi says, j
; may be worth one half, therefore
Say aggregate of scheme is 5',500,000 00
Deduct over valuation of property 657,500 00
Value of prizes, $842,500 00
i 100,000 tickets at S2O, is 2,000,000 00
$1,157,500 00
Leaving the trifling profit, if all the tickets J
j are sold, of one million one hundred and fijty
\ seven thousand five hundred dollars ! / Again, |
jif great profits are not expected, or if the |
printer is to be paid, how can they afford to .
publish the scheme until December 44 in every !
j paper in the United States, in the W. Indies,
jin Canada,” &c. &c. There are over 1000 1
j papers in the United States, and the charge j
1 for publishing in the papers of this city alone, j
j which is but three* times a week during four
| months of the time, will be about 8500. — j
j Very few papers, however, that I have seen,
j have yet taken the bait. Again, why do at a i
| small village in Florida, what could be so muchj
more satisfactorily done in the rich city where-!
|in the properly is situated ? It is not said.eith
er, that the Lottery will be drawn in one day,
\ and it is quite likely that the old exploded plan '
of drawing 50 or 100 tickets at intervals of aj
week or a month may be pursued.
I could say more, but am fearful of tres-1
passing upon your columns. The vast dispro- j
! portion of tli« amount to be received and that
to be distributed, would - restrain me from ad-J
venturing, was I assured that the Lottery
would be drawn. X.
“The sum would be still greater, as the Georgian
will lie Da ill/ throughout the year. YVe pass however,
no opinion on the scheme, as we have not examined!
j it. — [Ed. <3eor.
From the Savannah Georgian.
IGNORANCE, OR MISREPRESENTATION.
We find in a late number of tlte Liverpool
(Eng.) Mail, an account of the various Railj
Roads now in operation in the United States, } :
It purports to be taken from the authority of
an American gentleman. Whoever that gen
tleman may be, and we have no means at pre
sent, of ascertaining his whereabouts, lie is
most wofully ignorant of the subject on which i
lie treats as far as Georgia is concerned—and, J
when he is so very wrong respecting this State,
the evidence is presumptive, that he may be j
equally so with regard to others.
Here is the section concerning our State : j
Georgia. —Altamaha to Brunswick, 12
miles; Georgia Railroad begins at Augusta
and is to go to Athens, (114 miles) Macon and
Greensbotough, 70 miles done, and locotno-j
tives upon it; total —82 miles.
The Central Rail Road of Georgia, confes
sedly one of the most important, feasible, and
progressing works of the day, is entirely left
out of the catalogue. This road might as
well not have existence at all, as far as the in
formation of the American gentleman is at
stake.
How could he be so blind or misinformed
as not to know that the Central Rail Road of
Georgia, which is to run to Macon, 200 miles,
and upwards, is now in successful operation
for 70 miles, and carries the mail on its route
for Macon, Milledgevdle, and Augusta, three
of the most populous cities in Georgia? Tru- 1
i ly, we have much to contest with. Some of j
jour citizens in the interior are guilty of supi
neness—and those interested in speculative l
plans of Internal Improvement, will not stop
short of misrepresentation.
We believe the Central Rail Road of Geor- j
gia has made as much progress since its com -1
mencement, as any work of a similar kind in
the United States, under even more favoiahle 1
auspices, has ever made.
Our brethren of the press in Georgia, should 1
notice this misrepresentation.. It is injurious
to the whole State.
don’t DESPAIR GIRLS.
On Saturvay last, Mr. John Ayrenstein, a
very respectable gentleman, a sugar-refiner,!
in this city, led to the hymenial altar, Miss
Rhoda Grayson, after a continued courtship of
thirty-nine years! The parties are both over
seventy years of age—Mr. A. over seventy- j
five, Miss Rhoda, about two years his junior. I
They have been acquainted from childhood,]
und when the gentleman was in his 25th year
he essayed to woo his fair one, and was lent |
a patient hearing for some two or three years, |
when a country loss of some 17 or 18 years,
a village coquette, crossed his path, and led
j him a merry dance fora few months, and then I
left him for a newer face. After a lupse of a
few years, like the prodigal penitent, and in
sorrow, he returned to his first love, and a more
attentive and faithful swain “ ne’er crooked the
: pliant hinges of the knee,” having visited her
upon an average more than five evenings of
every week during the entire thirty-nine years.!
Some disagreement upon a |>oiiit of trifling
consequence in their future domestic arrange- :
ment was the cause of the long.defcrred imp.
tiuls. In a pecuniary point of view he has
made a handsome speculation; she pus.sosing
tolii charms to the amount of #40,000. The
point of disagreement lie was compelled to
ywld—tin: fair one vowing she would die first, i!
Philadelphia Tams ■ i
NEW THEATRE.
ISrnc/ii of . fir. I. #’. Brown,
PROPRIETOR OF THE THEATRE,
| On which occasion he trusts those @f his fellow citi
i zens, who are patrons of the drama, will give him their
] support. To render the evening’s entertainment as at
i tractive as possible, he has (at a great expense) secu
red the services of Miss Meadows, Mr. F. Brown, and
Mrs. F. Brown.
This ( Saturday) Evening, June Bth,
Will be presented the favorite play of
TIIIE
The Stranger, .... Mr. F. Brown,
Baron Steinfort, ----- Bailey,
Francis, - - Hart,
; Peter, - - - - Kelly,
Mrs. Haller, - - Mrs. Hart,
Countess Wintcrson, - Kelly,
Savoyard, ... Miss Meadows,
With the Tambourine Song and Dance, and the Song
of 44 1 have a silent sorrow here.”
To conclude with the Romantic Drama of
MATTEO FALCONE;
Or, The Youthful Bandit.
Matteo Falcone, - Mr. Hart,
Gianette Sampiero, - Bailey,
Corporal Nicolo Gamba, - - ■- Kelly,
Fortunato Falcone, - - - Miss Meadows,
Wife to Matteo, - Mrs. Kelly.
{KT Monday, Benefit of the Phoenix and Wash
inston Fire Company, when will be performed,
the sterling Comedy (for the first time) of the HEIR
AT LAW, and the very amusing Farce of the LOT
TERY TICKET, with other entertainments.
55* Performance every evening Doors open at 7i
o’clock, and curtain to rise at 8 o'clock. iKr Tickets
to be had at the Central Hotel, and at the Theatre.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, GA.4
Milledgeville, 20th May, 1839. (
"ITJTHEREAS by an act of the General Assembly
Vt of this State, passed the 26th December, 1838,
entitled “An Act to provide for the call of a Conven
tion to reduce the number of the General Assembly of
the State of Georgia, and for other purposes therein
named,” it is provided 14 That it shall be the duty of
his Excellency the Governor, to give publicity to the al
terations and amendments made in the Constitution, in
reference to the reduction of the number of members
composing the General Assembly ; and the first Mon
day in October next, after the rising of said Conven
tion, he shall fix on for the ratification, by the people,
of such amendments, alterations or new articles, as
they may make for the objects of reduction and equali
zation of the General Assembly only ; and if ratified
by a majority of the voters who vote on the question of
“ratification,” or “no ratification,” then, and in
that event, the alteration so by them made and ratified,
shall be binding on the people of this State, and not
otherwise.”— And whereas the delegates of the people
of this State, assembled in Convention under the pro
visions of the before recited Act, have agreed to, and
declar and the following to be alterations and amendments
of the Constitution of this State, touching the represen
tation ol the people in the General Assembly thereof,
to wit:
THE CONVENTION assembled under the Act
44 to provide for the call of a Convention to reduce the
number of the General Assembly of the State of Geor
gia, and for other purposes therein named,” passed the
26th day of December, 1838, having met, under the
Proclamation of the Governor, on Monday the 6th day
of May, 1839, propose as the final result of their delib
erations, the following, to be amendments to the Con
stitution of tile State of Georgia, and present the sain
to his Excellency the Governor of the State, that publi
city may be given to said alterations and amendments,
according to the sixth section of the Act under which
the Convention assembled :
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
The House of Represontalives shall be composed »f
members from all the Counties which now are, or here
after may he included within this State, according to
their respective numbers of free white persons, and in
cluding three-fifths of all the people of color-- to be as
certained by an actual enumeration to be made from
time to time, at intervals of seven years, as now bylaw
provided. Each county shall be entitled to one mem
ber Each county having a representative population,
as above specified, of six thousand persons, shall be
entitled to one additional member ; and each county
having such representative population of twelve thou
sand persons, shall be entitled to two additional mem
bers ; but no county shall have more than three mem
bers.
The number of members of which the House of
Representatives will be composed, according to the
aforesaid ratio, and the last census, shall not hereafter
he increased, except when anew county is created ;
audit shall be the duty of the Legislature, at their ses
sion to be holden next after the enumeration provided
for by law, so to regulate the ratio of representation as
to prevent such increase.
The Representatives shall be chosen annually on the
first Monday of October, until such day of election
shall be altered by law.
The Senate shall ccnsist of forty-six members, elect
ed annually, on the first Monday in October, until such
day of election shall he altered by law ; and shall be
composed of ytne member from each of the forty-six
Senatorial Districts following:
1 Chatham and Effingham.
2 Seriven and Burke.
3 Richmond and Columbia.
4 Lincoln and Wilkes.
5 Elbert and Madison.
6 Habersham and Lumpkin.
7 Union and Rabun.
8 Forsyth and Hall.
9 Jackson and Franklin.
10 dark and Olethorpe.
11 Greene and Putnam.
12 Taliaferro and Warren.
13 Hancock and Baldwin.
14 Washington and Jefferson.
15 Emanuel and Montgomery
-16 Liberty and Bryan
17 Tattnall and Bulloch.
18 Mclntosh and Glynn.
19 Camden and Wayne.
20 Ware and Lowndes.
21 Telfair and Appling
22 Laurens and Wilkinson.
23 Pulaski and Twiggs.
24 Bibb and Crawford.
25 Jones and Jasper.
26 Butts and Monroe.
27 Gwinnelt and Walton.
28 UeKalb and Henry.
29 Newton and Morgan.
30 Gilmer and Murray.
31 Cass and Cherokee.
32 Cobb and Campbell.
33 Coweta and Fayette.
. 34 Meriwether and Talbot
-35 Pike and Upson.
36 Houston and Macon.
37 Dooly and Irwin.
33 Thomas and Decatur.
39 Baker and Early.
40 Lee and Sumpter.
41 Randolph and Stewart.
42 Muscogee and Marion.
43 Harris and Troup.
44 Heard and Carroll.
45 Paulding and Floyd.
46 Chattooga, Walker and Dade.
And whenever hereafter the Legislature shalllay off
and establish anew county, it shall be added to the
most contiguous Senatorial District having the smallest;
representative population.
JAMES M. WAYNE,
Picsident of the Convention.
Attest:
Ltcien La Taste, Sec’ry of the Convention.”
I therefore, in conformity with the provisions of the
before recited Act, do hereby give publicity to the same,
and enjoin each voter for members of the General As
sembly of ibis Slate, on the day therein specified, to-wii: i
on tin; first Monday in October next, to give his vote of
“ litUifieation” or “No Ratification ,” as provided in suid
Ail; and dint the presiding officers certify the same to i
this Department, accordingly.
, Given under my hand and seal of the
tL. S-5 Executive Department, at the capitol in
' ’ Milledgcville, ibis the day and year first
above written. GEORGE R. GILMER. I
By the Governor:
John 11. Steel, S, E. D.
June a :i3-e |
i’otamii,
IjjMRBT SORT, just received and fur sale !>v
JIABVEY SIIOTWKI.L,
Opposite die Central iioiel. j
June » 33 j
THE OBSERVER, No. 10.
Saturday, June 8,1839.
YVe have received * letter from Mr. Weazle, by which
it appears that he has been in a towering passion at
what he calls our “ mad pranks.” He has charged us
so positively to print the letter, that we are obliged to
comply, although we were strongly tempted to suppres
it, for reasons which will be obvious to the reader. We
will only venture to remark, that Mr. YV.’s term of
“boys” must not be taken literally as applied to us; for
one of us is near forty-five and the other is not much
on the right side of fifty.
YVe are sorry, though, that we have displeased our
old friend, and will apologize in person when he comes
hack. He has sent us a communication from Nestor:
Senilis, which we were not surprised to see ; for, as we j
said last week, whenever these two but, mum ! for
fear of another breeze. K. &J. j
44 Ermine Hall, May 31, 1839.
Quousque tandem abutere,....patientia nostra. — Cicero, j
What capers have ye been cutting?— Free translation. \
Yes! What capers have ye been cutting? What
tnad pranks have ye been playing ? ye graceless young
scamps! Ye, to whom, like a fond, foolish old man, I
entrusted the arrangement and publication of n>y lucu- J
brations. When I had prepared my seventh paper, j
and merely made you the bearers of it to the printer, 1
what demon possessed you to tack on to it such a tale j
as that which you were so presumptuous as to call No.:
8? An account of my birth, life and education! my j
genealogy and lineage! Verily, I have more than ha|f.
a mind to suspend you both for a term of weeks, for a
pair of meddling varlets; a punishment which you can
avert only by your future good conduct. Then too, to
mention those unsavory rascals, the Skunks ! I tell ]
you, young gentlemen, as I have ofttn told you before,
that they are not any connection with the YVeazles.—
And ‘Old Sol,’ forsooth.! ye graceless boys, to speak
thus of your father ! -It is well for you that my stay at
this place is protracted to an indefinite period ; as you
may yet avert my just indignation by comporting your
selves, until my return, with becoming dignity and de
corum, in the discharge of your delegated duties.—
Meantime, I charge you to print this letter, verbatim
and litleratim, that the public may see how far you
have already transcended your powers. I herewith
enclose, likewise, the second chapter of Nestor’s tra
vels in the inner world, which you will also print.
Any letters directed to me you will retain until my
return, unless they be of pressing importance; in which
case, you will forward them to mo to this place, lor I
cannot trust you to answer them.
Yours, as you demean yourselves,
SOLOMON WEAZLE.”
Travels in the Regions of the Gnomes, or
Sims’ World.
chapter 2.
YVhich treats of the personal appearance and peculi
arities of the Gnome race, interspersed with sundry
incidental remarks on certain other matters.
Friend Weazle—As I was saying—l was intuitively
conscious that I had arrived at the entrance of the Re
gion of the Gnomes, or “Sims’ World,” as I hear you
have headed my first chapter. I shall, at present, de
-1 fer giving a geographical description of that country,
as I previously intended; or rather, I shall reserve it,
to sprinkle in occasionally as seasoning to my regale
of wonders. In this chapter I shall endeavor to pre
sent before you some idea of the Gnomes themselves.
I was there (as you pretend to be here, brother YY’ea
zle,) invisible at will; and was therefore enabled to
i make my observations in secret, and select from real
; life. Now, if any heretic or unbeliever is disposed to
j call in question the truth and fidelity of this matter, all
I can say to such is, call around to my Cottage of Love,
some pleasant afternoon, go with me, and-satisfy, your
selves. I shall, no doubt, be found to differ very much
with all writers heretofore on this subject, and works of
fancy andffiction.* Such are.mcre tissues of the brain,
cobwebs of the imagination.; they will soon settle down,
overburthened with the mists of the night in which
they were fabricated, to he trodden under loot and for
gotten in this noonday of discovery. Tottering, as I
am, on the brink of the grave, and with the weight of
ninety years upon my head, I would refrain from say
ing aught that had the least shadow of untruth or ex
aggeration in it. I would, in fact, rather curtail than
stretch the truth; rather fall short of a true description,
than go beyond it. But this is not an every day busi
ness ; therefore, I may presume that a great number
that read this will doubt the truth, and cry out 44 Gulli
ver redivivus,” or “Peter Wilkins’ Ghost.” As my
worthy friend, Jeremy Bentham used to say—hut I
shall make this prelude too long; I will tell you what
Bentham used to say some other time.
The Gnomes are a singular portion of the human
race, (for such, in fact, they are,) possessing similar fa
culties of body and mind, though of an inferior, yet in
many things, of a superior kind. They are smaller in
stature, and looked to me at first like a nation of dwarfs.
They have also some peculiarities of form and certain
appendages to their persons, shat we of daylight are
not blessed with. All the males that I have seen, are
covered, from the shoulders down to just at the point
of the knee, with a comfortable coat of hair, which is
of a clear white color, and as fine as the softest silk.
The hair on the head is short and woolly, curling after
the manner of the ancient statuary; but every fibre on
the body reaches naturally to the same point, just at
the knee. The fashion is now (or was, when I left) to
wear it in ringlets all over the body—to effect this pur
pose, and regulate the fashions generally, the Gnomes
have particular persons, annually set apart, or elected
by general ballot, whose business it is to curl the hair
of all their constituents within a certain space of coun- \
*Nestor certainly does give rathera different account
of the G nomes from those which have been left us by
former writers on the subject. In the Rosicrucian phi
losophy, these imaginary beings were made to play a
very important part. They were supposed to be a race
of subterranean spirits, inhabiting the innermost parts
of the earth, to whose guardianship and control were
submitted mines, quarries and all other deposits of sub
terranean treasure. Some writers imagined that they
bore a certain resemblance to the human form, whilst
others assert that they are minute spirits of extremely
delicate and fairy-like constitution ; having no definite
or proper form, but possessing the faculty of assuming i
various shapes and anpearances. According to those:
who maintained the former opinion, the Gnomes were
of two sexes, the males being called Gnomons, the fe
males Gnomides. Besides being the guardians of
mines, &.C., as above stated, they were also entrusted
with the management of growing plants and the fruits
of (he Earth ; and were sometimes employed in mov
ing and animating the bodies of animals on thesurface !
of the Earth. They had great respect and reverence
lor the human race, whom they considered as models
lor imitation, and they were even at times deputed to[
attend upon certain individuals, men or women, in the
performance of which duty they were aided by their |
being invisible—n quality which allowed them, at all
tunes, free and uninterrupted access every where.
ll will be observed that, in sjieaking of these beings,
I have here employed the words “ supposed, iningum- j
ry," which are used with reference to the accounts gi-!
[ ven ol them by the authoni alluded to in this note; and
j not, by any means, as lieanng on any thing which lias ]
been, or may hereafter be, said by my old friend, Nes
tor, wbose account, being tlmt of an eye witness and
actual visitant to the Gnomic regions, is entitled to be-:
I tel, and therefore renders the lact of the existence ol 1
such beings indubitable R. W,
try called a district, once every month. It ; s a j
duty of these representatives, as they are termed
meet once or twice every year, to decide in what m’ t 0
ner the hair shall be worn ; whether it shall be an "
ped, singed or curled. There was like to have h^° P
great revolution among them a few vears i" *
seme obscure representative proposed tliat'th 'tT
nation should be shaved ; but all was hapnilv °7
by the females, who came nobly forward and dT*
ed, wuh one voice, that they would destroy theaJ]v«
ts such a thing ever should take place. It i 3 iJZ,
die journals of the day as a “noble sacrificed 'a
the are dignified with the titles of 44 their calm, •
better half,” “ their country’s guardian angels,” *
These Representatives also recommend the manner
m winch the tad shall be carried ; for the Gnomes 1
furnished with an appendage of this nature «ever!i
yards in length, and of a beautiful shy-bine color Th
tad ,s worn in a great many different ways, as fashion
convenience, or official importance may dictate o, r*
qmre . some wear it coded around, from the hips up.
ward ; others wear it thrown over the shoulders ala
mditaxre, .with the end, which is very bushy, danglinp
onones.de, hke a sash; others, again,
Turyue ln the form of a turban, (for it is plenty l on »
enough ) with the end hanging over one ear, or at the
back of .be tread, like a tassel. 1 have even seen some
Dandy Gnomes wear it over one arm, or, like the De
vil m the representations of Cruikshank, use it in l ieu
of atv alktng stick. The Aristocracy, a privileged class
I beheve every where, sometimes wear this ornament’
in its full length and glory, carried behind them on the
hacks of some half dozen tame Gophers, a domestic
antmal of great use and value among the Gnomes
which need not surprise us. If we refle t for a moment
what a different country that is from ours, we shall sec
the need of a different race of domestic animals; and
such they have. Alligators and crocodiles, which we
abhor and fear, are there domesticated and used as
milch cows, beasts of burden, &c. Their houses arc
infested with frogs, toads, lizards, &c.; snakes of va
rious ki t ds are made household domestics in place of
cats with us, and are just as harmless and inoffensive.
But to return—the Gnomes may, t first sight, have the
appearance, to a stranger, of a set of masking young,
sters on a spree or drunken frolic. Most of them have
eyes of a light pink or fiery red color. (I shall prove,
by-and-hye, satisfactorily, I think, that the Albinos
spring from an unnatural connection with the Gnomes.)
I have seen, among the females, some few possessing
eyes of a beautiful straw-color; but these are rare, on
ly to be found in particular localities, and are consider
ed great beauties. Some have green or grey eyes, but
none blue or black, as with us: “The Devil,” they
say, 44 has blue eyes.”
The Gnome women—l beg pardon ! I should have
said the Ladies; for nothing is more galling to one of
them than to be addressed by the most proper name of
woman—l think I have noticed the same weakness
since my return among some of my daylight acquaint
ances. Tlte Gnome Ladies then are distinguished from
the men by a flowing head of hair, of a bright golden
color, reaching almost to the ground, and of such mas
sive and luxuriant thickness as to entirely supercede
the necessity of the coat of hair with which the males
are clothed, and of which, as far as I could learn, the
Gnomides are destitute. They make a greast boast of
tliis, as proving their superiority over the other sex;
tor, like all womenkind, they are continually arguing
this point, and asserting their superior claims on every
occasion. One social arrangement there, I was very
much pleased with : the Fimales do all the courting,
instead of the males; it is a continual leap year! If
one takes a fancy to one of the Masculine Gender, she
begins her attack upon his affections by transmitting
presents ol pies, cakes, rarities, or whatever she thinks
would best suit his palate. The heart of a Gnome, to
use a figurative expression of that country, lies buried
in his stomach—his affections are the slaves of his ap
petite. After sufficiently paving the way with good
things, she ventures to call at the abode of her beloved,
lie may not he at home to her the first time, for coy
ness sake, when she leaves her card, (i. e. a miniature
portrait of herself). In two or three days she ventures
to call again : if he likes the appearance of her card
well enough to be at home to her the second time, she
may calculate successfully on a husband; if not, the
courtship is at an end. They are never allowed to
marry the second time, so there are no inducements
for the wife to pour boiling lead in her husband's ear,
nor for the husband to beat his wife to death with the
poker; on the contrary, their chief aim and care is to
keep one another alive as long as possible; and during
nil my sojourn amongst them, I never heard of a fami
ly jar or a quarrel between Gnome and wife. I opine
in this country it would be well enough if some such
course were adopted. lam too aged to see it myself,
but 1 look forward, with the eye of a Prophet, to the
time when this will be considered by our Legislative
powers as a matter of deep and absorbing interest, and
worthy of many a special act. The march of mind
and improvement, mark me'! is hut just ’begun. If I
was certain of living to perfect them, I have many a
plan of improvement to suggest to my fellow men, that
would be of infinite benefit. However, when I die I
shall leave a vast amount of manuscripts behind me,
some of which will cause a complete revolution in al
most every thing now before the world; but as I wish
not for posthmouus honors, I shall contrive that none
will know whence these new lights are derived, or by
whom promulgated. Ido not wish to injure or detract
from his fame, but if my particular friend, Mons. D’-
Aguerre, at Paris, was to publish to whom he was in
debted for his discovery, it would be found to come
from a different source than it docs now in the world’s
opinion ; but I told him not to mention my name in
connection with the discovery. The first idea 1 had
of it was from the Gnomes : the very children in that
countfy have such toys to play with, and can draw the
most perfect representations, just with the aid of a rush
light. Sir Isaac Newton used to say—but my paper ia
getting short—l will write you again soon. Addio.
NESTOR SENILIS.
I have received a vast number of letters in relation to
the Theatre; many of which request me to pronounce
on the propriety or impropriety of being present at such
entertainments. I therefore take this method of in
forming my correspondents that I decline entering in
to this controversy, especially at this time, for several
weighty reasons. For, while there is a class of persons
who have attacked the Theatre with excessive zeal,
there is another class who are disposed to defend it with
unnecessary warmth. Now Ido not feel inclined to
step in betweeu these excited parties, and thus draw
down upon myself the wrath of both: for both are in
temperate in tlieir behavior, and whilst the stigma ol
“Bigot” is hurled at its opponents by one party, d*®
term “ pretended Moralist" is too lavishly used by the
other. Let each one act as his own conscience will
dictate, and he will do no wrong; and a man may cer
tainly claim a right to do this, without asking too much :
if he act according to this, no one has any right to find
fault with him. Many excellent persons frequent the
Theatre, and on the other hand, it is equally true, th*t
many very had men make it their constant practice to
go regularly to Church. Let us then exercise chanty
towards one another, on this, as on all other subjects,
and not find fault with our neighbor for doing tb» l
which “sceineth good in his own eyes."
Above nil, I must recall to my readers the golden
precept, neither to judge nor condemn, until theyha'®
fairly examined both sides.
*«* Mr. Weaxle acknowledges, with much pleasure,
the receipt, through his friend, the Editor of the Poa*.
of a polite invitation to attend tlie Examination °*
pupils ol Mrs. Napier's Academy. Whilst he P l ***®
hut thanks to the Lady PriucipaJ for this courteo****