Newspaper Page Text
1852.]
fiiitnr'u Dfpartmntt.
CHARLESTON, S. C
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. 3, 1852.
THE NEW YEAR.
The recurrence of that interesting period of
t j nie the New-Year —is a proper occasion for the
interchange of congratulations and kind wishes
between friend and ‘associates. Iho present an
niversary finds us, however, in circumstances
which make such greetings not only proper, but
obligatory. Counting by dates, this is ihe fifth
year of the existence of our journal, a period of
time which warrants us in the exercise of no vain
belief, that its value has been recognized, for cer
tainly had it been otherwise, its days had been
long since numbered. Many who, at first, doubt
ed its success, have long since ceased to doubt,
and are now among the most hopeful of its
friends. We may be pardoned, perhaps, for in
dulging a feeling of pride in this triumph over
their too cautious counsel, while we call upon
them, at this point of our progress, to rejoice in
the success already achieved.
The chief cause of congratulation, however,
which presents itself now, is the change which we
have just effected in the form of our journal.
This change must, inevitably, affect its character
and tone, for every reflecting reader will perceive,
at once, that a higher and stricter standard of me
rit must be applied to the contents of a journal
designed for preservation, than that which is ap
plied to a more ephemeral sheet. We shall take a
deeper interest in, and expend more thought and
labour upon, the new series, from the consideration
that the work may become a part of the home li
brary in many households. We feel satisfied, also,
that it will grow in the regard of our readers in
consequence of the change, and hence it is that
we consider the occasion one for especial con
gratulation with them.
We have little to say in the way of promises
for the coming year. Conscious of an unceasing
desire to increase the value of our journal, we
shall avail ourself of every facility, and press into
our service every accessory of progress. We have
denominated the Gazette “A Journal of Thought
and Event.” By these two words we intend to
represent the two great spheres of Mind and Mat
ter—the Intellectual and the Physical Worlds.
Under this broad banner, we may fitly exclaim—
“No pent up Utica contracts our powers,
But the whole boundless continent is ours.”
How successfully we may redeem the pledge
implied in this title, and in the simple, but elo
quent motto which we have adopted, our readers
must decide.
We have then—to borrow a figure—refitted our
. “vessel, and launched it once more upon the sea of
adventure. Its progress will depend upon the fa
vour ol the public ; that is the breath which alone
can till it sails, and waft it swiftly and safely into
the haven. It is ours to see that the vessel is
staunch and tight—that it is well rigged and well
provisioned. It is ours, moreover, to exercise a
SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
perpetual vigilance at the helm ; all these duties
we shall endeavour faithfully to discharge, and
with this brief manifest,, we shall at once weigh
anchor for the New-Year’s voyage.
BILLS PAYABLE.
Among the annual visitors which the holidays
bring to our fireside, the only unwelcome ones
are those gentle reminders of the outgoings of our
purses, or rather the extension of our credit, to
prevent the same—called bills. The ring whicli
announces them is not an ordinary tingle. It has
a sharp, preremptory sound, as if the bell knew at
once the importance, and the unwelcome nature
of the intruder. The blue lined foolscap has a
fold peculiar to itself—the very entries are m
blacker ink than usual, the sum total, particularly,
staring the unfortunate recipient in the face, with
the most black and distressing positiveness, figures
are capable of expressing. It is a style of card
we are not at all anxious to see the rack filled
with, and yet, like the besieging host—“still they
come.” There is the dry goods bill, with ma
dame’s dresses, and the children’s cloaks ; —the
boot-maker astonishes you with a list of works
upon the understanding, which he has furnished to
the order of yourself and family ; —the milliner,
the dress-maker, the tailor, the grocer, all in fear
ful array, have remembered what you have had,
if you have forgotten it, and are, by no means,
more disinterested in their charges than you would
be in their place.
We know of but one rule to avoid the intro
duction of such visitors to your household—pay
ing for each article as it is purchased. Very
simple in itself, it is a system of book-keeping
that will be found to answer admirably. Then
you are not tempted to go beyond your means.
Three or four more cents upon a yard, are nothing
when they go down in a bill, hut add up conside
rably when the amount is paid at once. You can
silence conscience by the morphine of credit, for
an expensive shawl,’when prompt payment would
rebuke the extravagant spirit calling for its pur
chase. Little things make large amounts, and
yet it is often easy to exercise self-denial, if ne
cessary, at the time. Apart from a certain inde
pendence in itself, there is nothing like cash pay
ment, to avoid unpleasant reflections of what is
to be forthcoming with the more agreeable holi
day remembrances of your friends. If you can
afford to purchase a thing, you can afford to pay
for it ; if not, common honesty would deny the
indulgence. To be sure this a rule to which cir
cumstances may make exceptions, but, as a gene
ral principle, to avoid the gradual accumulation
of embarrassments that have fettered many a fu
ture, the best motto we can give, is the oft re
peated, but seldom regarded proverb—“ Out of
debt, out of danger .”
” AN APOLOGY!
Very seldom have we been under the necessity
of making an apology to our readers for any
thing connected with the meehanical department
of our journal, but the delay in the issue of this
number makes it necessary for us to state the
cause. Three weeks ago, the steam engine of
Messrs. Walker & James’ establishment came
to a sudden stop by the giving out of the
boiler. It was entirely too small for the amount
of work required of it, and with the knowledge
ol this fact, they had ordered a new engine of
much greater power. The new engine is now at
work, but, in the mean time, a vast quantity of
press-work has remained unperformed. The de
lay ol the December Schoolfellow was thus oc
casioned—and but for this untoward accident, this
number of the Gazette would have been in the
hands of our city subscribers on New-Year’s day.
For the same reason, the January Schoolfellow,
and the Quarterly Review, will bo issued later
this month than our publishers intended to issue
them. Other work has also been unavoidably
delayed. The iron pulses of the new engine will
beat with untiring energy, however, until all ar
rearages are brought up, and things resume the
even tenor of their way.
il of do^sip.
A Christmas Festival.
The German School, attached to the new Ger
man Church, in Hasell-street, under the pastorate
of Mr. Muller, celebrated Christmas night, at Hi
bernian Hall, in a very appropriate and pleasing
manner. The hall was decorated with much taste,
and a beautiful Christmas tree blazing with nu
merous wax tapers, and bearing all sorts of gifts
and bonbons, was the centre of attraction. The
happy children performed their recitations, songs
and choruses, with great success. The German
Christmas is proverbially a season of joy and
gladness, and not a little of the spirit of the Vat
erlaud prevailed upon the happy occasion to
which we thus briefly allude.
A January Sonnet.
Now hail the first born of the waxing year,
In the white lap of Winter cradled fast;
Around him pitifully howls the blast,
And on his pale cheek hangs a frozen tear!
Cold is his bed, and cheerless as the bier,
On which the dead December breathed his last,
No fiower-scented air hath by him pass’d,
No ray of Nature’s beauty lingered near—
No voice of birds nath greeted him at morn,
Or sweetly sung, at eve, his lullaby ;
Unlike his sisters of the spring—forlorn
His lot, in gloom alone to live, to die,
Yet hail we now with joy, the joyless one —
That with his birth a Nkw Year is begun !
Railing Against Rails.
A Mr. Thomson, of the Tennessee Assembly,
opposes all rail-ways as demoralizing, and sug
gests the prosecution of all who travel to promote
their extension. His zeal for the public morals is
commendable, perhaps, but the public will be very
apt to pay little regard to his “railing accusa
tions.”
Frederica Bremer.
This distinguished lady reached Stockholm on
the 22d of Nov., just in time to take part in the
funeral obsequies of her eldest sister, Miss Marie
Bremer, from whom she inherits a handsome for
tune.
The Greek Slave.
An old lady who visited the celebrated statue
of Power, a day or two since, exclaimed to her
daughter, as her eye rested on the snowy marble,
“La, Jemimy, it ain’t a nigger after all.” Ima
gine Jemima’s confusion !
7