Newspaper Page Text
\
1852.]
introduced to the reading world by such authors
as Baizac and Sand. Abandoning the hearty and
wholesome tone which has almo>t always charac
terized English fictitious liierature, throwing ut
terly overboard the living and breathing scenes of
euch authors as the Fieldings, the Smolletts, the
Scotis, the Edgeworths, the Carltons, the Gores,
the Dickens, the Thaekerays—giving up the
painting of real human manners and human ac
tions — Mr. Nathaniel Hawthorne and some others
of his countrymen, have adopted the style of a
bastard French school, and set themselves to the I
analysis and dissection of diseased mind and un
healthy and distorted sentiment. Anything more
sad and foul than this change it would be impos
sible to imagine. To pass from Scott and Dick
ens to Sand and Balzac, is like giving up the
smiling landscape glowing in its freshness and its
beauiy, for the loathy atmosphere, the wretched
sights and smells ol a dissecting-room, or aban
doning the busy street, or the pleasant social cir
cle for charnals and catacombs. And yet this is
what Young America seems bent upon. Instead
ot sketching the really representative men of their
country—instead of conveying to us on this side
ot ihe Atlantic a true idea of American society—
society in the great sea board city or in the far
west settlement—instead of presenting us with
stories racy of the soil and instinct with ils vigor
ous and aggressive theories, the misguided party
in question select some half dozen morbid phases
of mind, bring before us three or four intellectual
cripples or moral monsters ; personages resembling
in their spiritual natures the calves with two
j neads, or the cats with rive legs exhibited at fairs,
and then proceed with the dryest minuteness to
describe the pathology of the morbid struciure, to ;
■ race and dissect the anatomy of the monstrous
moral and intellectual abortion—and instead of
laying before us a wholesome story of natural
character and motive, to let us into the secret
turnings and windings of unhealthy and abnormal
mental power and promptings.
Swimming Schools.
We rejoice to perceive that schools for the in
struction of this invaluable art, are beginning to
be established over the country. In all commer
cial cities such establishments should be created.
They would, undoubtedly, be patronized, since
their usefulness in such localities could not fail to
ibe recognized. We wish that Charleston would,
in ttiis respect, follow the example of Cincinnati,
where we are informed “a swimming school has
been established for boys and young men,” which
is so fashionable that another will probably be
established for girls and ladies.
Epigram,
(Upon a young man, who at the age of twen
ty Jive complained that he was losing his hair.)
You think yourself unfortunate! but no !
Believe me Jonas that it is not so:
If to the view of all your head is bare,
Tlie unrespected plaything of the air,
What matters it?—a balance, now, between
The outward and the inward man is seen ;
Within the head’s untenanted, no doubt.
It now grows bare, Irom sympathy—without.
Strange Definition of a Coffin.
The propensity of Pat for bulls is certainly
unconquerable. We heard him conversing the
other day upon death. He spoke with the seri
ousness which the subject demanded, and some of
his views were just and philosophical. When
however, he came to discuss the different kinds of
! coffins that should be used in different climates, he
spoke of the last receptacle of our race, as “the
I house in which man lived after he was dead.”
| This was certainly a bull, and yet not so much so
SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
as may be at first imagined, for if the records of
medical experience do not lie, there have been
many —too many unfortunates to whom the cof
fin has indeed proved a “living tomb.”
Miss Worrall’s Concert.
We regret not having been able to attend the
second Concert given by this accomplished per
former at Mount Pleasant, on the evening of
Tuesday week. From those, however, who were
so fortunate as to be present, we understand that
the entertainment was not only crowded, but that
it afforded general pleasure and satisfaction. We
had intended to prepare a more extended notice
of this Concert, but are compelled to abandon our
purpose, on account of the lateness of the period
at which our information reached us. We trust
that on a future occasion, we shall be able to do
that justice to Miss Worrall, which her merits as
as a musician demand.
An Apology.
We must apologize to our readers for the large
amount of space which unoriginal matter occu
pies in the present number. Severe indisposition
(not of mind but body,) has precluded us from
furnishing our customary quantum of editorial
This, however, our readers must consider an ad
vantage, when they perceive the nature of the
articles we have employed as substitutes.
A Dutiful Wife.
it is stated that Lady Jane Peel, the wife of
the late Sir Robert, whenever an article appeared
against her husband’s political courses, was ac
customed to cut it from the papers and paste it
upon her screen. Someone defends her con
duct, by observing that “it is but the duty of
every good wife to screen her husband’s faults.”
Conundrums.
Whoever answers, in the course of two weeks,
the majoriiy of these conundrums correctly, shall
be put upon our free list for a year ensuing.
Come! friends! exert your ingenuity. If the
prize is trifling, so is the performance.
1. In what respect do galley-slaves resemble
an audience listening to the Irish patriot Meagher?
2. Why does a drawing-room mirror resemble
the Turnkey of a Prison?
3. Why should a Bible, resting upon a piano,
be less of a mysterious book in that position than
any other ?
4. In what particular does a healthful person
about to dine resemble inspired prophecies?
5. Why does an inexperienced Philanthropist,
deceived by the assumed lamentations of a Nevv-
York “foundling” resemble Jonah ?
G. Why does an individual convicted of larce
ny resemble the knives of a good Cutlery Estab
lishment ?
A Tender Disposition.
The following anecdote proves the extremity
to which a susceptible heart may be driven, by
the inconstancy of woman. Let all young ladies
of “ sweet sixteen,” or thereabout, ponder well
upon the agonies an injudicious exercise of their
powers so frequently produces, “The late Robt.
C. Sands, (says the N. Y. Sun,) sued for dam
ages in a case of breach of promise of marriage.
He was offered S2OO to heal his breaking heart.
‘Two hundred’ he exclaimed! ‘two hundred dol
lars for ruined hopes and a blasted life ! Two
hundred dollars for all this ! No—never ! Make
it three hundred and it's a bargain ”
A Picture and a Soliloquy.
Conceive of a poor, half starved, miserable
youth, “out at elbows, out of credit,” reclining
listlessly upon a deserted stall of the maiket
place, and indulging in the following “ghostly
wish,” the expression of which we copy from
“Parker’s Journal.”
“I wish I was a ghost, blamed if I don’t !”
“They goes wherever they please, toll free; they
don’t owe nobody nothing, and that’s a comfort.
Who ever heard tell of a man what had a bill
against a ghost? Nobody. They never buy hats,
and vittals, and liquor, nor has io saw wood and
run arrants as I do. Their shifts never gets dir
ty, nor their trowsers out at the knees, as lever
heard tell on. Ghosts is the only independent
people I knows on. I railly wish I was one.”
(Dili* Booii Jqble.
Up Country Letters. Edited by Prof. B , Na
tional Observatory. D. Appleton at Cos., New-York.
These letters, which are penned as if from the
retirement of a country home, although exhibiting
some taste and considerable information, are by
no means calculated to be generally popular. By
this we mean no disparagement to the volume ;
we only intend to convey the idea that the subjects
which the author has chosen, necessarily demand
to be treated with that air of quiet philosophy
and unimpassioned thought, too healthful and
pure to satisfy, or please the morbid taste of the
masses. But to those who have the time and
temper to appreciate the musings of a mind far
from the marts of trade, and the busy trickeries
of ambitious cunning, this book cannot fail to
prove a most agreeable companion. We extract
the following graphic passages, sure that our rea
ders will thank us for them :
“Our clergyman is almost a perfect pattern of
a country lector ; so, at least, we think, who have
had varieties, and have some ground for this our
present liking. His preaching would never draw
crowds, bui alw-ays gathers together a little ciicle
who know- how to appreciate good things. His
sermons are like little cabinet pictures, exceed
ingly well designed, and perfect as a poem from
first to last. I cio profess to have some taste for a
good thing, sir ; and, I assure you, this modest
man has a rare gift of preaching, which would
delight you to hear. I come back to our plain
church and our plain clergyman, after oui little
airings about the coumry, where we have heard,
perhaps, the celebrated Mr. ‘ Wideawake,’or the
notorious—l mean the illustrious—Mr. ‘New Je
rusalem’—l return to our quiet ways and old fash
ioned associates, precisely as after stimulants, I
would se6k out, with what thankfulness! the cool
spring by the wayside, and the shade of the old
oak tree.
“Stir me up with no long pole, sir, on this sub
ject, hut give me rest and peace. Do not these
breaking bones, and throbbing- temples, and the
long nights of weariness tell me my sin suffi
ciently, I ask you ? Is there any one in the broad
land who has more need to ask for God’s deliver
ance ‘in all tune of our tribulation, in all time of
our prosperity, in the hour of death, and in the
day of judgment ?’
“By the time we reach home, Kate, who goes
to her church earlier, and gets home by eleven
o’clock, has wheeled out the little round table,
and there is already the cheerfulness of dinner—a
105