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Look not to the Heaven that smiles above,
Look not on the beautiful earth,
Stale worship and murder love,
For what is the madness worth ?
But worship is faith, the Angel’s wealth,
j And love’s is a bliss untold,
Pshaw ! honour them both, if you choose, by stealth,
But shout—for the God of Gold.
Not yet! not yet! for mark you friend !
As the flashing wheels go ’round,
Cries of woe wi h the tumult blend
Os a tr.umph less profound—
Victims writhe on the Chariot’s track,
Red is the course it rolls,
And the God you worship looks not back
On the mangled human souls.
The Widow’s groans and the Orphan’s tears,
The curse of imperial mind,
Swell the chorus of darkened years,
That Dkmon hath left behind:
From the dust his pampered steeds inhale,
From the blackened and blasted sod,
The cry of blood like a Phantom’s wail.
Mounts to the Courts of God.
Arid the door will ope to the moaning prayer,
And Vengeance will rise in might.
And swear by the Lord who reigneth there,
To give to the Nations—light;
Anil his glance will burn through the fiery skies,
And the God of this world sink down ;
With the glare ol Hell in his lustful eyes,
And the rust on his waning Crown.
Then Tempter! throttle the damning lie,
Which maketh the wise to laugh,
And tell us not that the creed is high,
Whose type—is a golden Calf;
Gold ! may the strength of its rule decay,
Wither it branch and root,
’Tis only found in the realms of Day,
To be trodden—under foot.
ft gjigl) of Soggift.
Theatrical.
Mow that the season has fairly opened, we have
had an opportunity of forming some estimate of
the ability of the present stock company. We
have attended the Theatre regularly, in order that
we might arrive at correct conclusions upon the
merits of the respective performers. This, in most
cases, is considerably above the average. “The
School for Scandal,” the most laborious and diffi
cult Drama yet presented us, was, upon the whole,
very creditably acted. Mr. Oxley’s “Joseph Sur
face” was capital. The hypocrite, bold in his
hypocrisy, and unblushing in his reliance upon
that weakness of human nature, which is blinded
by the dazzle of mere “sentiment,” was very
justly conceived. “Sir Peter” and his wife, Sir
Benjamin Backbite and nephew, also Lady Snare
well and Snake, were all [in a theatrical sense,]
good characters. Charles Surface and
however, might have been improved. The lady
lacked animation, and the hero, who should have
aroused in his audience a certain degree of sym
pathy for those extravagant follies which are oc
casionally the safety valves of impetuous youth,
seemed half asleep himself, and nearly succeeded
in bringing his hearers to the same condition.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, we are bound
to say, however, that the play was deservedly suc
cessful. “London Assurance,” and several petite
Comedies have been acted since, which have de
veloped the talents of several members of the
corps most favourably. Among these we would
especially mention Mr. Sloan, and his very pretty
and accomplished lady. The grace of the one,
and the irresistibly comic countenance of the other
SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
have made them both popular. Os Miss Crews,
whose admirable delivery of Mr. Simms’ poem on
Thur-day night gave universal satisfaction, we
believe there can be but one opinion. Her train
ing, though somewhat too conventional is excel
lent, and the vivacity and spirit of her persona
tions uncommonly pleasing and effective. In fine,
we congratulate the managers upon the favourable
auspices which have attended the opening of the
season, and the public upon the revival of the le
gitimate Drama so long suffering from “coma,”
amongst us.
Senior Exhibition.
On the evening of the 12th inst., the annual ex
hibition of the senior class of the Charleston Col
lege took place in the College Chapel. We had
not the pleasure of being present, but from what
we have heard, it must have been a very creditable
affair. There were four speakers, all of whom,
we understand, acquitted themselves with ability.
Mr. John Torre, who spoke upon the comprehen
sive subject of “Science and Religion,” gained
the medal. His effort is spoken of in the highest
terms by all who heard it. Indeed we are told
that his oration, as the production of one so young
was altogether remarkable, and gave promise of
an intellect, which if properly exerted, [as we
have no doubt it will be,] may in time be an hon
our to himself and his State. To the remaining
speakers high commendation has been awarded.
The poem on “Creation,” del’vered by Mr. Co
vert, and published in the columns of the News,
presents seveial graceful and vigorous passages.
To our mind, the following are the most commen
dable verses:—The author is describing the gar
den of Ldeu. The lines italicised embody an
exceedingly graceful conception.
“The luscious fruit, tempts the enraptured eye—
In colour varied as the rainbow tint —
Bursting in ripeness from its inner core,
In seeming supplication to he plucked.
While troin the tiny warbler’s throat, the sound
Os music, sweet and gladsome minstrelsy,
Fours fourth its richness ‘on the desert air!’
Here peace andplemy hailed therisii g morn.
And ease and quiet marked the live-long day.
Beneath yon spreading elm, whose branches sip
The cool, refreshing spring, the timid fawn
And lion bold together lie, in love
And holy harmony, obedient both!”
Bennet and “the Torpedo.”
The late attempt upon the life of the editor of
the New-York Herald , is certainly au anomaly
in the aunals of crime. Whether Mr. Bennet re
gards its frustration as a special interference of
Providence in his behalf we do not kuow, but cer
tainly his escape seems almost miraculous, and
we trust that Ins gratiiude is proportionate. Al
ter presenting his readers with a minute account
of the torpedo, or “infernal machine,” so carefully
sent him by the friend—or f. iends—who pro
posed his elevation, and publishing the affidavits
of all connected in any way with the affair, Mr.
Bennet adds:
“We would not have taken any notice of this
diabolical attempt, were it not that we think it is,
under the circumstances, our duty to society to do
so. We only regard it with scorn and contempt.
We are conscious of having committed no wrong
against any individual which could at all warrant
the supposition of this being an act of private
revenge, and we confess it is anew phase in our
social character if the high, fearless, and inde
pendent course of a public journalist is to have
for its guerdon only a present of an ‘infernal ma
chine.’ To such of our brethren of the press as
follow the independent course that has marked
the career of the New-York Herald, we commend
this lesson for their serious consideration, and
warn them to weigh well the danger of their en
terprise. Torpedoes are not the most desirable tes
timonials of public or private esteem ; but for our
selves, we will not be deterred from the perform
ance of our duty, were we aware that there was
a whole manufactory of torpedoes in full operation
tor our special benefit.”
The “Cabin and the Parlour.”
It is certainly humiliating, that while Mrs.
Stowe’s fiction of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” has made
more noise in the world than a book of six times
its merit should have done, that all the attempts to
refute its sophistry, and to uphold the Southern
question, have been judged with coldness by the
critics, even by those amongst us. Now this is abso
lutely shameful, especially when we consider that
there is one reply at least to Mrs. Stowe, which,
as a mere literary production, is in every respect
equal to “Uucle Tom,” and as an artistic tale far
surpasses it. We allude to the work of Mr. Ran
dolph’s, called the “Cabin and the Parlour.”
There is one chapter in this work which is so par
ticularly excellent, that we intend to present it to
our readers entire.
Suspenders vs. Straps.
The following suggestions from a distinguished
source, will be read with interest we are sure by
all our female friends. That the sex should be
thus unfeelingly recommended to go to the gal
lows is positively monstrous. We confess to no
great admiration of a strapping woman, but even
she is better than a woman suspended. We,
therefore, disagree in toto with the “recommen
dations.”
“Mrs. Bloomer, who edits a paper calh-d ‘The
Lily,’ published monthly, at Seneca Falls, New-
York, undertakes, in the last number of her jour
nal, to give the winter fashions of the Bloomer
dress, in reply to several letters of inquiry which
she has received. Among other peculiarities of
her style of apparel, she urges her lady friends to
wear ‘ euspenders , the same as those worn by the
men, and 111 the same manner.’ These, she says,
are preferable to straps; and she remarks that
they are now worn to a considerable extent. At
a meeting which was held at Seneca Falls on the
14th ult., some fifty ladies, from different parts of
Nevv-Yoik State, attended in Bloomer dress.”
“Buckle on your Preserver Right.”
Under this head the Scientific American de
scribes the following unlucky mishap, which befell
of late a man of science in the West. Such up
setting of one’s gravity , is possibly not so agree
able as under different circumstances it might be.
There is nothing, certainly, so disgusting as being
out of one’s element, but to make the acquaint
ance of a foreign element by inversion, and that
too “ nolens volens ” is detestible.
“An inventor of a patent life preserver tested
its efficacy a few days since, in the presence of a
large crowd at Cincinnati With it girdled to his
body, he jumped into the Ohio, not far from Wal
nut-street. Some of the gearing became di.-placed,
and instead of the inventor’s head remaining at
the top of the water, his position was leversed
the head down and feet up. It was with difficulty
the assembled crowd saved the gentleman lroni
drowning.” #
[.November 20’