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(SMgtonsE. For the Temperance Crusader. AN APPEAL FOR SNAKES. ■ Reader do you kill every snake you Beet ? or do you hate and fear them indis ■riminately? If so, lend us your ears a ■ttle while and we think we can show, that Sou are a great, great sinner on the score humanity. Mind, we do not promise to ■nake you love them ; for, friend as we are Ro them, we feel nothing of that affection, that would lead us to dandle them as pets or treat them as companions. But that Ish maelitish feeling, that raises hand or heel against every thing in serpent form, and that brutish instinct that sets a whole village in ‘-hue and cry” after a garter-snake, as af ter a mad dog or painted Indian, we believe to be inhuman, unmanly, and behind the in tellectual pretensions of the 19th century. If we were to ask a dozen persons the reason of this wholesale warfare, we should receive as many answers; and not one of them entirely satisfactory, even to him who gave it. There is however a general fear of the whole serpent tribe. We believe most of it to be unreasonable and to result from a want of investigation. We think that if all these reasons were classified, they might be reduced under three heads: and for convenience then, what we have to say, will be arranged under three divisions. Ist. A kind of instinctice enmity. Many believe that in the fall, enmity was ordained between the seed of the woman and the ser pent; “it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.” They think that they feel this prompting, at sight of a snake, and how many sacredly grind the head to atoms with the heel, as a literal fulfilment of the prophecy and think they would falsify scripture if they acted differently. Now this account in Genesis is meant to be con strued figuratively. The snake had not sinned in being made the outward embodi ment of the “spirit of evil.” It was not the tempter, that spoke such cunning words of guile. Satan was the tempter; Eve the tempted; and this perpetual warfare was or dained between Satan and the human fami ly ; to end in the crushing of the “old ser pent” by the Son of Man. That this is the true intent of the passage will appear from several considerations. In the the whole account Gen. 3: 1-15, the serpent is men tioned as “more subtle than any beast ofthe field,” and as holding that cunning conversa tion with Eve, that led to her shameful fall and to the curses upon her seed and the ser pent. Satan never appears by name. Eve, in her innocence and her ignorance of good and evil, knew not so much that there was a “Spirit of Evil” and she recog nized, in the tempter, only the fleshly ser pent, that she had doubtless seen, many times before. To him she attributed all her woes. The Almighty did not undeceive her, and used such language as was adapted to her misconceptions. It was more impor tant that she should know her sin, than that she should have full knowledge of the de ceiver. The Almighty effects the former in a way, that she could not misunderstand, and veils, under her ignorance of the latter, a glorious prophecy, which is still hastening to its more glorious fulfilment. If we make the curse to have been uttered literally against the shake; then the snake (and not Satan, for he is never mentioned) was the tempter; if we adopt a literal interpretation of one part of the passage, we must contin ue it through the whole account. Now, in terpreting Scripture by Scripture,—2 Cor. 11: 3-14; Rev. 12: 9; Jno. jS: 44; 1 Jno. 3: 8. &c.. reveal this deceiver, as Satan; and Rom. 1U; 20; Rev. 12: 7-8, &c., fix the curse upon Satan. Again, the curse; “upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: * * * and thou shalt bruise his heel,” is not much more applicable to ser pents than some other classes of animals. — The first clause is too broad : for worms, snails, leeches, &c., go upon the belly. The second is inappropriate ; for snakes are no ted loverstd’ flesh and are constantly way laying unwary mice, frogs, fish, &c. And the third equally misses the mark; for of all parts of the body the heel is most seldom struck at or wounded by the snake. This language is merely figurative. In the florid style of the East, to crawl upon the ground and to lick the dust denote the lowest abase ment ; and to bruise the heel designates the unexpected and treacherous attack of the assassin. Could language more strongly ex press the deep degradation and the crafty wiles of Satan, the arch enemy of man? So much for the teachings of Holy Writ on this supposed instinct. The history of the human race is equally explicit. The child has neither fear nor hatred of the snake tribe, until both are taught it by the parent. The serpent-charmers of the East, make a livelihood by a fearless exhibition of the graces and docility of the famous Cobra de Capello. The ancients used the serpent as an honorable symbol of eternity. And many nations, in casting around for objects of worship, have not thought the serpent un worthy a place in their list of deities.— These facts show, that this instinct has not been inherited equally by all persons, and that it is rather a feeling, partaking of su perstition, than a salutary warning, implant ed in our natures for purposes of defence and protection. Secondly. A belief in certain magical powers possessed by snakes. Every one can tell some wonderful story of this kind. The horn snake, doubles up in a hoop, rolls along with great velocity and, letting fly with his horned tail, inflicts a mortal wound on some unoffending tree, manor beast.— The coach-whip snake, meeting some un lucky wight dozing along the road, collars him, holds him with the grip of a vice, and thrashes him, until he is glad to escape with his life. (Would that such dreamers could atone for their lies in a sound basting from a real coach whip,) And, then, the enchant ment q/the rattlesnake ; how he catches the eye of his victim; how the deluded one sees the beautiful tissue of colors floating around and around the fatal coil; how his senses lapse into a delicious revery of some far off elysium ; how he reaches forward to the glorious vision—and falls into the fangs of the destroyer, that thus mercifully intoxi- You will find it all mance, that we will not raise a sacrilegious hand against it. The rattlesnake is so fatal, that if romance can make him more to be dreaded, we shall not add to his victims by familiarizing him to our readers. Fortunately,he is the only poisonous snake, that is accused of “charming;” and with this exception, (if it be an exception) what ground have you for persecuting the whole race of snakes, for witchcraft. As to the two first named, the horn and coach-whip snakes, the charges are libellous. We ven ture to say, that, in the whole hounds of Georgia, there cannot be collected sufficient evidence to convict either of them, in a court of justice, of having made “an assault with intent to kill,” upon any man, “in the manner and form aforementioned.” And yet, on these poor grounds, a suspi cion is cherished against a whole race ol animals, weak and defenceless, at the best and with few exceptions, as we shall show hereafter, incapable of harm, even when pressed for their lives. Now treat them with common sense. Banish all these super stitious fears ; find out which are poisonous and which not; kill the hurtful ones, as many as you please; but oh ! in mercy, spare, spare the innocent. Dennis. [To be continued ] For the Temperance Crusader. LETTER FROM UNCLE DABNEY. Messrs. Editors , —In your paper of the 19th inst., you ask “where is Joe Grisham, Dabney Jones, and Ben. Brantly?” I have no doubt, my good old comrades in the va rious Temperance battle fields where we have been shoulder to shoulder, are where they have always been, and are able to an swer for themselves. -So far as your inter rogatory in reference to myself is concern ed, I will say, I am where I have been ever since 1832. In that year I enrolled my name in the Temperance army during the war, or till the end of life. I now believe, as I have believed for years, that drunken ness and liquor-shops are the curse of all curses, and up to this day liquor-sellers hold up their licenses, steeped in gore, bap tized in tears and saned with the groans of the dying every where, as authority from a Christian Legislature to rollon tiietide of woe, lamentation, death, temporal and eter nal ! In the Providence of God and at the call of my friends, I was called out in the year 1847, to be the humble standard bearer of our glorious cause, or, as you are pleased to say, the “Pioneer” in the good cause. How many miles, I traveled, how many speeches I made, what good I accom plished, are not yet forgotten, and though politics and demagoguism have swept like a dark cloud over our moral horizon, yet like the bow of hope in the clouds, here and there like the varied hues of the rain bow, the principles of our cause shine in lovely and bold relief. For three years I laboured far and near, making moral sua sion my only polar star, —I thought, that alone would do; it was a mistake. This mistake arose from an ignorance of human nature, not considering its weakness and liability to fall by temptation, hence I found our moral suasion comparable to pour ing water upon a burning building, and as buildings were saved, hot shot wore con tinually thrown in by an enemy; the fires again are kindled and hopes blasted. So with those volcanoes, hell’s eruptive lava, (dram shops) have thrown their burning flames upon the fair Temperance fabrics, and swept them away, in too many places. I mean this so far as the redeeming of drunkards in too many instances is con cerned. These facts, in part, account for the present gloom that hangs over onr case. Early iti the year 1852 (I think it was,) I became a convert to the Prohibition prin ciple. In this I expect to live and die.— Hence I have been accused of inconsisten cy. Well, let it be so, “wise men sometimes change, fbojsnever do.” Ah! gentlemen, if Prohibitionists in Georg j# bad stood as a unit, one and indivisable during the last campaign, we would have taught Politi cians a lesson not soon to be forgotten.— And though we lmd a candidate for Gov ernor, safe, reliable, a southern man to the core, yet forsooth, Americanism and De mocracy ruled the hour, and our Tempe ranee hosts who had considered a Prohibi tory law of paramount importance, flew the track! All honor, however, to those six thousand who stood firm and immovable as their native hills, who voted for Over and Prohibition. Governor Johnson is the first Governor that has noticed the license systemj I mean in the way he did. But I respectfully ask, vvhgt did it amount to? — I have no objection to trausfuring the grant ing power from the clerk to the inferior court, if the court be clothed with power to grant or refuse altogether, (character or no character,) for I am a little like the Irish man, who applying for a license, was ask ed if he ttogld prove he had a moral char acter, said, faith, J 414 pot know a moral character was necessary to sell liquor.— I am much pleased with Judge Cone’s bill; all honour to him, and though it is not such a law as I could wish, yet will go far to “sketch the snake.” But will it, even, it, pass. Time will tell. But comrades, (Ed itors) I know what I wish. But then what shall we do? lansw&p, ‘‘pickopr flintsand try it again.” In the first place, let there be light. Let the Crusader, the lone star of our cause, be patronized, from mountain to sea, then mass meetings again, to collect and consolidate public opinion, have asso ciations, &c. We temperance folks, are strange foJkB, for though we hate liquor we love money. The Crusader ought to have at least twenty thousand subscribers, on several accounts: first, for its cause; se cond, for the ability with which it is con ducted —and gentlemen so far as the real good of our country and posterity is con cerned, let rne say, I would not exchange your Editorial chair for all the chairs Edi torial in Georgia, who give the cold should er to prohibition, apd though they may al lude to the withering evils of the drain shop system will not come out for the sup pression of it. I hope my friends, Grisham and Brantly, will pardon an old friend for alluding to them, yeti mnstdo so. First, then, to say I esteem Joe Grisham, would be feint praise,—/ lave him. His soul, bis mental and physical powers for the Temperance cause, will only cease with that is not all. none but God knows the bounds of his gen erosity in a substantial way. I mean his purse. Joe Grisham’s name will live (and God grant it may) when the Olive Tree, with Love, Parity and Fidelity encircled in its brandies, shall flourish on the grave of Alcohol. As to Ben Brantly, his mem ory shall never perish, he boldly flung out the flag of Prohibition years ago, and tho’ his moral suasion friends threatened, and some did quit the Banner, still his course was and is onward, and though like an Old soldier he has retired from the battle-field ol active warfare, still, Ben Brantly will go down to the tomb a Prohibitionist and Philanthropist. As to myself, bays, as I have so many neices and nephews in Geor gia, it would be wrong to question their at tachment to their old uncle. They will, I trust, when he lias passed away, do him jus tice. A word more and lam done. Tem perance heroes in Georgia, strike for the Crusader. Who will be one of a hundred that will exert their utmost to swell the subscription at least ten thousand this year, when the winter is over? If Ibe spared I will do what I can lor its increased circu lation. Yours, &e., DABNEY P. JONES, Alias “Uncle Dabney.” Prohibition Hill, Jud. 22, 185 G. P. S. As an evidence of Joe Grisham’s devotion to our cause, he proposed, you re collect, to be one of twenty to pay one hun dred dollars each to pay an itinerant lectu rer, to go broadcast in Georgia, and pro claim the principles of Temperance and Prohibition. I believe had his proposition succeeded, and a suitable man employed, to have spoken and scattered the “docu ments” it would have told out powerfully for the success of our cause. But our Tern perance ranks are so poor, nineteen more could not be found. You say, “we fear lie (myself) has said of us, he will have noth ing to do with us.” Now, boys, you are mis taken altogether; your uncle admires your indomitable courage in keeping your ban ner in the breeze. He admires your taste in the alteration of the name upon the bow of your noble, refitted up, Temperance Ship, Crusader. It reminds me of a man pulling off his vest and rolling up his sleeves for a renewed combat; your coat was off before, when your name was Ban tier. I am so pleased with your taste, I have concluded to alter the name of my residence. The Rail Road boys call, the heavy grade opposite my house, Prohibi tion Hill, hence I have concluded to as sume anew name for my residence. I). P. J. SHE IS THINE. —o —- She is thine, the word is spoken ; Hand to hand, and heart to heart, Though all other ties aro broken, Time these bonds shall never part: Thou hast taken her in gladness From the altar’s holy shrine, Oh! remember in her sadness, She is thine, and only thine. In so fair a temple never, Aught of ill can hope to come, Good will strive, and striving, ever Make so pure a shrine a home: Each the other’s love possessing, Say what care should cloud that brow, She will be to thee a blessing, And a shield to her be thou. For the Temperance Crusader. THE RICH AND POOR. BY EMMIE EMERALD. The ills of poverty have been portrayed by more gifted pens than mine, that have eloquently depicted its wretchedness and its misery. It is indeed a sad thing to be poor, to endure worldly want. It is a fearful thing for the mother to see her darling child's cheek grow pale and wan, to hear its feeble cry for bread, when she has none to give. It is a bitter thing to the proud, noble heart, who ill brooks the scarp api| pegleot the world accords to the indigent. It is a soul-cru§hing to young genius, who must struggle in vain for a name and honor. It is a fearful, bitter, soul-crushing thing to all, young and old—it causes many bitter tears to flow, and breaks many a heart; but the ills of poverty, deep and dark as they are, may be cured by gold ; may be soothed by kind deeds aqd geptle word!?. Yes, gold may gladden the sorrowing mother's heart, and win back health to her little one’s cheek; it may uplift the proud man’s head, and bring success to drooping genius: but there are sorrows it may not alleviate, the grief of a Striclfgg f)P a U? niental suffering, suffering with which the rich and great may be af flicted as well as the poor. In princely pal aces there may be wretchedness, that the lowly dream not of, that the cold world pit ies not, because it sees not through the gloss and splendor of wealth. Yes. there are sad hearts beating ’neath satin robes, brows qohipg’heath bright jew els. and wearied spirits that turn sluidder ingly away from the vanities of life, and yet must go forth into the busy world and play a part; “must deck the eyes in a gay dis guise while the tears are inward flowing ;” must be calm and still, while the poor heart iu wildly throbbing with untold agony. Oh God, what is physical suffering to this - Nought, nought. O, ye children of poverty, what are your bodily wants to the “gay dis tress, the splendid misery,” of some of for tune’s favorites. The one is an April cloud that fortune’s sun may dispel, but alas ! the other is an impenetrable night whose dark veil none may lift—save the Almighty band of God, Augusta, Qa„ 1050. —— A MAIDEN’S FIRST LOVE. Human nature has no essence more pure —the world knows nothing more chaste, — heaven has endowed the mortal heart with no feeling more holy, than the nascent affec tion of a young virgin’s soul. The warm eat language ofthe sunny south is too cold to shadow fort)* even a faint outline of that enthusiastic sentiment, Qod has made tho richest language poor in that same respect, localise the depths of hearts that thrill with Love’s emotions, aro too sa cred for the common contemplation. The musical voice of Love stirs the source of the sweetest thought within the human breast, and steals into the most profound recesses of the soul, touching chords which never vi brated before, and calling into companion ship delicious hopes til! then unknown. Yes—the light of a young maiden’s first love breaks dimly but beautifully upon her as the silver lustre of a star glimmers through a thickly-woven bower; and the first blush that mantles her cheek, as she feels the primal influence, is faint and pure as that which a rose-leaf might cast upon marble. But how rapidly does that light grow stronger and that flush deeper—until the powerful effulgence of the one irradi ates every corner of her heart, and the crimson glow of the other suffuses every feature of her countenance. —Mysteries of London . WOMAN’S SPHERE. Woman Is blest with rights superior to man. Uer’s is the exalted position to guide and mould the characters of men and nations, and to instil into the young and tender minds of youth, principles, of honor and integrity. All that is sublime and beautiful in morals, all that is sacred in religion, all that renders home dear and amiable, is made such by the influences exerted upon society by virtuous mothers. Corrupt a mother’s heart and character, and her offspring will reflect disgrace upon morality, as she lias upon them. Imbue a mother’s heart and character with moral and religions sentiments, and her children will become shining ornaments to society, as she is to the world. We know not who uttered the following sentiment, but it ought to be printed in letters of gold : “Was not the apostolic injunction that the ‘woman should not usurp authority over the man,’ but that she should S /aide the house P Here then is the sphere in which woman has rights—rights which I firmly believe sin: will never yield. It is undoubtedly hers to guide tho house, and did we all attend more faithfully to this, the rum crons well-ordered households, and well-trained men ant! women, would speak volumes for the safety of our Union, and the perpetuity of its institutions.— Ours is the right to train-sons and brothers in firm principles of honor, duty and re ligion, and by our example to show them the harmony and beauty of each one per forming in his own sphere the duties which devolve upon him. The sterner sex, when barrassed, disappointed and discouraged, in business or in politics, need the sooth ing and cheering influence of home, to pre pare them again to struggle in the tide of life. And shall we leave the delightful se curity of ofir own fireside, where we are shielded from the threatening power of those billows which man must breast, ven turing our frail hark upon those waves which sometimes threaten to overwhelm the more powerful ones who nobly brave them to shield us ? Or shall we not rath er throw an influence so hallowed about •our family circle, and so inspiring that it shall go forth with parents, brothers and friends, sustaining and enabling them to outride the storms, and at Just safely rest in that haven of peace which is woman's true sphere, where she is most loved, ad mired and respected, and where her influ ence is always felt —the sphere us home.” If every woman in our great and happy country, would adopt the sentiments con tained in this paragraph, there would he less dissension and confusion in regard to “woman’s rights.” The homes of our citi zens would become more agreeable, more endearing, and more attractive. There would he no more jarrings in regard to who ought to he the proper person to rule a household, hut each would take their al lotted sphere ami till their respective po sitions with credit to their children, to so ciety at large, and honor to themselves. — Women’s Rights Conventions would cease, and those little dear ones at home who now suffer for want of proper attention, while their mothers are discussing the pro priety- of being at home at all or not, would receive increased care and training, and this would he a desired desideratum. Within a few generations there would he far less fools and senseless coxcombs in the wo’rl 1, and society would have her giant statesmen, Herculean artezans, instead of the present effeminately polished pigmies, who afflict the world with their cumbrous existence, and the virtuous and intelligent with their whining sentimentalism. THE LADY’S MAN. Ilis face is eternally wreathed with un meaning smiles, and when lie addresses a lady it is always in a strain of absurd non sense, so that we have often been surprised that a lady armed with a fan, and so ad dressed, did not brand the animal on the spot. If a lady’s man does, by any possi bility, possess the least degree of common sense, he takes especial pains to conceal it, for somehow or other he has taken it in to his wise head that empty sentimentality and absurd nothings are the only offerings fit for the female mind. In order to be true to wlmt he conceives to he the enter tainment and amusement ofthe ladies, he turns traitor to manhood, and so becomes epicene himself without a just claim to lie classed with either the male or female sex. Ilis best qualities are those which lie pos sesses in common with certain kinds of dogs—to fetch and carry. Ladies who laugh in their sleeves at the h> >l, may not object to the attentions of the servant, afid so, out of mere commiseration, may al low him to carry a fan, or escort them to the opera,, when the men of their acquaint ance are not accessible. Die lady s man is sufficiently rewarded for attending them through a’whole evening’s entertainment, if they will only’ drop a smile into Ins hat at parting. AV ith this substantial blessing he is encouraged to future exertions in this wide field of masculine ambition. If a man’s duty to a lady consists in picking up dropped ban ikerchiets and fans, or twirling her round to giddiness and ex haustion in the waltz, “o should, perhaps, envy tho accomplishment of the mere lady’s mam — A r . 0> Delta . ~ KjgHVVoman is the morning star of our south, tho day star of our manhood, and the evening star of our old age. Besides, we have thirty’-three stars in our banner. Heaven bless our stars! %\t Cempcnuice Crusakr. PEN FIELD, GEORGIA. Sntuiday Morning:, February 2, 1856. jjfW*Manv thanks to friend Ransom, of Newnan, for fire new subscribers. To Correspondents. We have received a communication signed “Geor gia,” which we would take pleasure in publishing, but it is unaccompanied bv the author’s name, and our rules exclude it. The well written article of ‘Ton” will appear next week. We hope to hear from him often. We don’t Wonder at it. Some ot our Subscribers have complained to us re cently of not receiving their papers. It does’nt as tonish us in the least, for they were almost frozen when they left here, and no doubt they are some where on the road entirely ‘'friz up’ and unless there is a change in the weather soon, we shall meet with the same fate. If any one has ever seen “tougher” weather in this country than we have had during this week, let him slide along on the sleet, for he h. s seen tod much for us. Send in Your Little Mites. We are forwarding to o.ur subscribers the amount of their indebtedness enclosed in their papers, and beg that they give the matter a few minutes consid ation. Publishers can’t live without money, as well as any other classes of business men, for they have to pay cash for all of their materials. Many of our sub scribers are a long way behind in payment, and un less they manifest some disposition to help us along we shall have to expunge them from our list, al though there is but little doubt that they are every one perfectly responsible and willing to pay. It is such a small amount they overlook it, thinking it will not be mi sed—quite an error; suppose all of our pat rons were to do and say the same things, where would the Editor be ? We are not able to publish a paper for some four or five thousand persons gratis, and we do entreat our friends to give us a lift. Each one will find his Bill in his paper, and it will require not exceeding fifteen minutes to give it due attention, the amount will not be missed, and will help us abundantly. “We pause for replies'’ An Appeal for Snakes. An Article with the above heading will he found in another column of this paper, from anew contrib utor, whom we welcome to our list. He has com menced with an “appeal for Snakes,” and if he can j in the least degree appease our hatred for the detes- I table reptiles, and remove our horror for them, then ve shall “stand for a ‘treat’ of oysters.” When we were little fellows, we heard the most harrowing negro snake stories, and had the most terrible dreams of their crawling up the “bed quilts” ever thought of, and our superstition is not yet removed. *■■■•— - - —o Dabney P. Jones. We take great pleasure in publishing in this issue, a letter lrom l ncle Dabney. Our inquiry has brought him out, and we find him just where we expected to —standing with unshaken firmness close beside the Hag-staff of Prohibition, and cherishing with holy admiration those noble principles which he has for so many years been attempting to disseminate through out our country, lie speaks for himself in another column, and his letter will be read with great plea sure by the people of Georgia. He has not only spoken encouragement to us, but he has franked it with six new subscribers, for which we sincerely thank him. Would that there were thousands of such men in Georgia. He proposes to he one of one hundred, to raise the subscription of the Crusader to ten thousand this year. Who will be the remaining 99? There are hundreds of men in our State, and Temperance men, too, who possess sufficient iniiuenee to raise a hundred subscribers in a short time for so cheap a Journal, and we trust they will consider the matter, and give us the benefit of their influence. The Crusader is the oply organ of the Temperance Party in the State, and it is the duty of Temperance met) to support it. Its cheap ness places it within the reach of'every individual. Come to our assistance, Temperance men, and we shall luxuriate in prosperity, and labor, with utia | hated zeal for the cause which we all profess to love. ■ Snow Again. Old Hyeins is down upon us this year in right good earnest. On Saturday, the 2Cth ult., before the ■previous snow had entirely disappeared, we were i visited by another, much more severe though not so heavy as the former. Being very hard and compact, it presented a very slippery surface, and we exposed ourselves to no small peril of breaking our heads or dislocating our limbs in our necessary perambula tions. Hence it may readily be supposed that we felt no disposition for sleigh riding or any amuse ment where the danger was so imminent. Accidents from Falling. Mrs. Lansdell, of our village, had the misfortune, j on Sunday morning, while walking through the yard, ! to slip upon the slept, and by the fall broke the hone I of her wrist. Mrs. Hogg, near Penfield, fell upon the snow, and broke her thigh. A negro boy, in our town, property of Win. Wil son, Esq., fell upon his shoulder, and thereby dislo cated his collar bone. Numberless, no doubt, are the accidents of this kind through the country, caused by the slippery state, in which the ground has been for some days past. We have received some falls ourself, sufficient ly “hard” and ‘"supine” to jolt our teeth loose—hut no bones arc fractured, as yet. Ready to Expire—two Sweethearts Gone! “lie she married, and am she gone? And are they left I all alone? Oh! cruel fate! and so unkind, To take they fore and leave I hind.” You may talk about your high-heeled stone-bruises, —box-ankle tooth-aches, —diaphragm of the stomach, and cranium of the head, but did any of you ever lose two sweethearts at once? If you never cl id, then you know nothing of tribulation—your path way has been shaded only by a i arinthinc bowers. We know what it is to experience such reverses of fortune. Oh! what a hard stool is ours! One of our sweethearts has just married and gone, the other has gone, and we fear will marry soon, We feel worse than tho “ ———one who treads alone, &om© banquet hall deserted.” Wo feol—we feel—we feel—like—two of our sweet hearts had gone, and “Left I all alone.” The Press-The Great Lever. “’Twas the vote** of rho Pi-ean on the startle*! oar brosUn.* In giant-horn prowess, like Pallas ofohl; ’Twas the flash of intelligrenre gloriously waking, A glow on the cheek of the noble ami bolil; And tyranny’s minions o’erawod and affrighted Sought a lasting retreat in t!>e cloister and cmvl And the chains which bound nations in ages benighted Were cast to the haunts of the bat and the owl.” The discovery of the “Art of Printing” broke upon the midnight darkness of the fifteenth century like the brilliant “day god” from a clouded sky. It was the dawning of the brightest era that ever opened upon the world. When, in its infancy, it was the Herculean agent that gave efficiency to the struggles of Luther against the lowering elements of Popen ! which otherwise would even now be hangino- over |us as a “mighty pall.” It drove its minions within ! the walls of Rome* and hurled defiance at them as i they cowered beneath the Vatican. Tts introduction was no less the fruit of genius than of necessity. When the contemned, derided and blasphemed Messiah “yielded to death” and bore the “sin avenging stroke,” he left his spirit to save and reform. Then Prophets declared his name. The | Parthian hung his bow—the sacred tires went | out on Persian hills —and Greeks that trod the i classic shades and reared high-altars adored the i unknown God. The Pantheon where enthroned <lo i mens led the soul to death, was forgotten, and fabled ; Gods mourned their worshippers in neglected shrines, i But Truth, in its purity, was assailed by black falsc i hood, and crimsoned error had woven her deluding dreams over the world; Superstition had counter feited Faith, and dimmed revelation ; the exigencies required something more powerful than the human voice or scribbled parchment, when the immortal j Faust revealed the Press. At its birth, the world : awoke from its Jtip-Van-Winkle dreams, and seemed | refreshed; and falsehood, error and superstition, the J emissaries of the “Powers of Darkness,” were aghast, j This mighty engine, baptized at the fountain of Truth, gave io the world as its first labor, the “Holy Bible” —the “Book of Books.” .Since its introduction it Inis been the most powerful instrument for dissemi nating knowledge, both good and,—we hate to say,— j evil, that has ever been invented. Though Smith j field fires consumed the printed page, and fierce n ---i athemas were madly hurled, yet its course was on ward, destined, like the sun, to radiate the world.— i Its influence overleaping the giant hills, and crossing : the billowy seas, spoke to millions dead, and awoke j the cry of freedom. Tyranny’s chains fell off in rus i tv links, and the mind, liberated from its shackles, I began its course. Inquiry stripped tradition of its | mask—learning stooped to teach the neglected child. ! and science, exploring, led the mind from sphere to ; sphere, to where “systems circle round the Eternal | Throne,” or in abysmal search, brought wonders from the caverns of earth. Where does its influence cease? Its omnipotence is felt to where Dion trod his bleeding foes to dust on ancient hills, —on the muddy banks of the Tiber, to where the Lazarones bask out their days, and famed Geneva reflects the stars, ft is the great Le ver that is to move the w*. rid—it shall yet he heard upon the balmy plain where Brahma leads the Hin doo to his shrine, —to where China’s millions bow at their altars, and Japan’s children treads the Christian cross under foot. Mystic hieroglyphs that hide the lore of Egypt’s brightest age shall reveal the hidden thoughts, and mossy monoliths that deck Palmyras* waste shall be subdued. The whole Cni verse of God shall acknowledge its power, and the reign of civili zation grow brighter and brighter, until it merges into the perfect day. Let every human being con tribute of their substance to nourish this machine of intelligence, this residuary safeguard of our liberties. - Dark Days, There must lie dark days in every year; days | when gloomy mists hang around the horizon, and the day star wraps his bright glories in a veil of clouds. And so there must he dark days in human life; periods of trials and sore affliction, when the evanescent joys which, fora while, beguiled the soul, have departed, and Hope seeins to have bid her last adieu. When the smiles of fortune, which like the voice of a: Siren lured the trusting Spirit to indulge in fond dreams of ambition and glory, has changed to angry frowns, and the heart, buoyant with expec tation, falls from its high aspirations at the leaden touch of Disappointment. When the rich warm cur rent of the soul’s affections, coining in contact with the icy ledges of the world, flows back upon thy heart, colder than the waters of Zembla. When j those, upon whom the richest gifts of friendship have been lavished, turn away with cold indifference, or | chilling neglect. These are dark days indeed. Then ; would the desponding one willingly close the portals | of his sympathies, cut off all intercourse with his race, i and bury himself in the anchorites cell. The lone | sea-girt island, or the dreary desert waste, is then a I wished for spot, w.cro sorrow may have its end, tn~ l seen by human eyes. The noise and hustle of e 4 i joyment around him breaks upon his ear in wilder j discord than the confused melody of an untuned lute. | Weary of action, of suffering, of existence itself, he j feels as if he would gladly resign life and its cares for j the peaceful quiet of the giave. Dark Days must come; days which bring neither I calm pleasure or exhilirating joys; when gloomy forebodings hang around the future, and shut out the light of hope, i hen all times and seasons of by-gone years appear more fraught with happiness (ban the present. The Sepulchres of Memory yield up their dead, and events of the past crowd upon the mind in all their original freshness and beauty. Its troubles and sorrows are forgotten, while its joys rise up in melancholy splendor, as the setting sun dyes retiring clouds in tints of gaudiest hue. Dark Days must come. The balmy softness of a vernal morn, or the calm serenity of a summer's eve cannot continue always. There must he clouds, winds, rain, raging tempests and wintry blasts to make up the varying seasons of the year. And so there must he changes in human life. Despond not then, if on the ocean of Life, angry waves beset thee, ami thy bark he driven by adverse winds. Bear up with patience and resignation. Vigorously strive to repel each surging billow, and close thy canvass to the unpropitious breeze. It is in mercy that these tribulations are sent upon thee. It is thy God who has made thee to pass through the furnace of suffe^r ! ing, that the worthless dross of earth may be driven oil, and the soul he prepared for a re-union with its heavenly essence. Dark Days must come; but even their darkness gives promise of future light. The Morning Stav rises in the darkest hour of night; the rainbows curves its glittering arch above a flood of fallen w;l ters. Despond not then, though a darkness surronntL thee, thick ns that which the Prophets wand called np on Egypt’s sho.ie. Sickness, pain, and sorrow, must do their work. The silken cords which bind the soul to its tenement of clay, must be severed.— The Spirit must be baptized in the sable floods of sorrow, must purify itself in the waters of tribula tion, and pass through the gloomy valley of the shad ow of Death, ere it can enter the haven of rest, where dark days are unknown.