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and scatters far and near the remnants of many a lying in the great future of our virgin world, the noble fabric.

imperishable generations of men are to evoke into Of the vast changes which are to take place in living realities. The mighty and resistless wave the history of the American continent, few of us of empire rolls onward and carries with every can form even a remote conception, and what is to surge a feeling of strength and sublimity, and as be the destiny of the vast tribes of men, of which all action is but the embodied characteristic of the she is to be the parent, has entered into the mind thought of the age, almost every one shares in its of few to contemplate. A civilization, the basis formation-man, woman, child, all who lisp the of which we are to form and establish, must be the lettered significance of language. Words which ruling spirit of theirs, and they must partake of the are to wander through Eternity in the full robed character of our thought and share the benefits of image of nature's loveliest guise, have an approour inventive wisdom; our deformities and beauties priate birth in our forest land, and how important is must be theirs; the spirit of our institutions-the the suggestion that they have that grace and unity development of the tendencies and capacities of our which gives them a home-like abiding place in huage, they are to analyze and digest. With these man sympathies. The vital question of political facts before us, it is not hazarding too much in con-reform, we fear, has been overlooked, and the ru cluding, that the man who has a true life, "is not inous mistake that information is education, is fafor a day, but for all time." That life, future gen- tally apparent. A knowledge of statistics, enabling erations are to take up, renew and enlarge into a the leaders to look upon men as mere machines, fruitful expansion. The future or units of calculation, instead of beings with inmortal souls, is recorded the highest grade of information which a statesman need possess.

"Heroes in history and gods in song,"

who are now the companions of our daily lives, are to go down the eternity of years. Like the great spirits of antiquity which we now copy and emulate, will the lights of our own age shed their lustre. These men of the future are to tread in the paths of our meditation—to imbibe, with the eagerness of intoxication, the golden visions of beauty, which the enchanted imagination produces.

"Another race will be, and other palms be won."

We have often thought that the notoriety given these vices, was the sure means of their continuance. There is no such thing as a man entirely vile, and when we behold a single amiable trait, where evil predominates, we are led into extravagant praise; while the humble Christian, whose heart knows no guile, is forgotten. The praise of real virtue, especially if it is not accompanied with brilliant parts, is by no means commensurate with those few cominendable traits visible in hardened crime.

The next question is, how are we living in order We are a hearty advocate of reform and repeat to effect this purpose? Do we act, think, or feel, with the earnestness of a prayer, the maxim of the as if there were the eternal truths of life and know-wise Edmund Plowden, "blessed be the amending ledge within or about us? Is the "vision splen- hand," but by amendment we do not mean destrucdid" of heaven-remembered truth before us? Do tion. A true reformer ought to produce a substi we feel the full force of our indebtedness to our tute for what he would renounce. Upon the altars own, in order that we may make another race our debtors? The sin of leaving a duty unaccomplished, is equal to those sins of commission whose penalty is prescribed by the moral law.

of wrong and error, he plants the high priest of justice and mercy. Progress is an inevitable law of nature, but it should be progress that runs pari passu with every other kind of national adThere is no exaggerating the sacredness of this vancement, it should not be directed against gov. trust, for to transmit the mightiness of one age ernment, but against wrong; every struggle and to another and remote one is the grandest of human every step should raise this question. We sadly conceptions. We become reapers in the fields of require political philanthropy in this respect, we fame that others may share the harvest. We coin are in the rear of other departments of thought, the gold of our purest thoughts in order that it may and it is accounted for in the questionable usages pass current with generations yet unborn. We employed to obtain political influence. The worst become workers of the mines of intellectual rich- passions of men are appealed to, and their misness for a double purpose-the redemption of our fortunes taken advantage of; this begets mutual own and succeeding times. In a continent so vast distrust, and all true progress is impeded. When as ours, this is not anticipating too much, for it liberty is most prized, it may be necessary to raise must rear men whose characters partake of the anew the question of liberty-it becomes a catchsame scale of vastness upon which every thing word in the perversity of its use. Slow and grad around them is cast. A new soil is broken up-ual reform is the surest evidence of enlightenment; new seed is planted, and a new growth repairing if the elements are permitted to stagnate, abuse is the degrees of its endless egression for a fruitful heaped upon abuse, until the wave must rise its gathering. These dim, but glorious revelations, highest, and swell its heaviest to baptize the heads

of social life. When left to such conditions, the | felt. We cannot judge of the grain of the oak by protest against wrong elicits the angriest denunci- the bark of the tree. Neither in outward resemation and the most obstinate resistance: society is blance can we measure the benignity of her ac. disrupted, and the effusion of blood irremediable. tions. The beauty of her ways is like the sunbeam There is far more sympathy in the claims of the that leaves no trace upon what it falls, yet warms oppressed than formerly, but how trivial are the ef- into life and vigor every thing that sleeps in its fects of moral reform societies and philanthropic as-genial smile. Is she not, too, the great mother of sociations, to the tremendous effect of one political the Universe? and is not her presence stamped on abuse! What is that religious reformation, whose all things, wherever we lift our gaze. The spell of lasting effect is questionable, to a war that threat- her influence is almost exactly commensurate with ens to devastate and dissolve the nation?

the condition of humanity. These may be called The lot of the reformer is to sow the seeds of mere fancies, but they are not "fancies which our beautiful flowers and rich fruits, that future genera- reason scorns;" for whatever tends to keep alive tions are to gather. In the infancy of his scheme holy and elevated love, to raise the affections and the contending elements are so violent, that it can- build attachments in the heavens, and to keep the Bot be fully wrought out. The current of thought heart open amidst the contracting cares of life— runs in an adoptive channel, and he whose task it be it fact or fiction-should be ever welcome to the is to change that current, has too short a life. In philosophic mind. Men associated kindness and the sanctuary of his own heart, he would prepare commiseration with the mother of Christ, and fea place for every sufferer; and by his suggestive males hoped for sympathy from one of their own lessons give importance to the alliances of noble sex and felt a calm reliance upon her who was conceptions and shed grace and dignity over all. He kindles in each bosom the deepest emotions of delight, and all become partakers in the majesty of his designs. In all this God has a share, for mind is cognate with God. Those ideas which come to us and temper the actions of others and control our own, have a power and a life destined to live beyond us, or the hour that gives them birth. We recognise distinctly the hand of Providence in the silent growth of great principles; his spirit is implanted in men, as in the dry seed lies hid the germ of the fragrant flower, and is the evidence of this regard for the changing wants of humanity. Consequently, we should give human greatness, through which the want is supplied, a higher relationship than belongs to earth.

"Last at the cross and earliest at the grave." Woman, next to God, is the truest friend of man, for his common doom, struggle, and strife she is to share, and spread a golden radiance around her,

"A quiet and peculiar light

Like the dim circlet floating round a pearl."

It is in vain to analyse a spell whose secret charm is its greatest beauty,—in the serenity of the pure and exhaustless soul of woman, there is an immortal fountain of happiness, and man finds a full and comprehensive aspiration of spirit in her companionship.

It is vain and futile to attempt to separate and divide the interests of the sexes, for they "rise and Some one says that society resembles a pyramid fall together." The strong and high existence of which is broad at the base, but gradually lessens man converts all desires and moral convictions into as we approach the top, until one man crowns the this single want. Engaged in outward and temsummit. This is as true in life as it is unalterable pestuous duties, he only knows the inward delight in nature, and illustrates strikingly the immutable of her refined and spiritual nature when some dark harmony of the Almighty's designs as connected hour of fate unspheres the soul; it is then he turns with the affairs of earth. He creates His worlds to woman for peace and rest. because He is omnipotent; they create theirs because it is a sign of His omnipotence and their divinity of power.

De Lerre says that a well-ordered society is the fairest temple that can be erected to the Eternal. Those who do most towards its perfect organization, are those who make the age great, not those whom the age makes great.

Religion has ceased to make martyrs; it is high time that politics should cease to make victims, and it is becoming apparent by the course of things and the common tendency of serious minds, that henceforth true progress is not to be accomplished under violent conditions. Revolution, says Machiavelli, is the surest evidence of bad government, and he might have added likewise, that a bloody revolution was equally symptomatic of corruption.

The loved companion of our better life, the true American woman,—she who scales with us "the Change is the life of Empire-to rise, to shine, shining steps of nature," fulfils her allotted place, and to set, is that high law that moves the reasonand embalms with the grace and dignity of her ing progress of the world, as gigantic shadows rest thought the treasured emblems of a pure and vigo- at times upon the face of nature, so that the dark rous life. A great deal has been said and written and impending clouds hover over and surround the about the "proper sphere of woman," but though future of man's destiny; but it only requires the her influence is not always seen, it is nevertheless arm of strength to furl them serenely away-to

fertilize the soil without rending its bosom. Ho- Lamartine says, too, that almost all men who ly peace! the visible token of celestial harmony have performed great things are sparing of words. upon earth, it is a possession so estimable, that Their communion is with themselves rather than we can almost forgive the sentiment of Erasmus, the world-they feed upon their own thoughts, the when he says that "quiet error is better than tem- development of which constitute the great charac pestuous truth."

The crimes of an individual may be expiated in the sincerity of repentance; the vivid memory of time misspent of gifts and powers wasted, may be atoned for in the sternness of a moral conflict between spirit and matter, between the temptation and resistance; but with nations a higher power is appealed to, and works out an equivalent for crime. Above all the aspirations of man a silent principle reigns supreme-an inspiring immortality of celestial hope guides and directs the way in our gradual egression from darkness to light. But

"Wild words wander here and there,
God's great gift of speech abused
Makes thy memory confused."

ter.

Opinion! by that simple word how much is comprehended; it is a tyrant, before whose power men bow more willingly than before the Most High. True or false, just or unjust, at certain times and places, it is equally omnipotent. Now with the harshest rigor blended; now melting like the snow flake ere it falls; now alternating like the hot and cold fits of an ague, blind in the instinct of undiscerning hate; now mild, tolerant, harmless. Now craving in its voracity the choicest food; now content with the offal: now devouring in its wild lust the deliverer of an injured land; now living in the unwholesome air of knavery. Ripening into a fair luxuriance of being at times, the unmeasured spell of sound opinion reigns inviolable. And as

"Great offices will have

Great talents, and God gives to every man
The virtue, temper, understanding, taste,
That lifts him into life, and lets him fall
Just in the niche he was ordained to fill,"

And oh how important is the injunction to us to protect with a sacred zeal those who protect us; those great spirits whom God in his expressed will, as embodied in our actions, has appointed to be our rulers. Their hearts bear the prophetic security of high and noble deeds. The pride of lofty purpose is the necessary exercise of healthful life, but it is often true with regard to their distinction, an obviously higher power than ours directs that it is not their own choice. Notwithstanding his aims. He has seldom contemplated the reall the honors that fell upon Demosthenes and Ci-sult when he begins, and has given the bright and cero-honors prompt, palpable and abiding, both precious hours of life to satiate the hunger of have recorded their deliberate regret that they ever the state, with hopefulness and content, and filled entered upon a career of ambition. with a bounteous largeness the measure of Christian duty

He

Bacon, in his will, says in a tone that rises into sublimity, "For my name and memory, I leave them to mens' charitable speeches and to the next ages." Nature's assurance that he had "multiplied himself in others," dictated this observation. had lived to know how uncharitable the world is to its truest benefactors. When the bright intelligence had gone-the orb had been extinguished, and men begin to miss its light, he only asked their charity! Shakspere was even more indifferent; he retired into Warwickshire, in "proud contentment blest." There was no angling for popularity there; no "useful knowledge" huckstering-no national regeneration cant. And at present, who shall question his being the acknowledged legislator of men?

Swift says with as much wit as sarcasm, that those whose opinions are worthless, are most ready and make the most noise in expressing them, as people always come out of the church fastest when it is nearest empty. Few of the world's masters, celebrated for depth or originality of thought, have been great talkers, and one of them has said by way of apology, that the reason why men were supplied with two ears and one tongue, was to hear more than they expressed. This was probably one of Carlyle's "great silent men."

"In the cold abstinence from evil deeds."

LOVE IS OMNIPOTENT.

BY WM. H. HOLCOMBE.

Summer-bright Beauty!
Fair as thou art,
Love is omnipotent,
Look to thy heart!

Lo! in the woodlands

Branches above
Bend with the warblers
Thrilling with love.

In their blue mantles
Mountains are drest,
White bosom'd cloudlets
Lie on their breast.

And in the gardens

Love is at play,
Butterflies twinkle
Sporting the day.

Roses their sweetness
Give to the bee,
Lovers are pledging
Under the tree.

Call not the breezes
Spiritless things,
Sweet is the music
Borne on their wings,

Gathered in countries

Fairer than ours,
Given in whispers
To the young flowers.

When the May-blossoms
Sweeten the air,
When the dew-diamonds
Silver the hair,

When the pure starlight
Beckons above,
When the night-breezes
Murmur of love,

Summer-bright Beauty!
Fair as thou art,
Love is omnipotent,
Look to thy heart!

Madison, Indiana.

as it is technically termed. There was then an
even chance that he would make a moody response
and relapse into his usual taciturnity, or reply in a
tone of bitter irony which little answered their ex-
pectations.

What the occupations of old Mr. Wintrysides had been, no one could tell. He was not inclined to be communicative, and he afforded very various and imperfect grounds for the vague conjectures which his moods and manners almost solicited. One man conceived him to be a parson, but of what denomination it was hard to tell. He always wore his "customary suit of solemn black," and so might pass for a minister of any of the thousand and one creeds patronized in these United States. Often he was taken for a physician. His habit of putting his finger oracularly to the side of his nose, of pursing up his mouth, and delaying a minute or two before he spoke, might have given rise to such a supposition. That he was a country lawyer many averred, for he was learned in the doctrine of arrests, and of all civil and criminal process, and was accustomed to declaim at times on the insufficiency of all penal enactments, to restrain or punish the follies and delinquencies of mankind. Then again he would make cutting allusions to the fripperies and fopperies of female and of male dress, with such intimate acquaintance with all the materials of fashion and all the mysteries of the toilet, that he was sagely supposed to be either a keeper of a miscellaneous store, or a pedler divorced from his bundle for awhile, or the owner of a general auction mart, or any thing else under the sun. He was so nice and particular in his use of the English language that he might have been a Dominie: so grave and dignified that he might pass for a judge: so well acquainted with various countries that he might have been a navy purser-in fact, the words, looks, and actions of Mr. Wintrysides offered a foundation for William Wintrysides was an old gentleman of the most dissimilar references. Certain it was that some fifty or sixty years of age. He had seen a he had travelled much, equally certain that his disgreat portion of the habitable globe and had resided position to travel still continued. He had been seen in regions the most diverse, and among people the or heard of in Europe and America, and might still most dissimilar. His whole life had been an ex- be seen sometimes at the North and sometimes at emplification of the old adage, "a rolling stone the South. Whenever two or three were gathered gathers no moss." And whether from his disap- together to speculate upon Mr. Wintrysides, his pointments or from the want of the said moss to character, disposition, and occupation, they had all soften and conceal the asperities of his nature, cer- different fancies to expound and different arguments tain it is that he had either retained or acquired an to prove their plausibility: but, however plausible occasional harshness of manner, which accorded they might seem to those who made them, they well enough with a vein of latent sarcasm which had were not equally so to those who listened to them. ever distinguished him, but formed no recommen- The friendly disputants never could agree, and usudation in the eyes of his casual acquaintances. He ally separated either in undisputed possession of was, however, ordinarily a silent and retiring man, their original convictions, or completely mystified so that his ill humors were not often exhibited, and as to the object of their conjectures. Now, the his fellow passengers in a stage coach might have truth was, that Mr. Wintrysides was a scribbler— easily mistaken him for a modest and rather stupid a travelling, unsettled man with the cacoëthes scriman, if the workings of the muscles of his face bendi ever seducing him to commit to the irrevohad not tempted them at times to sift the workings cable custody of black and white the fancies that of his mind, and challenged them to 'draw him out,'' haunted his pericranium. If not an observant, he

MR. WINTRYSIDES-A CHARACTER.

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was assuredly an observing man, and made his re- with the valleys, every where coursed over by stone marks by the way-side, which to some would ap-fences, enclosing pastures, corn, rye, oats, and pear shrewd, to some paradoxical, and to many hay,-potatoes, &c. From one hill 3 or 4 miles foolish. He was fond withal of indulging in dreamy after passing Windham, was a prospect hardly yet reveries, and while others were speculating about surpassed; extensive, varied, and striking. I could him, he speculated about them, perhaps with equal see where Windham stood; a glimpse of Willifallacy, but certainly with infinitely greater satis-mantic; Mansfield six miles off; and a horizon faction to himself. Of some of these visions by of woods and hills in several directions, hardly less the way-side we have been made confidants, and we than 20 miles distant. may at some future time give them to others without informing the public whether we have possess ed ourselves of the note-book of Mr. Wintrysides, or by some process of clairvoyance have been enabled to follow and record the flitting fancies that hovered around the brain of our particular acquain

tance.

ONE DAY OF A FOOT TOUR IN CONNECTICUT.

BY A VIRGINIAN.

Cotton-factories-Windham-Wells within doors-Silkworms, and silk-making-a Common School-A cousin of Major Jack Downing-Putnam's wolf-den.

lage.

Having walked nine miles, entered a farmhouse on the road side to ask rest, and breakfast. The dame rather shortly said, there was a tavern only a mile further, and she was going out and could not stay to wait on me. She, however, gave me a draught of good water, out of a well, sunk within the house, close beside her kitchen fire-place. A few seconds' pressure on the bucket carried it down; and as much raised it, full. The well 10 or 12 feet deep. Saw two others to day, similarly contrived. I breakfasted at the tavern she recommended. The meal had the usual variety-tea, ¦ milk, toast, butter, cheese, crackers, pie, and sweetmeats. It lacked two items of yesterday's breakfast-cake, and white strawberries.

Landlady and her married son-a fine, frank, sensible young man-gave me much insight into the ways of silk-worms, some thousands of which they showed me, eating white mulberry leaves, in a very open loft of an out house. There were co183* July 11. Willimantic, or the Factory Vil-coons, raw silk, and spun silk. Little girls (landlady's children) at work-one of them only four Rose at four-wakened by the factory-bells, rung cheerful industry and good order, I do not rememyears old winding yarn. So beautiful a picture of to wake the operatives. They rang a second time, ber any where. Cleanliness, all over the house, some twenty minutes after; summoning the hands to work-just as I set forth. I saw them trooping yard, and garden, which they showed me thoroughly, seemed a positive, tangible thing, and not the to their prisons. One, a man, tells me there are 14000 spindles, and four or five hundred hands. mere negation of dirt, as elsewhere. But the furThey work twelve hours or more, daily. No niture was all plain, of pine or oak. After stayschooling except when withdrawn from work. No ing an hour and a half, which I would gladly have lyceum, or library, or association for their improve-lengthened to a day, I left my kind hostess and her ment, even if they had time. Last evening, I saw family, with hearty farewells on both sides. Their several samples of a most degraded population eagerness to show me every thing had visibly tripled, when they heard that I was from Virginis, and travelling through curiosity.

about the tavern.

Stopped at the bridge over the beautiful SheCalled at several other houses to see silk-worms, tucket, to read an advertisement: when an elderand their habits. For this has been the region for ly countryman addressed to me some remark about the weather. Made up to him, and we begun a them, these many years. Mulberry orchards, of confab, in which it appeared that he had several large trees, now and then present themselves. At children in the factories, mostly weaving. Each one house, the worms were shown me with much weaves 30 yards a day, at 1 or 2 cents a yard. Half a mile further on-the sun now up-saw a man milking a cow, as it is common for men to do here. He sat on a small stool. Says, the cow gives 12 quarts daily.

Passed through Windham village. Population perhaps 1500. Some of the country is beautifully rolling-some of the hills almost mountains; and,

* Willimantic is on the Shetucket, a branch of the

Thames.

pains, by a homely but most civil woman,-in various stages of their career. She gave me three cocoons; one white, one bright yellow, and one pale yellow. The last two also become white, if boiled; and must be dyed anew if wanted so.— their nests on whortleberry twigs, set up with the The worms were at work, spinning and winding leaves on. Their "life's poor play" contains these acts: they are hatched; eat leaves for five or six weeks; manifest their desire to spin, by a transparent neck and by ceasing to eat; twigs are far

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