The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, February 17, 1838, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    MOCMT.
'I have swora upon tlio Altar of God, eternal hostility to every form of Tyranny over the Mind of Man' Thorns Jeflerton.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY JOHN'S. INGRAM AND FRANKLIN S. MILLS.
BIjOOMSIESURG, COL.UB1BJA COUNTY, FA. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1838.
Volume I.
Number 43.
i .nr
"To please the taste anil cheer the mind."
Wo are Unable to give credit to the particular print
ill which the subjoined parody On Montgomery s
" Night is tho time to Itest," etc., first originated.
It contains a quiet, subdued humor which rnakni
it pleasing to the reader.
NIGHT.
Night is tho time for fun,
When old lolks are in bed:
When day's dark cares are done,
And prayers aro duly said ; , " .
To gather round the social fire, ,
And crack stale jests, that never tiro !
Night ia the ttmo to fix
Our hearts in union meet: '
With skillful hand to mix
The potent and tho syvect :
To set our watering rcoulht agog,'
To taste the glories of egg-nogg ! u
Night is tho time to boil
Tiffin's enchanting rolls ; ( '
And o'er the midnight oil,
To cheer our happy souls; " .
With frc.h mado butter thickly spread
On corresponding chunks of bread. '
Night is tho timo to feel
Life's joys without a pain ;
Apples to take, and peel,
And 'cut and come again;' . '
And romping murh before wo reit'
Tccl very suro that they '11 digest. "
Night is tho time for those,
Who, when they tako their wine, '
Uy redness of the nose, , ,
Or any other sign,
Give evidence, whenco wo conclude,!.
That they're unquestionably 'slcw'dl'
Night is the. 'timo to pour
In beauty's lis'tcning ear '
Tho story known before,
Nor rcnderM thus less dear,
Of feeling which the modest light
Of day leaves for the (.hades of night'.
Night is tho time to sing,
llencath the casement high,
Those mellow notes that ring
With lovos sweet melody ;
While the bright maiden pokes Her head
O ut of tho casement aforesaid 1
Night is the time to do
A thousand glorious things;
And there aro very few,
When covcr'd by her wings,
Who do not feci a freshen'd flood
Of mischief browing in their blood.
From tho Southern HOso,
Mil. INKXIV,
Or tlio Mau of leisure a Man of mischief.
The man of leisure and the pretty girl
Tlio man of leisure called one Monday
on Miss lldbcrts, a pretty blooming girl of
seventeen. Emma was clear-starching.'
Talk about the trials of men ? What they
have to annoy them in comparison with the
mysteries of clear-starching; alas how sel
dom clear! Emma wns going on in full
tide of success ; indulging in the bouyant
thoughts of her age ; there was a soft light
.of her eye as she drew out tho edge of a
Jiiciu, or clapped it with her hands, as they
felt tho, impulse of young hopes.
" I am-jsorry Harry Bertram looked at
this collar last Sunday; I wonder if lie
liked it," thought, she, and a gentle sigh
rustled tho folds of her morning robe on her
bosom. Just then the door bell sounded,
and the Man of Leisure walked into tho
fetting rooni, where Emma with a nice es
tablishment of smoothing irons, had enscon
ced herself for the morning;
"You won't mind a friend's looking in
upon you," said Mr. Inkliu with an home
air.
Emma blushed, loosened the strins of her
apron, gave a gentlojglance at her starched
fingers, and saying " tako a seat, sir," sus
pended her work with tho graco of natural
politeness. In the meanwhile, tho starch
grow cold, and the irons wero over-heated.
Emma was not loquacious, and tho dead
pauses wero neither few nor far between.
Emma, rendered desperate, renewed her
operations, but with diminished ardor ; her
clapping was feeble as the applause to an
unpopular orator, she burnt her fingers! her
face became flushed, and by tlio time the
Man of Leisure had silted our his hour, a
giey hue, and indelible smutch, disfigured
Henry Bertram's collar.
Mr. Inklinsoon palled again, and met
Henry Bertram. It was not the influonce ;
of coquetry, but Emma rallied her powers,
and talked more to Mr. Inklin than to Hen
ry, a modest youth, thrown into the shade
by the veteran visiter, who outstayed him.
Harry who was not a Man of Leisure, could
riot call for several days; when he did Mr.
Inklin had " dropped in" before him, and
twirling his watch-key with his cold wan
dering eyes and tho everlasting affirmatives.
Emma sewed industriously, and her daik
lashes conceded her eyes. Her cheeks
were beautifully flushed, hut for whont ?
Mr. Inklin toyed with her, work box, with
out seeming to know that ho wa3 touching
what Harry thought a shrine.
Harry looked a little fierce and bade good
night abruptly. Emma raised her soft blue
eyes with a look that ought tohavc detain
cd a reasonable man ; but he was prcpos
sessed. and the kind glance- was lost. Em
ma wished Mr. Inklin at the bottom of the
sea, but there he sat, looking privileged bty,
cause he was a Man of Leisure.
The fastening of the windows reminded
him that it was timo to go, for he did not
limit his evening calls, to an hour. Emma
went to her bed-room. She was just ready
to cry, but a glance at her mirror showed
such bright cheeks that it stopped her tears,
and she fell into a passion. She tied her
night cap into a hard not and broke the
string in a pet.
"Henry Bertram is a fool," said she, to
let that stiek of a man keep him from me.
I wish I could change plar.es with him,"
and siting down on a stoul she trotted her
foot and heaved some deep sighs.
The Man of Leisure just called in twice
a week for three months. Report was bu
sy ; Harry's pride was roused. lie offered
himself to another pretty girl and was ac
cepted. Emma's bright chocks faded, her
steps grew slow, and her voice no longer
was heard in its gay carol from star to star.
She was never talkative but how she was
sad. Mr. I, continued to "drop in ;" his
heart was a little love touched but then there
was "lime enough." One evening he came
with a look of news.
"I have brought you a bit of Harry Ber
tram's wedding cake," said he to Emma.
Emma turned pale, then red, and burst
into tears. '1 lie Man of Leisure was con
cerned. Emma looked very prettily as she
struggled with hci feelings, while the tears
dried away ; and he offered her his heart
and hand.
"I would sooner lio down in niy grave
than marry you," said the gentle. Emma, in
voice so loud that Mr. Inklin started and
rushed to her apartment, the china rang in
tho closet as sho slammed the door. Mr.
Inklin was astonished. Poor Emma cov
ered up her heart and smiled again, but she
never married, nor never destroyed a little
flowcr-trce that Harry Bertram gave her
when it was right for her to love and hope.
The Man of Leisuro bote her refusal with
philosophy, and continued to "drop in."
77ie Man of Leisure, and the Pale Boy
" You'll not forget to ask the place for
me, Sir," caid a palo blue-eyed boy, as ho
brushed the coat of tho Man of Leisuro, at
lis lodging.
"Certainly not," said Mr. Inklin, I shall
be going that way in a day or two.
"Did you ask for the placo for me, yes
toidav," said tho palo boy, on the following
day, with a quivering lip, as ho performed
the same office.
"No," was the answer; I was busy,
but I will to-day."
"God help my mother," murmured Jhe
boy, and gazed listlessly on tho cent Mr.
Inklin laid in. his hand.
The boy went homqj Ho ran to the
mngry children with tho loaf of bread ho
had earned by brushing tho gentleman's
coat at tho Hotel. They shouted with joy,
and the mother hold out her emaciated hand
for a portion; while a sickly Bmilo fluttered
across her face.
"Mother, dear," said the boy "Mr. Ink-
in thinks ho can get mo tho placo, and I
shall have three meals a day only think,
mother three Mialj , ,' and it won't tako
three minutes to run home and share it with
you."
Tho morning came, and the palo boy's
voice trembled with eagerness.
"Not a soul here to brush nycoat!" said
Mr. Inklin.
The child came at longh, his face swoll
en with weeping.
"I am sorrow to' disappoint you,'' said
the Man of Leisure, " the place in Mr.
C 's store was taken up yesterday."
The boy stopped brushing and burst
afresli into teaM. "I don't caro uow," sa
ho sobbing, "wo may as Vell starve Mo
ther is dead."
Tho Man of Leisuro was shoek'd, and
gave the pale boy a dollar I
The Man of Leisure on the death bed,
Mr. Inklin was taken ill. Ho had said
often that he thought religion might be
good thing, and ho meant to look into it.
An anxious friend brought a clergyman to
him. He spoko,tcnderly, but seriously to
the sufferer, of eternal truths.
"Call to-morrow," said the Man of t
sure, "and we will talk about these mat
ters."
That night the Man of Leisure died.
BEAUTY.
"Tho wind paeth over It, 'and it is gone."
How often do we hear men eager in the
pursuit of partners for life, inquire for beau
tiful women ; and how brief tho existence
of what they seek, and how unproductive of j
happiness in its possession.
We know full well tho satisfaction that
sleep beneath the snow-white lids of a beau
tiful eye ; in the haughty curl of an exqu
site lip ; in the blush of a rose that leaps in
to the budding cheek ; in the fine turn of
swan-like neck, the gentle motions of a synv
metiical form, or in the shadowy redundance
of dark and beautiful flowing tresses. Th
hearts of the young arid passionate leap
gladly arid are filled with high impulse.
whilst gazing upon these things but when
the soul is scrutinized, and found unblcsse
by elevated thoughts and generous iniagin
ings, when the intellect is uncultured, and
tho imagination cold, the slumber of forget
fulness will soon fall upon the dream
beauty, and the flame of affection be quench'
ed in apathy and disgust.
With men of genius, strong feelings and
powfnl passions ate ever associated ; and i
admirably blended with mental attractions
the light of love will soon be extinguished
and the generous impulses of the bosom
chilled by apathy and contempt. Men o
intellect may yield a momentary homage to
beautiful woman, dispossessed of other fa
cinations ; even a village Urchin will chase
tho gilded wing of a butterfly ; but in both
cases tho eternal splendor palls upon the
senses, and something of an innate ch'arac
tcr is sough for to.sus'ain the regard, whicl
beajity excited. Nothing is so flattering to
thoVeelings of a man a3 the cxhaustlcss and
quenchless regard of a sensible female, and
no incense so rich can be offered upon the
shrino of woman's ambition, as the avowed
and enthusiastic affection of a man of gen
ius. Beauly, thou art a mean and unmcan
ng toy, whon contrasted with depth of feel
ing and power of mind, and she who would
arogato to herself eonseqnence.from tho little
ambition of personal beauty is too imbecile
in her aspirations, to merit the attention of
an elevated thinker.
Inlrepiditu. We do not remember, a-
mon? the nianv anecdotes of dualling, td
havo mot with one displaying mora hardi'
hood than tho following, which, though
it happoned many years ago, and was re
lated to us by an eye-witness, we have
... i .
never seen in print; Mr. uprinir naa a
farm on an Island in Stco river, from which
he built a bridge to the main land, where
t would encroach upon the land of his
neighbor, Mr. Dennett. Tho channell
was not very broad, and a fow rods below
. . . ... ci !
were some consiucrauio jans. opnng
built abutments, and laid tho string pie
ces, nut ionnet came in mo nigni aim ioru
thatri down. SpriDg naturally enraged,
thratend that if he did it again he should
answer for it to him personally, Unawed
by this threat, no sooner were tho beams
again laid on abutments, than he destroyed
so much of the work as to leave but one
string piece remaining, and that a beam of
eight inches square over the river, where
a fall would be as certain death, as from
the Goat Island bridgo above Niagara.
According to his previous threat, Spring
challenged Dennett to mortal combat.
"I won't fight," said Dennet, "but 1,11 tell
you what I'll do." "Well." "I'll take a
keg of powder with a lighted candle, and
carry it on the centre of that string piece.
You shall sit down on one end of it and I
on tho other till tho old candle burns down
to the powder. That will be the best test
of our courage ."
This terrible proposal was agreed to.
The frial timber bent beneath them as they
coolly walked out and placed the keg in
the middle, over tho roaring flood below,
stuck the blazing candle into it, and sat
down to walcli its burning. Hundreds
were gathered on each side, awaiting in
breathless silence the issue. Spring was
a large fat man', and as the candle burned
slowly towards the powder, he was obser
ved to grow more and more nervous, wrig
gling on his scat, and looking one way and
the other. At l.i3t, when the flame was
half an inch from the surface, he could
keep stil no longer, but incontinently got
up and made his escape. Dennet, who
had throughout displayed the utmost cool
ness, now very carefully took tho blazing
candle out.of the cask, threw it into the wa
ter, and with the powder as his price, went
off in the opposite direction. The buil
ding of the bridge was forever abandoned--r-Buffalo
Pat.
Washington's LirE-ciUAUD. The
sao is or the Schuylkill.
fas-
From 'the cn&tis recollections and privato memdirs
of the life and character of Wahington.
The life-guard was a major's command,
(Jibbs, of Rhode Island, a gallant officer,
and celebrated martinet, Major Calfax, a
fine young man from New Jersey, and
much esteemed in the army, Captains
Grymcs and Nicholas, of Virginia, brav
and valued officers, lieutenant and ensign
with one hundred and eighty picked men
rank and file. The uniform blue, with
white facings, white under clothes, and
Black gaiters'.
The horse-guard was detailed from van
ous corps during the contest. In the oar
tier campaigns, frorii Baylors icgimenl
which was called Lady Washington's Dra
goons .unilorm wnitc witn owe iacmgs
white under clothes with blue facings, &c;
The life-guard, always attached to the head
quarters, was admiied as well for its stipe
rior appearance as for its high state of dis
ciplino, it being considered , in olden times
a matter of distinction to serve in the guard
of the Commander-in-chief.
The life-guard was borrowed by a favo
rito officer for several important expedi
tions. In tho affair of Barren Hill, May,
78, the life-guard formed a part of the
troops under the Marquis de Lafayette, who
recovered of tho wound ho received ia the
preceding campaign, in '78, mado his de
but in arms as a general officer. The po
sition of Bancn Hill becoming extremely
hazardous, on account of two heavy col
umns of the enemy that wero marching to
intercept the communication of tho Mar
quis with tho main army at Valley Forge,
tho young General determined, by a gallant
dash between the auvaucing columns to
reach tho ford on tho Sohiiylkill, and thus
secure his retreat to the main army. Here
et our narration pause, while we pay a
well-moriled tribute to the memory and ser
vices of Allen Mo Lane, to whose untiring
vigilance in watching tho stealthy approach
of the enemy's columns towards Barren
Hill, and promptly in attacking them on
their route, tho Manquis was mainly indeb
ted for success in tho celebrated retreat that
shed lustre on his first command.
In Allen McLane, wo have the recollec
tion of a partisan, who with genius to con
ceive, possessed a courage even to chivalry
to execute, the most daring enterprises; who
ever ranked with 'the foremostjn r. the e
stccm of the chief, and was considered by
the whole army as one of the most intrepid
and distinguished officers of the war of the
Revolution.
When the retreating Americans reached
the ford of the Schulkill, they hesitated in
attempting the passage. Lafayette sprang
from his horse, rushed into the water waist
deep, calling on his comrades to follow.
Animated by the example of their youthful
General, the soldiers entered the river, the
taller men sustaining the shorter, and after
a severe struggle gained the southern, or
friendly shore, having suffered but incon
siderable loss'.
Meanwhile, the eneriiy . Vere in. close
pursuit, and the commander-in-chief, fear
ing for the detachment, which consisted of
his choicest troops, including the life-guard,
dragged his artillery to the rock heights
that commanded the ford( and opcricu upon
the enemy's advance, checking them so far
as to enable the Marquis the better to se
cure his retreat; and there was one feature,
iii the martial spectacle of the passage of
tho Schuylkill of rare and imposing interest:
it was the admired form of AVashington,,al
times obscured , and then beheld amid the
smoke of tho cannonade, as, attended by
his generals and staff, ho would wave hi?
hat to encourage his soldiers in the peri
lous passage of the stream. .
On the morning of the battle of Man
mouth, Juno '78, a detachment from the
life-guard, and onofrom Morgan's riflemen,
led by Morgan's favorite, Captain Giabriel
Long, made a brilliant Hash at a party of
the enemy which' they surprised while
washing at a brook that ran through an. ex
tensive meilow. Seventeen grenadiers
were triadc prisoners, and borne off in the;
very face of the British light infantry, who
fired upon their daring assailants, and imme
diately commenced a hot pursuit; yet Long
displayed such consummate ability as well
as courage, that he brought off his party.
prisoners ami an, wun oniy me loss oi one
sergeant wounded.
Morgan was in waiting, at the out-posf,
to receive the detachment on their return,
listened, with much anxiety, to the heavy
firing of the pursuing enemy.' Charmed
with the success of the. enterprise, in the
return of the troops almost unharmed, and
in the prisoners taien, Morgan wrung the
favorite captain by tho hand, paid his com
pliments to the officers and men df ,his
own corps) and of the life-guard, and then
the famed Leader of the Woodsmen indul
ged himself in a stentorian laugh that made
all ring again, at the bespattered condition
of tho gentlemen, as he was pleased to terra
the life-guard, and who, in their precipi
tate retreat having to pass through certain
swamps that abounded in the portion of
New Jersey then tho seat of war, presen
ted a most soiled appearance for troops who
might be termed the martinets of sixty
years ago. , . , ,
It is believed that the late Col. John'
Nicholas, of Virginia, was tfic last of the
life-guad. '
" There aro some folks who think a good
deal and say but little, and they aro visa
folks ; and there are those who blaat right
out whatever comes uppermost, and I guess
they are pretty considerable superfind darn
ed fools.
"All folks that grow np right off, like a
mushroon, in one night, an apt to think. '
small beer of themselves.
"Nolhin seta up a woman's spunk Ilka
callin her ugly sho gets her back right up,
jiko a oat when a strange dog oomes sear
mar i ene a all eyes, claws, and brutes.
"If a man don't hoo his corn, and ha doot
got a crop, ho says us all owing to the
Bank ; and if ho runs into dobt, and is u'aoJ,
he sayo tho lawyer! are a cuno to" ttjs
country." Sam. SlUlc.