5. And thus we see in history's firmament
Some brightest stars with darkest shadows Went,
But yet some few have long withstood time's flight
And seem with age to give the brighter light.
So with the star whose history now we trace,
Whose light has ever shone for freedom's race,
Caused dark oppression's iron hands•be bound,
And in its stead fair Liberty be crowned---
Gave light for the oppressed of Europe's kings
To seek a home which naught but blessing brings.
So will it ever—as 'elms always always shone,
This glorious star---the life of Washington.
6, If to the record of this star we turn,
We soon the cause for great effects would learn—
The reason why no shadow e'er dared cloud
A light—the glory of a nation proud.
We there would read in characters of light
Of one who dared defy detested 1141 ht
Of one who's very life seemed made by fate
To conquer wrong and ope' fair freedom's gate,
No shadow there to dark a long life's reign,
No shadow there to mark ambition's stain.
Ay 1 But, instead, each bright ray is but one
Of the reflections of a good deed done.
So search this life through childhood, youth and age,
No blot you'll find to mar the record's page,
Though first to enter into freedom's strife,
Also the first to seek a peaceful life.
Winning the first place in a people's heart,
His memory in their lives became a part.
So to our country's Father praise we give,
His memory and his deeds—Lomg may Oa) , live!
SNEEZING.
SITTING down this morning to choose a
subject and collect my thoughts for an
article bespoken by the FREE LANCE, the
first thing I am prompted to do is to sneeze.
Now were this some foreign country, say
Italy or Spain, and I surrounded by a number
of natives, doubtless each one of them would
immediately doff his sombrero, and making
his profoundest, politest obeisance, wish me
all manner of good luck in days to come.
With those simple sons of superstition a
sneeze is an affair of great moment. What
we regard as nothing more than the pre
cursor of a troublesome cold, or possibly the
forerunner of "la .grippe," has from remote
antiquity' been looked upon by many as an
THE FREE LANCE.
evident token of divine favor or of divine
displeasure.
Having said thus much, it occurs to me
that perhaps I might as well keep on and
make this my present theme. If Shakespeare
is right in saying that thel'e are "books in
the running brooks, sermons in stones, and
good in everything," why may there not be
at least a short essay in the sneeze,. even
though it may have lost, in emigrating to
this country, its power to confer upon its
subjects either good or evil fortune ?
Our wordy-wise men who make the
dictionaries and grammars for us define this
commonplace act as " the rapid and audible
ejectment of air through the nose," or as
" the violent emission of air, with moisture,
audibly, through the nose." A sneeze, then
to be a genuine, orthodox sneeze, must not
only bring the nasal organ
/ into exceptional
prominence, but it must be something rapid.
This is very essential. It must get in its
work in short metre to be a success. No
dilly-dallying will answer. The true sneeze
is " sudden in it impression and hasty in its
conclusion," like the hornet. It must also
be violent in its nature. No respectable,
well-educated sneeze will ever handle its
victim with gloves. Its object is the dividing
asunder of joints and marrow. It is nothing
if not violent. And furthermore all eminent
scholars who have devoted time, thought and
patience to the elucidation of this great sub
ject insist that in order to pass muster the
sneeze must be audible. A silent sneeze is
no good whatever ; be it as sudden in its
onset as the bolt of Jove and as violent as . a
cyclone, the sneeze that. is not audible to
the bystander who is not stone deaf is a dis
mal failure and deserves to be ostracized from
good society. .
That sneezing has in all time been a uni
versal accomplishment (or affliction, if you
prefer) is shown not only by the superstitious
reverence paid to it in all lands, but also by