USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The Cincinnati miscellany, or, Antiquities of the West, and pioneer history and general and local statistics. Volume II > Part 43
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Woman is sheltered by fond arms and loving council; old age is protected by its experience, and manhood by its strength, but the young man stands amid the temptations of the world, like a self-balanced tower; happy he who seeks and gains the prop of morality.
Onward, then, conscientious youth !- raise thy standard and nerve thyself for goodness. If God has given thee intellectual power, awaken in that canse; never let it be said of thee he helped swell the tide of sin, by pouring his influence into its channels. If thou art feeble in mental strength, throw not that drop into a polluted current. Awake, arise, young man! assume the beautiful garb of virtue !- It is fearfully easy to sin; it is difficult to be pure and holy. Put on thy strength then! let thy chivalry be roused against errer! let the truth be the lady of thy love-defend her .- Southern Rose
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Western Poetry.
" Among the many beautiful books which are expected to see the light about the time of the Holidays, is one which will be welcomed by all admirers of flowers and poetry. We allude to " The Floral Year," by Mrs. Anna P. Dinnies, of St. Louis, published by Coleman, New York. As " Moina," Mrs. Dinnies, when only fifteen, acquired by her "Wedded Love," and " The Wife's Appeal," an enviable reputation, which the later efforts of her muse have served to con- firm. " The Floral Year," is designed to illus- trate, by the flowers of poesy, the natural flow- ers of the various seasons of the year. It will be an acceptable token to every fair lover of flowers-as what fair lady is not?
'The Broadway Journal announces as in press, a volume of poems by William Wallace, former- ly of Louisville, Ky., who, although for some years past a resident of the Eastern Cities, we still claim as a Western Poet, and therefore an- nounce his work as another volume of Western Poetry. Mr. Wallace is a poet of true genius -- possessed of a brilliant imagination, combined with great"vigor of thought, and power of ex- pression. We are much pleased to see the an- nouncement of a volume from his pen.
Literary Chit-Chat.
The " Excelsior," is announced as the title of a new Literary Journal which is about to be es- tablished in the City of New York, to be edited by Charles Feuno Hoffinan, the poet and author of "A Winter in the West," and which, as its name indicates, is expected to take high ground in American periodical literature.
It is stated also that Park Benjamin, having re- moved to Baltimore, is about to take the edito- rial charge of a new literary paper in that city. Mr. Benjamin is one of the first American poets and critics, and no better guaranty than his sound discrimination and correct taste, as form- erly displayed in his management of the " New World," can be desired, as assurance that a pa- per established under his editorial conduct, must become highly popular and successful.
In the west we have also two or three similar undertakings talked of; all of which are, howev- er, as yet, in a state of embryo, with a single ex- ception. Mr. L. A. Hine, one of the editors of the late " Western Literary Journal," proposes to publish a " Quarterly Journal and Review," at the extremely low price of one dollar per annum: If published, we wish Mr. H. better luck than fell to his share in his connection with the West- ern Literary Journal.
tial of the monthlies, has published the bans of matrimonial alliance, with W. Gilmore Simms' " Monthly Magazine and Review," a work com- menced about a year since at Charleston, S. C. -the union to be consummated at the com- mencement of the new year. This will give ad- ditional force to the " Messenger," already and for some time past, in our opinion, one of the best literary periodicals in the country.
A Nuisance.
Traversing, a few days since, the length of Fourth strect, about the middle of the afternoon, we encountered opposite the Second Presbyterian Church, a gang of boys, some ten or a dozen li number, engaged in kicking a foot ball, now in the middle of the street, and now upon the side- walks, as chance directed the course of the ball, not a little to the annoyance of ladies, and other passers by. The indulgence of the boys of our city in this sport, in the' public streets (seldom we believe in so thronged a thoroughfare as is that of Fourth street,) is a nuisance which should hot for a moment be tolerated. There are plenty of commons and open lots in which our city juveniles may play, without turning the streets into "camping grounds," to the risk of the shins of either themselves or others, not desi- rous of partaking in the sport.
Another, and a yet greater nuisance-because' of the actual danger to passers by, with which it is attended-is the practice of our boys playing at Shinny or Shindy, (as it is not in our copy of Webster, we will not stake our reputation upon the orthography of the word,) along the side- walks. The clubs with which they play it, are generally of stout hickory, and of weight suffi- cient to knock over a small man, coming in con- tact with one of them unawares; and the way the young shavers usually swing them around when preparing to strike the ball a blow, with a total recklessness of the possible consequences to those who may be near, is a truly edifying specimen of Republican Independence! Add to this, that the ball used is generally a stone of sufficient size and weight to inflict a pretty serious indentation upon the shins of the luckless passenger who is not quick-sighted and nimble-footed enough to dodge it, in its rapid advance along the pavement to meet him, and we think our objections to this, the present fashionable amusement of our young hopefuls, will be deemed valid and sufficient .. We are always pleased at the sight of boys engaged in any proper and harmless play, but really this practice of Shinnying stones: and brickbats along the crowded sidewalks, which we have been accustomed to regard' as devoted to other and very different, uses,
The " Southern Literary Messenger," published at Richmond, Va., and one of the ino'st substan- Fhas become a nuisance which we must protest 27
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against, as indeed " most tolerable and not to be | seen, he found it was the night of their assigna- cudured.". We have frequently heard ladies say lately, that they are afraid to walk the streets on this account; and our wonder is, that the prac- tice is not oftener attended with results of a more serious and fatal character.
A Hint to Mothers.
There are many things which are better left to chance; precaution is sometimes more mischiev- ous than negligence. The late Sir W. C- was one day expected at a large dinner party, at Mr. M-d-y's, in Russel square. The worthy baronet's nose, it will be remembered, was, to say the least of it, remarkable. Before the company assembled, Mr. M- - suggested to his lady, that upon this particular occasion, it would be safer that little Alfred should not (as at other times) be introduced along with the dessert after dinner; for that, the said Alfred, a fine child of seven years old, having a propensity to make observations upon all personal defects or deformi- ties, from a pimple to a bump, from a crooked finger to a cork leg, might possibly say somc- thing not altogether agreeable to Sir W. " Leave that to mc," said the lady; " I'll contrive it nicely." Accordingly she proceeded to the nur- sery, and thus addressed the little gentleman,- " Alfred, my dear, we have a gentleman coming to dinner to-day who has a monstrous ugly nose .. Now, if you will promise to be a good boy, and not make any observations on it, you may come down after dinner, and you shall have an orange. But remember the nose!" Master Alfred acce- ded to the terms of the treaty, and, in due time, was ushered into the dining room. After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, the young gentle- man, finding the reward of his forbearance still in arrear, took advantage of a dead pause in the con- versation, and cried out from the further end of the table, " Mamma, it is time now for me to have the orange you promised me, if I didn't say anything about that gentleman's monstrous ugly nose."
The Trysting Tree. From " Real Life, or the Portfolio of a Chronicler."
Journeying one day along a muirland road not far from Stirling, we passed a very fine old tree in a field at a short distance. I remarked its beauty, to which Simon assented, but seemed for a while absorbed in recalling recollections asso- ciated with it. At last, he said, pausing and looking back on the tree; ' That sturdy old plant of other years, reminds me of an incident which displayed a striking trait of character of the true old Scottish breed. That is, or was, called the Trysting Tree, and there a country lass had con- sented to meet her sweetheart one winter night, to arrange matters for the wedding. The night came, cold and foggy, and the girl, true to her appointment, set off silently in the hopes of being back again before she was missed. It soon came on a heavy snow, and snowed all night. The girl was not to be found; and all the roads round being not only impassible but invisible, from the depth of the drift, a whole week passed before any communication was possible with the neigh- bouring farms, all which time nothing could be heard of her. At length the news reached her lover, who was lost and bewildered in contending feelings of wonder, fear, and jealousy. On in- quiry as to the time when his bride had been last
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tion and the first of the snow. The Trysting Tree, flashed upon his mind, and thither with a sturdy band of volunteer pioneers hc bent his- course. On reaching the tree they commenced digging all round it, and soon came to a solid hammock. Their spades and shovels were then exchanged for the simple labour of their hands, with which they gathered up and flung out the snow by gowpens, and ere this had been long continued, they succeeded in extricating the very girl, exactly eight days from the time she had been buried. You may guess it was a moment of agonizing perturbation which succeeded the discovery that she was alive!
On coming to the tree and not finding her lover there, she drew her plaid tight round her, and sat down to wait. She conjectured that the cold had made her drowsy, and the snow falling thick upon her, when she awoke she was unable to move, and felt herself as if, alive in her grave,. and cut off from the living world. Her lover was full of sorrow and of explanations. ' If he had but thought she could have ventured out on such a night, he never would have failed to keep his word,' &c., &c., &c. Every young man's mind will suggest the proper thing to be said on the occasion; but Lizzy, who could scarcely be sus- pected of bestowing any but cold looks at such a time, took no notice of him whatever. The country people who had accompanied him had a supply of cordials, and he was loud and earnest in enjoining them to ' give her something warm instantly;' and a glass of spirits was offered, which she gravely pushed aside. 'Give me a glass of water,' said she; 'it's a cauld heart that canna warm a drink to itsel'."
Her Joe was ardent in his adresses, but she repulsed him with endless scorn. Whether she ever took a husband or not, I have forgotten, but it is certain she never married him.
Food for Digestion.
In the following, taken from a Scotch paper, we hardly know which is tougher-the story, or the tripe. If, however, the "sonsie lassie" managed to bolt the one, as narrated, our read- ers, we think, should make no difficulty of swal- lowing the other.
TOUGH TRIPE .- A sort of original character of a servant girl belonging to this neighbourhood, engaged as dairy maid at Craignish, in Argyll- shire, last summer, and the first night after going home, as the family had supped en tripe before she could get her work in the byre brought to a close, Kate was told by her mistress that she would find her share in a pot on the fire. Im- pelled by a pretty sharp appetite, which the fresh air of the Highlands had imparted, Kate ap- proached one of the two pots on the fire, carry- ing it off into the corner, and then and there com- menced an attack on what she conceived to be about a square yard of tripe. She found it dark- ish in the colour, and about the toughest fabric of human provender which had ever encountered her ivory; but as she was young and blate, and, moreover, had never before tasted tripe, she felt ashamed to reject that of which she had been told all the family had partaken, and, therefore, tore away at it, now using her teeth, now her hands, and at times, breaking it over her knees, till she managed to bolt the whole of it; inwardly ejacu-
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Bating, " it was mair like the hide, than the inside of ony beast ever she saw."
All night her horrid night-mare moans so loudly indicated that Kate's digestive powers were being severely tested, that the guid wife cannily administered a bead of the small-still aqua, to master the tripe. It was found next morning, when the household assembled at break- fast, that Kate had taken the wrong pot from the fire, and had swallowed the dish clout, which had been left in the water to wash the dishes! Kate thinking it was a trick, her blood got up, and she seized an old clant, with which she unecremoni- ously dislocated the shoulder blade of the farm- er's eldest son, and shouting as a sort of war-cry, that " naebody suld make a ropewalk o' her stamach," let skelp at all and sundry, and charged them from one room to another, till she fairly put the wirele establishment to rout. A reconciliation was ultimately effected, but till the day she left the house, the " brawniest chiel" among them dared not mention the word "tripe" in Kate's presence.
A Rising Genius.
TIMOTHY SLY'S OWN EPISTLE, (NOT THE MAS- TER'S.)-Dear Dick: I copied my school letter to father and mother ten times before one was good enough, and while the teacher is putting the capi- tuils and flourishes in I shall slip this off on the sly. Our examination was yesterday and the table was covered with books and things bound in gilt and silk for prizes, but were all put away again and none of us get none, only they award- ed Master Key a new fourpenny bit for liis essay on Locke, because his friends live next door; and little Coombe got the toothache, so they would not let him try his experiments on vital air, which was very scurvy. It didn't eome to my turn, so I did not get a prize; but as the company was to stop to tea I put the eat in the water butt which they clean out in the hollidays, and they will be sure to find her: and we were all re :ted with tea, and I did not like to refuse as they might have snspext something. Last night we had a stocking and bolster figlit after we went to bed, and I fought a little lad with a big bolster; his name is Bill Barnacle, and I knocked his eye out with a stone in my stocking; but as nobody knows who did it, because we were all in the dark, so I could see no harm in it. Dear Diek, send me directly your Wattses Hymns to show, for I burnt mine and a lump of cobblers wax for the master's chair on breaking up day; and some small shot to pepper the people with my quill gun and eighteen pence in copper to shy at win- dows as we ride through the village and make it one and ninepence, for there's a good many as Ive a spite against and if father wont give it you ask mother and say its for yourself and meet me at the Elephant and Castle and if there's roon on the coach you can get up for I want to give you some crackers to let off as soon as we get home while they are all kissing of me your af- fectionate brother Timothy Sly.
A Strong Verdict.
About the commencement of the present ecn- tury, a black man, who had lived at the north end of Boston, suddenly disappeared, and it was thought that he had drowned himself. Accord- ingly diligent serach was made, and at the end of two days his body was found in a dock in Charlestown. As is usual in such cases, a jury
was called together; and as the story goes, (which is true for all we know,) they were all men of " colonr." After some deliberation, they brought in a verdict as follows: " Dat, going home one berry dark night, he fell from the wharf and was killed; and the tide coming in strong, it floated him over to Charlestown, and he was drowned; dat de wedder being berry eold, he froze to death!" The coroner who was a bit of a wag, notwith- standing the solemnity of the occasion, said " you might as well add, died in the wool!"
A Poser.
"An' Cuff, will ye be afther tipping us a little bit of a song this cold mornin?" exelaimed a son of the Emerald Isle to a brother of the sable raee, a eo-labourer in the division and sub-division of wood.
" Golly, massa, I can't sing!"
"Can't sing! An' what's your leg stuck in the middle of yer Fur for, like a bird's, if ye can't sing?"
The following was probably written by some old bachelor, who was paying the penalty of his neglect, in early life, to perform "the whole duty of man" to the gentler sex. We have rea- son to think there is a good deal of truth in his observations on the subjeet.
Benefits of Matrimony.
I went to one neighbour and solieited a dona- tion for publie objeets: he replied, " I approve of your objeet, and would assist you-but you know I have a family, and ' Charity begins at home.' "
I called upon a second: he replied that such as were able ought to be liberal, and that he had every disposition to aid me ;- " but," he added, " there are stronger claims than yours, which I am bound to regard-those of my children."
A public charity demanded that a messenger should be sent from the city to a remote country. A person was selected whose talents were well adapted to the mission. He replied that nothing would give him more pleasure, but it was abso- lutely impossible on account of his family. He was cxcused.
Two merchants, partners in business failed. At a meeting of the ereditors, it was resolved that one should be forthwith released; but the other, because he was a bachelor, might yet, as was his duty, go to work and pay a small dividend.
A public office was about to appoint a secretary. There were, as usual, twenty appli- cants. In the discussion of the board of directors, the talents of many were set forth; when a mem- ber rose, and said that the candidate whom lie should propose was a man of moderate capacity, but he was a poor man with a family. He suc- ceeded, and holds the office still.
A mercantile friend wished me to procure a person to fill a responsiblestation. A gentleman came who seemed well fitted for the office. 1 asked him how much salary he expected. Here- plied, smilingly, " I am a married man"-which I understoodt to be $1,500 per annum. He has the place. No bachelor would have had over a thonsand.
Two criminuls were tried for forgery at the Old Bailey, and condemned to death. The King pardoned the one who was married, on account of his wife and children. The other paid the forfeit of his life, because he was a bachelor.
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In short would you avoid trouble of many | but yesterday. Our own sentiments precisely, kinds, excite sympathy, procure office, or escape and our own case exactly ! punishment, you have only to get married.
The following admirable Jeu d'esprit was writ- ten many years since, and published in a London Magazine, during the lifetime of the " Prince of modern Punsters." Alas! for the lovers of genuine humour, that which was then but a jest, (albeit on a grave subject,) has since become a sad re- ality; This epitaph is so much in Hood's own vein, that, but for its subject, we should be tempted to attribute it to his pen.
AN EPITAPH PROPOSED FOR THOMAS HOOD, Author of " Whims and Oddities."
Reader, whoe'er you are -.- Perchance a youth That loves the truth- Drop now a natural tear; For one who loved it too, is lying here, He and his lyre are both laid down iu sooth; And oh, ye Artists-ye who draw afar, Draw near!
Ye bards who merely blow a reed, Now read a blow Which funless fate has just decreed: Hoop is below! Not Admiral, but admirable Hood,
Who wore no sword, but gave us cuts-in wood As well as verse, In lines all quaint and terse;
Who made us laugh, and very often cry " That's good!" And without trouble
Contrived to make us see each sentence double, Who turned our ill-used language inside out, And round about, And searched it low and high;
Who voyaged on with all his wits unfurled, And every day discovered a new world,
An island pun far off and dim,
If out of sight, 'twas all the same to him ;. And when no new joke met his eye He turned the old,
Melted them down, or made another mould; And when at last you thought, " well now he's done,"
He'd find another puu
Hid in the small and secret cells Of most impracticable syllables; Just like a nun ! And when he wished to give us raps,
He'd put his puns, like children, in SMALL CAPS! +
To him no dactyll ever came amiss, And spondees were his bliss. For every joke a plot was made
That of itself, appeared the work of ages; And for each pun a plot was laid That, like a king's, employed a dozen pages. Thus he pursued his trade: Yet, ah! with all this weight or worth, His witty things he very seldom spoke, And ne'er in private gave away a joke; But like Mount ÆEtua, frequently sent forth Volumes of smoke.
Reverence for the Sex.
The subjoined, written by Addison, more than a century ago, is as true as if it had been penned
" I have found that men who are really most fond of the society of ladies, who cherish for them a high respeet, nay reverence, are sekcom the most popular with the sex. Men of more as- surance, whose tongues are lightly hung, who make words supply the place of ideas, and place compliment in the room of sentiment are the favourites. A true respect for women leads to respectful actions towards them, and respect is asually distant action, and this great distance is mistaken by them for neglect and want of in- terest."
Journal of Bev. David Jones in 1773 .-- No. 2 Communicated by H. G. Jones, Jr., of Lever- ington, Pa.
At present there is one difficulty that I never thought of till I got there, viz: this people live a vagrant life, remaining for the most part but a short time, in any one place. If they were per- suaded and assisted to farm, and learned to read, they would soon be civilized. "Tis strange to me that nothing has been done by the Provinces bordering on these Indians: but under all these disadvantages, if there was norum bought among them, I am apprehensive I could have done some- thing. Some have been of the opinion, that the traders prejudiced the Indians against me; but though some of them have not that fear of God which I could wish they had, in their hearts, yet I solemnly think there was not one trader in the nation but, assisted me what he could; at least they did me no harm. I have reason to ac- knowledge both their civility and generosity, when I remember that I was well entertained by Mr. Henry and Mr. Irwine, and when 1 came away neither would take one farthing for their kindness. At present it is not safe for any per- son to venture himself among such a lawless company of people as these savages are, that really have no conscience about shedding inno- cent blood. Some of the traders have said that the Indians only designed to scare me, but I anı persuaded this is not the opinion of Mr. Henry or Mr. Irwine, who were the best judges in the case, being present when the Indians sought after me. I would now dismiss the subject of these Indians, only I remember I have said noth- ing of their apparel. In this respect they are like other Indians, the men wearing shirts, match coats, breech clouts, leggins and moccasons: their ornaments are silver plates on their arms above and below the elbows-rose jewel's are also common. They paint their faces and cut the rim of their ears so as to stretch them very large; and their head is dressed in the best mode, with a black silk handkerchief about it. The women wear short shifts, sometimes a calico bed-gown, over their shoulders, which is in place of a petti- coat. Their hair is parted and tied behind; they
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paint none except in spots: their ears are never cut, but have about ten silver rings in them. One squaw will have five hundred broaches stack in her shift and leggins. Both men and women are very proud, but of the two the men are the more haughty. 'Tis said that neither men nor women suffer any hair to grow on any part of their body only their head. Some pull out not only their beard but also their eyebrows.
But to return to my travels. Having got a horse, which cost me twenty-five dollars, through the kindness of Mr. Irwine, and being somewhat furnished with provisions for my journey, on Monday, the 8th of February, I parted with my friends, and left Chillicothe about ten o'clock, alone, and passing Pickaweeke I came to Kicka- pookee, which is situated ;on a creek that soon empties into the Scioto, the town being about one mile from the river: it is more than twenty miles from Chillicothe, about N. E. and N. For the first eight miles I was not withont some appre- hensions of being persued; but afterwards I was very little disturbed in mind. At this town I lodged with Mr. Richard Butler, brother to Mr. William Butler, before mentioned: he used me very kindly and prepared some wheat cakes for my journey; and as I had no goods he gave me two pairs of leggins to barter for provisions by the way, for these Indians, as yet, have not the use of money. In the morning my horse could not be found till near twelve o'clock, and by those means I missed some company. Howev- er, about one o'clock I passed over the river Scioto in a canoe in company with Mr. Butler, fer I could not speak their language, and I did not know what to say to the Indian who kept the ferry. The boy who brought me over was a white captive, and could not speak any English, which made my heart sorry to hear him answer me, motta keeno tolech, that is, I do not under- stand you. There remains a considerable num- ber of captives in this nation, all of whom were to be delivered up at the conclusion of the last peace: without a doubt, the agent has not done his duty in this point. This day I travelled alone through an excellent land, only there were :so many bogs, or as they may be called fresh marshes, that it does not promise equal health to some other parts; but I am persuaded it will be an unparalleled land for stock : this day's journey was twenty-two miles in a northeast course. As I passed the Great Lick I saw the last flock of parrots, for these birds are not fond of extreme +cold. I had only a small path, and night came con in this wide wilderness, which was more dis- agreeable than I can express. However, I arri- ved safe before nine o'clock at Mr. McCormick's at the Standing Stone, on a creek called Hock- hocking. Here is a town of Delaware Indians,
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