The ladies' garland. [volume], November 10, 1827, Page 87, Image 3

About The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828

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THE
SATUltD \V EVENING, NOYKMIIKU 10, 1827.
'’•The. Itorld's deceived by Ornament S’
The truth of this remurk seems to be admit
ted in every station of life. To dazzle the eye
is the paramount object of the fair damsel as
well as of the man of trade. The merchant has
.often found the advantage of gaily decorated
shelves, and even printers begin to study orna
ment, to captivate the optic sense of their pa
trons. Thus it is, that every new publication
vaunts forth its ornaments, and promises fre
quent gratifications of that sort. For our own
part, tVe do not rely upon such resources to in
crease our patronage. We were of opinion that
appeals to the judgment were more appropriate,
and hence it is that, in weaving garlands for the
fair, we have chosen to abstain from tinsel and
mere outward show. Let those, then, who think
lightly of the capacity of their readers, labour
to please the eye—we are content to believe that
our humble sheet, like that sex for which it is
principally intended, is,
“ When unadorned, adorned the most.”
In Baltimore the ladies bold an annual fair
for the benefit of female orphan children. At
this fair are seen vast collections of useful and
fancy articles,prepared by the ladies themselves,
and offered for sale. This method of un
locking tiie coffers of crusty and misanthropic
old bachelors, who often become purchasers, is
a laudable one; and the fund thus acquired is
considerable. It dispels sorrow from many a
heart, diffuses plenty to the destitute, and se
cures “ for helpless orphans sound moral prin
ciples and plain useful instruction, enables them
to preserve a good moral character, and to ob
tain an honest livelihood.” These ladies de
serve—no, no, they have their reward, flowing in
rich streams of joy round their noble hearts.—
Let those who wish to be equally happy, follow
the example.
Time.—IIoiv lightly estimated are the fleet
ing hours' eeks are consumed in busy pre
parations lor a gala-dav, while even hours are
grudged to the service of Heaven. Ask a mo
dern I. ir-one, il she has read a work teeming
with instruction, and vou will probably bean
•severed—•' Really, 1 have not—-the constant
round of entertainments which we've had, and .
umerous visits which 1 have had to reci
procate, have so engrossed my time, that I have
not had a moment to spare." Is a rout an !
liounced?—mark what a bustle!—what a pomp 1
of preparation!—A month, probably,is employ- |
sd in fitting up the most fasciuating decorations
for the person, while the rich soil of the mind is
left uncultured and sterile.— And what avails all
this labor, this anxiety, and this zeal to look
wellThe time arrives—the scenes are hurri
ed through, and the pleasures are found unsub
stantial and evanescent! What reflections fo!
low ? Why, tb.tt the object of all this toil to
please the eyes of others, has only been
“ Kxposed, the short lived pageant of a day,
To painted flies, or glittering fops a prey.”
THE MS9LE1T.
Chance.—I am old enough (says Smollett in
a letter to his friend Garrick) to have seen and
observed that «jc arc all the playthings of for- i
tune, and that it depends on something as in j
significant and precarious as the tossing up of a |
half-penny, whether a tnun rises to affluence i
and honors, or continues to his dying day strug
gling with the difficulties and disgrace of life.
Ai.Lr.ooniKs.—Every fly and every peb
ble, and every flower, are tutors in the great
school of nature, to instruct the mind and
improve the heart. The four elements are I
the four volumes, in which all Iter works are j
written. /!
Human destiny is a nut, of which life is
the shell, ami reputation the kernel : crack
it gently, and you enjoy its whole value,
entire and at once ;—but ('pen it roughly,
and ten to one you break the shell. 01 bruise i
the kernel, or reduce the whole into one
useless compound.
DANCING.
The \ irginia Visitor contains a commu
nication, under the classical signature of
" Achoreuon,” denouncing the amusement
of dancing. There are strange distinctions
made in this world between different kinds
of exercise. No one, we believe. has yet
discovered any immorality in skating or
running for exercise, but as the age becomes
more relined, we shall probably have moral
laws passed against these amusements also.
Is there any immorality in a man’s jump
ing over a fence twenty times pour passer
/elans—we presume not; take away the
fence then, and let the man jump away as
much as before :—is this wicked ? Are the
muscles unprincipled and the feet immoral?
No. Let this motion be performed with
ease and grace—do they render wicked
what was before innocent?
But then the fiddle—what can be said in
apology for the fiddle ? To be sure there
is nothing unprincipled in the (lowing mane
of a noble steed, but pluck the hairs from
that mane, and weave them into strings for
the fiddle bow, and lol they become in
struments of evil. The case then appears
to stand thus—a man may hop, skip, jump,
or run, without music, and no harm is done
—but if he do this gracefully, and keep
time with the notes of the fiddle, lie is guil
ty of abomination. But when the fair and
■young assemble, in the cheerfulness of in
nocence, and "mix in the mazy dance,”
which gives elasticity to the form, aud rosy
health to the cheeks, they offend against the
laws of morality. This is the only inference
to be drawn ; for if jumping and hopping
be wicked in themselves, frogs and grass
hoppers are in a bad way. So much for
dancing.—[iV. Y. Courier.
Steps retraced.—Catharine de Medici*
made a vow, tliat it some concern she liad
undertaken terminated successfully, site
would send a pilgrim on foot to Jerusalem,
and that at every three steps lie advanced,
lie should go one back. It was doubtful
whether there could be found a man suiii
cicntly strong and patient to walk, and go
back one step every third. A citizen of
\ erberie. who was a merchant, otfered to
accomplish the queen's vow most scrupu
lously, ami her majesty promised him an
adequate recompense. The queen was
well assured bv constant inquiries that he
Iultilled her engagement with exactness,
and on his return, he received a considera
ble sum of money, and was ennobled. Ilis
descendants preserved bis arms, blit they
degenerated from their nobility by resum
ing the commerce which their ancestor
quitted.
SIMPLICITY IN DRESS.
Dean Swift and the Farmer's 111fc.—
The celebrated Dean Swift bad been so
highly pleased with the conversation and
deportment of a farmer’s w ife, near Dublin,
that he invited himself to dine at her house,
and sent her notice of the time. The trial
was rather too hard for her prudence.—
Klated with the, idea of entertaining a guest
whose company was courted by the first no
bility ot the realm, she dressed herself as
fine as her fingers could make her, anil in
this rich attire received the dean with state
ly ceremony. He in his turn made his pm
found obeisance, and then instantly inquir
ed for the farmer’s wife. “ 1 am she! pray,
sir, don’t you know me ?” “ You! no ma
dam, [ won’t be tricked ; the fanner’s wife
that I am cotne to see is a plain woman, but
you look like a duchess.”
Her excellent sense made her understand
the hint, and her excellent humour made
her take it in good part. She withdrew,
changed her dress, and returned in a plain
robe—"‘All, 'tis she!” joyfully exclaimed
the dean, “this is the very woman l am
come to see, and I expect to be very happy
in her company.”
Husband's authority to correct his Wife.—
The authority which the husband has some
times claimed, under the law, to inflict car
poral chastisement upon his wife, seems
not to have been given bv the Hindus.—
Their code contains the following beautiful
maxim—‘• S11 ike not, even with a blossom.
a wife guilty of a hundred faults.”
New classification.—A married lady, al
luding in conversation to the 148th psalm,
observed, that while "voting men and mai
dens, old men and children," were express
ly mentioned, not a word was said about
married women. \n old clergyman, whom
she was addressing, assured her that they
had not been omitted, and that she would
find them included in one of the preceding
verses, under the description of vapours and
storms.