284 The Ocean to his Children-Fortune Telling. VOL. I. through dark dungeons to visit some wretched lington, was an old colored man by the name prisoner, whose dimly seen features were but of Hood, of a foreign and very singular astoo familiar; or she beheld the tall gibbet start pect. He was evidently not a negro, although up before her eyes, in some well known spot as dark as most of that unfortunate race. where her children sported round her; and His features were finely proportioned; his in each wild dream, one face and figure still beard and eyebrows as white as snow, and haunted her, till she woke only to shriek and his long straight coarse hair, as black as the shudder, as consciousness of the dreadful re- wing of a raven. He claimed to be of Moorality rushed upon her mind. But peace ish origin, and there were none living to diswaved her angel wings over the humble roof pute his claims; for he had always lived in of the poor widow, though death was within the same hut, during a period beyond the her doors; the spirits of the departed came memory of the oldest man in that country, round her pillow, with bright and happy faces, || and no one knew from whence he came.the voices of those she loved rung in her ears, He represented himself to be an hundred and and her dreams were of heaven and blessed fifteen years of age at the time of which 1 things. She too woke to affliction, tempered am speaking. His cabin was situated on the with hope and resignation; and great was the bank of a small rivulet, in the midst of a contrast between the sorrow which had that thick wood on every hand, and far removed night fallen upon the two dwellings. from any habitation. He owned about a dozen large books, some printed and some in manuscript, and all in a language unknown to his visitors. Out of these he professed to read the occult mysteries of the future, to all who applied to him for that purpose; and contrived to glean a very comfortable living by the exercise of his art, from the credulous villagers and country people around him. Were property lost or stolen, old Hood could commonly put the owner in a train for its recovery. Was a lovesick young man or maiden anxious to know what kind of a person their future partner in life would be-he could describe them exactly. As a sample out of the thousand cases of his fortune telling, I will relate one; the consequences flowing from which, was the cause of his disgrace, and the destruction of all faith in the predictions of all of his profession. THE OCEAN TO HIS CHILDREN. Sweetly pour thy silver streams; Deep and wide and silent river! Calmly glide into my breast; Shower of summer! shower of summer! Dew-drop! from thine airy mansion, In the realms of starry light, Haste thee to my blue expansion, Offspring of the silent night! Children, wheresoe'er ye be, Welcome, welcome all to me! There lived in the village, a beautiful young girl just budding into womanhood, by the name of Mary Amena. Her heart was all attuned to love, and her young affections wholly placed upon a youth with whom she had been acquainted from her childhood, and who fully returned her passion; but although a thousand times, when in her company, he had exchanged with her looks which conveyed the very soul of love, he had not as yet assumed sufcient resolution to address her on the subject in plain and intelligible language. She had very little doubt of his deep and exclusive devotion, but was anxious to be quite certain, FORTUNE TELLING. and therefore in an evil hour, made up mind to consult Hood on the probable issue The little town of Todlington, about a of her courtship; which she thought ought quarter of a century since, was famous for long since to have been brought to a conclufortune-tellers. Of this class of its inhabit-sion, for she was nearly sixteen, and her lover ants, and some of their most prominent ac-almost one and twenty. It appeared aftertions, I purpose giving a brief account, as well as the manner in which the town was at last successfully cleared of them. Williamstown, Mass. W. H. M. The acknowledged head, and prince of all the fortune-tellers, within many miles of Tod her wards that Hood had promised another young lady that Mary's lover should be her husband; he therefore informed Mary that she could never marry the present object of her affections, because he found it written in the stars, No. 16. 66 Beauty's Empire. that her future husband was yet a stranger to her; an exceedingly handsome man with a high forehead, nut-brown hair, blue eyes, and fair complexion. That sometime between the first of next December (it was then June) and Christmas following, he would drive into the town in his coach-see her standing at her window-fall in love with her at first sight-procure an introduction, address, and marry her, and bear her away to a distant country, where all her life long she should enjoy every luxury which wealth could buy, and be completely happy. The poor girl! she believed every word he said, and lost all love for the first, and until now, only object of her young affections; that night and often afterwards in her dreams she fancied the whole prophecy fulfilled. The next evening her lover came, 'pierced with love's delightful pangs," and at last, was able in a broken and tremulous voice, to open before her the whole volume of his long cherished and ill-concealed love. Instead of the approving blush of maiden honesty, with which he expected his proposal to be received, he was surprised, when with a cold and calm countenance she looked up into his face, and told him she was sorry to wound his feelings, but that candor compelled her frankly to tell him, that she did not and never could return his affections.He visited her again several times and plead his suit with fervor, but without success; until at length wearied with her coldness, he ceased to importune her; and addressed the girl to whom Hood had promised him, and who had often shown an undoubted predilection for him, and married her. From the time she had her fortune told, Mary appeared uncommonly happy, although she refused invariably to attend the parties of pleasure, frequently taking place among the young people of the village, and of which she had been remarkably fond; her heart was away in that far land, with the beautiful stranger who was shortly to come and make her his wife. About the first of December she dressed every morning in her best attire, and was almost constantly at the window looking out into the street. All her usual occupations were neglected, and she hardly exchanged a word with any one. Her parents became justly alarmed for the state of her mind, for which they were wholly unable to account. Towards Christmas, when all others were putting on their best smiles to welcome in the joyous season, Mary's countenance was obscured in gloom, and distorted with anxiety. She was always listening attentively to every sound in the street, and a carriage never drove past the house that she did not suddenly start up and fly to the window; at the same time a transient smile would light GAR.-F 285 up her face, and vanish almost before it could be observed. At length Christmas came and passed, and her promised lover made not his appearance. Mary went to bed, but refused all medical aid, for well she knew the doctor's skill could never reach the disease of the heart. She became melancholy mad. Finally she neither ate, nor drank, nor spoke a word to those around her; although she appeared to be holding almost constantly a broken conversation in the tenderest language to some absent being. Sometimes she would sing the following song which must have been of her own composing, in a tone so strange, so sweet and plaintive, that all hearts would melt to hear her: My love is like the lily fair, With dark blue eyes and nut brown hair, And he will come ere set of sun That his heart is true, and I'm his love, Why dont he come? Say, sister, say? At last she died; and her young sister to whom she told, under the injunction of secrecy, the cause of her madness, disclosed the whole to her heart stricken parents. About the same time it was found out that Hood had been long in league with many servants and dishonest people, who would steal and hide valuable articles, and tell him where they might be found, for a part of the reward which he obtained for their recovery. The whole male part of Todlington became furious.— They went forthwith to Hood's cabin, and levelled it with the ground, threw all his books into the fire, and would certainly have dostroyed him, had he not been so fortunate as to get notice of their intentions so as to make his escape-none knew whither.-Delaware Register. BEAUTY'S EMPIRE What avails thine iron brow, Strong one of the battle-field? Thou hast met a stronger now, Render up thy lance and shield. Yield at last-who yielded never, Beauty reigns on earth forever What avails thy purple pride, Monarch on thy golden throne? Cast thy haughty looks aside, Jewelled slave, thy sovereign own 286 Moral Influence of the Wife on the Husband. Kneel-thy whole allegiance give her, What avails thy lore severe, Sage-by midnight taper sought ?— Ah! her might too well I know, Spare me, melting sunbright eyes! MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE WIFE ON THE HUSBAND. Every wife has it in her power to make her husband either better or worse. This result is accomplished, not merely by giving advice and instruction alone. Both these have their influence; and as means of improvement, should not be neglected. But it is by the general tone and tenor of her conversation, as manifesting the temper and disposition of the heart, that she makes the most abiding impressions. These are modifying his character daily and hourly; sometimes even when absent. It has been said of the wife of Jonathan Edwards, that by enabling him to put forth his power unembarrassed, she conferred a greater benefit upon mankind, than all the female public characters that ever lived or ever will live. A similar remark might be applied to the mother of almost every great and good man. Woman's true greatness consists, so it seems to me, in rendering others useful, rather than in being directly useful herself. Or in other words, it is less her office to be seen and known in society, than to make others seen and known, and their influence felt. I might give numerous examples and illustrations of the principle I am endeavoring to sustain, both in this country and elsewhere. I might speak of the mother and the wife of Washington, of the mother of Dwight, Franklin, Wilberforce, Whitefield, Timothy, and hundreds of others; for it was by the exercise of the duties not only of the mother, but of the wife, that these illustrious characters were brought forth to the world; but I will confine myself to a single instance; and that one in which the influence upon the husband was direct. The case to which I refer, is that of Sir James Mackintosh, whose fame as a jurist, a statesman, and writer is well known, not only in Euorpe and America, but in India; 66 VOL. I. and whose efforts in the cause of science and humanity, have rarely been equalled. Few men have done more, through the progress of a long life, than he; and few have at any rate, been more distinguished for extensive learning, large views, and liberal principles, in law, politics and philosophy; but especially in his favorite department of the law. It was he of whom Sir Walter Scott said on a certain occasion, that he made the most brilliant speech ever made, at bar or at forum." Yet this great man, if we may believe his own story, owed no small share of his greatness to the assistance and influence of his wife. Of this, the following extract from a letter of his, to a friend, describing her character, after her decease, will be most abundant proof. The last clause includes, it will be seen, a passing tribute to another person-probably his mother, which doubles the value of the extract I have made in exhibiting the influence of two females in the formation of character, instead of but one. "Allow me, in justice to her memory, to tell what she was, and what I owed her. I was guided in my choice only by the blind affection of my youth. I found an intelligent companion, and a tender friend, a prudent monitress, the most faithful of wives, and a mother as tender as children ever had the misfortune to lose. I met a woman who, by the tender management of my weaknesses, gradually corrected the most pernicious of them. She became prudent from affection; and though of the most generous nature, she was taught frugality and economy by her love for me. 66 During the most critical period of my life, she preserved order in my affairs, from the cares of which she relieved me. She gently reclaimed me from dissipation; she propped my weak and irresolute nature; she urged my indolence to all the exertions that have been useful or creditable to me, and she was perpetually at hand to admonish my heedlessness and improvidence. To her I owe whatever I am; to her whatever I shall be. In her solicitude for my interest, she never for a moment forgot my feelings or my character. Even in her occasional resentments, for which I but too often gave her cause, (would to God I could recal these moments,) she had no sullenness or acrimony. Her feelings were warm and impetuous, but she was placable, tender and constant. "Such was she whom I have lost, and I have lost her when her excellent natural sense was rapidly improving, after eight years of struggle and distress had bound us fast to each other, when a knowledge of her worth had refined my youthful love into friendship, before age deprived it of much of its original ardor. I lost her, alas, (the choice of my No. 16. To my Wife-Needle Work. youth and the partner of my misfortunes,) at a moment when I had a prospect of her sharing my better days." Who-what wife, especially, can read these paragraphs without feeling a desire enkindled within her to be distinguished in the world, not so much in her own name as by her influence on her husband and family, and through them on others? She then becomes not so much the instrument of human melioration, as the moving agent. TO MY WIFE. BY REV. G. W. BETHUNE. Afar from thee! The morning breaks, To know I am afar from thee: And thou wert nestled on my breast; Though smiling crowds around me be, For I can only think of thee; And wholly blest with thee alone. Is in thy moistened eye to see, Thou deem'st me not unworthy thee. And my heart's home is, love, with thee! And then I know that thou art nigh; For God, who seeth every where, Bends on us both his watchful eye Together in his loved embrace, No distance can our hearts divide; I kneel thy kneeling form beside: 287 We think not. That accomplishment is of 'The gay belles of fashion may boast of excelling And And what a beautiful and animated picture is presented by a circle of busy ones, their eyes flashing with pleasure as bright as the little needle in the light of the evening lamp! The contrast is great and ludicrous when such a group is compared with an idle family circle, where the members are gaping and groaning, and wishing that bed time was near. what a sight is the wardrobe of that lady who is no needle woman, and who has lost her help, and in vain seeks for another! Truly, there is truth in the quaint remark of a paragraphist, that when he saw a lady send her husband's coat or pants to the tailor's to get one or two buttons put on, he wondered not that young men were skittish about getting married. They know not what they do, who, in seeking for a wife, give no attention to discover whether or not the one they admire is a needle woman. Alas! for the man who, phrenologically, has large order, but whose wife is no adept in the art of needle-work! In Mrs. Gilman's Annual, we find the following good thoughts on our subject, and we quote them as worthy the attention of our fair readers::-"Cultivate a love of needle-work in your family. Whatever be the mental cultivation of a woman, she is made happier by this occupation. A young lady who superintends her own, and her mother's clothing, will have sweet, cheerful thoughts spring up in her mind, unless she is diseased, or actually courts gloomy ideas. It is an odious sight to witness a family idle of a winter evening: Is the education of a young lady rightly and a no less beautiful spectacle when a circonducted when the accomplishment of nee-cle surround a table, employing their needles, dle work does not form a prominent part?while one reads aloud. Let one of the party NEEDLE WORK. |