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About Oregon spectator. (Oregon City, O.T. [i.e. Or.]) 1846-1855 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1846)
WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN! T U B. LANDOK. W might have bttn thaw mn but common wonfa, And yt they bare the mm of life' bewailing; They are the echo of thoee finer chord . Whoao tonee reverberate, when unavailing We might have been! We might hare been ao happy. eaye the child, Featin the drear echool-roouj'a etifling heat; When the green ruahra, 'raid the manhra wild, Recal part joya, and with vain hopea repeat We might have been! It li the thought that darkeua on our youth, When finrt experience tad experience tcachea What fallaclea we have believed for truth, And what few trutha our beat eudeavor reaches We might have been ! It 1 the motto of all human thing The end of all that waita on mortala' eel ing The weary weight upoa Hope'a flagging wing- cry of ino worn neaii, wnm uniming It if the cry i Wo might have been ! What in thia bleak wide world can e'er reetore ua, The feeling, hope, and fancies, left? Had we but known the bitter path before at, Alas, how different from what we are We might have been ! A GAT,FISH" 8TPRY. Ben Snaggletrco seated himself in our society the other day, overburdened with a Mississippi yarn, which embraced ono of his hair breadth 'scapes, and which he had re aolved on relieving his memory of by having it chronicled. , Ben was an old Mksissip roarer none of your half and half, but just as nativo to the clement as if he had been born in a broad horn. Ho said he had been fotehed up on the river's brink, and " know a snappin' turtle from a snag without larnin'." " One night," says Ben, " about as dark as the face of Cain, and as unruly as if the elements had been untied and. let loose from their great captain's command, I was on the old Mississippi. It was, in short, a night ugly enough to make any natural born Christian thin'k of his prayers, and a few converted saints tremble. I walked out up. on the steam-boat " guard" to cool off from the effects of considerable liquordom's, par ticipated in during the day, but had scarce ly reached the side of the boat when she struck a snag, and made a lurch, throw ing me about six feet into the drink. I was sufficiently cool, stranger, when I came to the surface, but I had nigh in a short time set the Mississippi aJiVn', my carcase grew so hot with wrath at observing tho 'eld boat wending her way up stream, unhurt, while I, solitary, unobserved, and alone, was float ing on the old father of waters. I swam to the head of a small island some dis tance below where we struck, and no sooner touched ground than I made an effort to stand erect. You may judge of my horror on discovering my landing place to be a Mis sissippi mud bar, and about as firm as a quicksand, into which I sunk about three feet in a moment. " All was dark as a stack of black cats no object visible save the lights of tho rece ding boat no sound smoto upon tho car but the lessening'blow of tho 'scape pipe and k. r.lncliin nf thn siirrnnndino' waters. illD illitoiniijj .. n - The first sounded like the farewell voice of hope, while tho latter, in its plashing and purling, was liko to the jabbering of evil spirits, exulting over an entrapped victim. " I attempted to struggle, but that sunk me faster. I cried out, but fancied that too, forced me deeper into my yielding grave. Ero daylight dawned I felt sure of being out of sight, and the horrid thought of thus sinking into eternity through a mud-gate, made every hair stand 'on its own hook,' and forced my heart to patter against my ribs like a trip-hammer. I mid been in ma ny a scrape, but I considered this the nasti est, and made up my mind that tho ball of yarn allotted to me was about being spun out my cake was all mud I I promised old Mississippi, if permitted to escape this tirne, I would lid: anythin' human that said a word agin her; but it was no use she was sure of mo now, and, liko old ' barcboocs' to .an expiring African, she hold on, and dtJcper and deeper I sunk. In a short time ttftf'forced to elevate my chin to keep out of'rny mouth an over supply of the tomper ance liquid, which was flowing so coaxingly about roy lips, My eyeballs were starting, my teeth set, and hope had wasted to a mis ty shadow, when something touched me like floating plldj I inaMjy gwd. itIt 11 1 soon discovered I had made captivo a mammoth catty, hugo enough to bo tho pa. triarch of his tribo, and a set of resolutions was quickly adopted in my mind, that ho could'nt travel further without company. A dosporate start and vigorous wrigglo to cjicano was mado by my friend tho catty, but thoro was six feet in length of desperation' man naturo is strongor than book. IV'1 ly obsorved, would crush tho greatest geni-1 HArf Liru A Parable. Two pilgrim us that was over sent by Heaven to brighten, woro jburnoylng togothor over tho desert-' orthodivincst excellence that, ever was ont '"' mounted on a camel) with a lofty pa.h bv Heaven to gladden tho world. What , w uushion, Bn( a Mn01y above his head, wmild Nmvtnn ntul thn wlmln host of Una. ' o,ll0'. wi unsandlid feet, lacerate Hsh worthois have born, if thov had thus " "corclicd ny lira burning sands, anil tin lu,o.. l. 1 Iti.i !! !. .,mi...l. Iiu. lurbunetl head, which throbbed almost to- .'V... ..tWM(,ll I ', --- ..W , --., UU Uiwiv "" -- p- "I - . attached to his extremity that could neither l maxed nor shook off. Soon succeeded another start, and out I camo-liko n cork from a bottle. Off started tho fish, like a cornel, and aftor him I went, a muddy spark, ' at the end of his tail. By a dexterous twist of his rudder, I succeeded in keeping him j on the surfaco, and steered him to a solid landing, whore I set him loose, and wo shook ourselves, mutually pleased at parting com. j pany." ! " That will do, Bon," said wo, " all but , the tail." I " Tail and all, or none !" laid Bn ; so hero you have it. Ben swears he'll futhcr it himself. St. Louis Reveille. L ABO It j For there is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredncss, in work. Wore he never, so benighted, forgetful of his high calling, there is always hope in a man that actually and earnestly works : in idleness alone is there perpetual despair. Work, never ho Mammonish mean, is in communication with nature ; the real desiro to get work done will itself lead one moro and more to truth, to nature's appointments and regula-. tions, which are truth. I It has been written, 4 an endless signifi-j canco lies in work ;' a man perfects him-J self by working. Foul jungles are cleared away, fair secdtields rise instead, and state-1 ly cities; and withal the man himself first ' ceases to bo a jungle and foul unwholesome desert thereby. Consider how, even in the ' meanest sorts of labor, the whole soul of a man is composed into a kind of real harmo ny, the instant ho sets himself to work ! Doubt, desire, sorrow, remorse, indignation, i despair itself, all these like ht-lldogs lie be. . I leagucring tho soul of tho poor dayworker, I as of every man ; but he bends himself with ' free valor against his task, and all these arc i stilled, all these shrink murmuring far off into their caves. Tho man is now a man. i The blessed glow of labor in turn, is it i not as purifying fire, wherein 'all poison is burnt up, and ot sour smoke itscu mere is made bright blessed flame ! Blessed is he who has found his work ; let him ask no other blessedness. Ho has a work, a life-purpose ; he has found it, and will follow it ! How, as a free-flowing chan nel, dug and torn by noble force through the sour mud-swamp of one's existence, like an ever-deepening river there, it runs and flows; . draining off the sour festering water, grad. ually from the root of the remotest grass. 1 ii.j. !. ; . if ! .:..!... I Diaue , matting, liiuitnuui pcaim-iium snuuiji, a green fruitful meadow with its clear-flow-ing stream. How blessed for tho meadow itself, let the stream and its value be great or small ! Labor is life : from the inmost heart of the worker rises his god-givMsJbrce, the sacred celestial life-essence breathed in to him by Almighty God ; from his inmost heart awakens him to all nobleness to all knowledge, ' self-knowledge' and much else, so soon as work fitly begins. Knowledge ! The knowlcdco that will hold good in work- ing, cleave thou to that ; for nature herself accredits that, says yea to tnat. rropony thou hast no other knowledge but what thou hast got by working : the rest is yet all an hypothesis of knowledge ; a thing to bo ar- UirhniiL'd head, which thrnhhed almost i bursting with tho sun's fiurcu rays, i ' CSod is ureal t" inoculated tho poor nllta ttinln nml Ci'mrim mm unnnillnln lilulllt ! V 1 -wiw!v----- M .fca ft a it as they like; they mnv givo a long cnta. wroteU un tint. Ho would relieve mo Inminni' trifl ,.Jt.,w Vi.il mP i...l!m.u ..m. from this dreadful agony ! I'or what cnmo ". .. --a -v. . . . . .. I ,l.., scriptions, by which it is to bo fitted for tho company of decent, rcHcctiulP, and twaddling people liko themselves; it may submit to their losons for a time, but anon it lnughs at all their foolish formalisms, ri ses to its full height of glory, and rushes with invincible and luminous step toward its des. lined supremacy. Kvery child has a ilis. tinctive nature of its own ; ami th.U (lis. tiuctivo nature should l' the hw of its edu cation. If we adopt the principle f cduc.i ting children not by suppression, but by c pressiou, not merely will it be liitiml that no one family can lie educated like any other family, but that no two children of the same family can be educated precisely in the same manner. All tne children ot tlie same lam inn I thus severely punished 1" " Poor brother, how I pity thee !" replied tho well. mounted traveler, "but thou know, est that suHbriug is n necessary discipline for human hciuus. Do content with thy lot." " Alas! if thou wouldst hut lot tnu mount thy beast, ami ride one hour, my life might perhaps bo saved. Thy sandals would pro. tect thy (eel, and turhuii shield thy bend." 'My wail is griuU'd for thee," said his sympathetic friend with n deep siuh ; but, verily, if a camel had been best for thee, tho uise sovereign of thn earth would hot have withheld it. It is our duty to bow to the be hests of Providence." Unwind they journeyed one feeling as much compassion as u beurt overflowing with (. . i a I rril it I tilfi milil rwttiffiiit tint fildatr tfrt'lliir (n il v nave a uitlcrent character; unv should i ,'""" .". .-.... .....,, .- they all he educated alike. If tiliu child M)lv,t: .,lie l,rn,1',,'llV w,,.v M,dl l,rul,f,t, ,nc' has a brilliant imagination, another the most iiaiiii--s mnu paiw. nvnmullii unitLiltililiitu n trkf lit lltn ntnl lnni ' VAiiunut fit iirtiti i(ivi uiiuiiivi lliv ni'i'i i"i cal capacity why should they all be edu cated in tho same way, merely because they happen to dwell under tho same roof Not Another hour ami the bleediiiL' fett, and aching brow, arid' bursting heart, were ut rest on the desert. The favorite of Heaven or Fortune, only would it ho infinitely better for each to ""'! "" ' " loiiiioriuwe seai an i be educated according to his distinctive r..- , exclaimeil, ,,,.,, ture, but infinitely better for them all. " biilortiiniiw friend, wmhl tlm' llenvon Muceall. ',!l" bestowed on thee n camel, that I uiiylit '.still enjov ihv coiiipauioiiHliip and not be Tub Feakfl'l Malaiiv of Amiiition. blu.'ed to' cros the trackless desert alone ; Scott had some X'JUUU a year without wri- 1 1 tho gnrd Jod be praised that he has pre ting books at all. Why should ho mai.ufac- ' SL.ru.j ,m, fmm ., dreadful a file as thine !" tore, anil not create to make more n ncv , Statistics woiirn Kxhwi.n'o. In Oreat .! iBAn M .. m !. ..kM M I 1 I I a m lllm U1IIJ II ill IIIUS I'll IIIU.-.", 1111 il U I'lllllIZ H llllll- ,. ., V . , I I . . ,r .-,,.1 . ii i ii I :, Hritaiu, the iiiiinber el iildividuti s in a state sr f, til the pile toppled, sank, and b'iricd W , , e ., c ... . . . ' . i ' i i ' i r i .i iV i o bear arms from the a'c o! sitilen to six. its ruins, when he had a safe, pleasant dwell. . -,, .,., '. , , , ... i, ,', , L. ... ..i tv, is -, i-M.Sli. i he number of man nget ing ready of its own accord? Alas! Scott, with . . ' .,., , . ., . , ,r ' i i.i r . i i r .i r h aboit l)i,0:if) vearlv; ami i has been al his health was infected ; sick of the fear. , . ,... ' . . ,f r,i ' .. ' Mfilrniwul flint iti ovli lltftwi r fliui lltiiimu fulcst malady, that of ambition To such a , ," ""'" " r '' " , . ' V ' ' i .i i i .T i.s i i i.i. inere were ouiv inrce lenglll lluu wiu kiiij n uunmi'iuv, uie niiriu n . which nun iiii issue. Tin niiin Imt of ile.nl lis is iiIkiiiI '.VA''1li) favorite, and ' sixteen parties a dav, Itroiight ' , ... , i..-r,,., .1 .. ... ,. e .1 1, . ...1 vearlv, which makes near v'J.i.oOinoiitiiv, it with him. So the insane racket must fie , ' .. ... , , .. , ... , .-' , , , , , i- 1 J,!10S week y, Oil duty, and III hourly, kept up, and rise even h igher a id liigher. ,. . , ., " ,i ' ' ' , , .... ,b. 1 Vi - ' I ho deaths among the women are, in pro. So masons labor, ditchers delvo ; und there . rcti .. ,.,'. ' ,, 11. .1 i ... ortioii tomen.as fifty to fortv-five. Iliemar- is endless correspondence nltOMetlier about . . ..' . . . I IILII t'lll.11 II, IJ I marble slabs for tables, wainscoting of rooms, onger .,.," ' y .:. 1 ' tinue in ceuwacy. 111 110 cnuniry 11 e men 1 curtains, with the trimmings of curtains , . . , e . ., . . ' , , , s ,,riii it lli. iiimilinr i (liililriui tirmliifiil "- " ; 1 --" by each marriai;o is Tour; in towns the pro. orange colored or fawn colored ; Scott, one r .1... ;r.. 1 i .1.. 1K...1. 1 i.i... i.t ri.i..ii Ul IIIU UlllCU Ui IIIU IIUIIU, t.nuill III-, llillllll- 1 - . . r ,,., 11. 1 . t. 1 ' .. . 1:11 1 ,.ir liortion is seven Tor every two inarnnL'es. I no ers cal the most gifted, must kill himself ' . . , . .1 b 1 .i.. i: ...... l, ,. l,n ,,1I,lnumlK.rof married women is, to the general P , eJ r . . 1 -.1 1. : niiinber of individuals of the sex, as one to founder of a nice of country minis. It is , . , , . : . P ., . . . . 1 1 : ..:. I three : urn the number or married men to one of the st rankest, most tragicul histories. , J. .. . . .. . . , . . . , 1 .1 .... , . that o all the individuals of the male se, ever enacted under the sun, So poor a pas. , , . . . . . ' : i.i ,. m !.!. m..LJ.... I as ,,irce ,0 ow i ,,ut ,!ie "umlfrr f widows niVJ Vital iVa! ((viiav haiw . wiv.. Surely, were nqt a man a might say there wau sou distructing 111 this, end as tor Scott writing daily with the ardor of a " steam-engine, that ho might mako 15(1,000 ; l"uc'' . . . M i..i. :.i.!. w .. lore UUll IIIUII U.IIWIIII..i. , , . .1 . I I . f,.i i, .. who murry nguiu i, to that of widowers in I fool always, one . e . ..!:.. ,..;.,i,. the same case, as seven to lour. 1 he nidi- nctliing eminently, . , , , . , , .. 1 . 1 . . r :, ., ..f.i f Wn 1 viduuls who inhabit elevated stations lives II houiii, 01 a ai- . , , , . , ,,., 4, . longer than those who reside in less elevated aces. 1 he hall of the individuals die he- .1... ..r 'IM... w, ,' 11. ' :.i. i T .... lore uuu 11111K 11 u uku ui scvcihccii. i iiij a year and buy upholstery with it. locov. . r t . o. . .. ... ': . J 1 . ' . , nnmlwr of twins is. In I nit nf ordinary births. . ... , v ... ... , A.l.. ..tM1ln .r n ..,AM. lmr.f.ai 1.1 Hl t I rtuli I r.i LT II1U IXIII9 Ul U OIUIIU IIUU.TV III Wbiniin.111111. .' t T ti-Ill, Ifnlnlcnnes nnnient lirrnor. and Lrcnoa. , US nJ0 Xiy'VO " w....-, .-..-.-... r - 0------ gued ot in schools, a thing lioating in tne clouds, in endless logic-vortices, till we try it and fix it. Doubt, of whatever kind, can be ended by action alone.' Carlyle. Hone Education. Another "important ruin in hnmn nducation is. that wo should aim at evolving tho nature of a child, now by suppression, but by expression. Bring, forth all the good, and tho evil will perish of itself. .."Tlje patent modes of education all adopt tho plan of taming down, checking, pruning; they all resolve themselves into the command Do not: tho undone in a crowd of petty particulars passes for tho virtuous; and the sou is so exnausea, uiai it has not strenirth to nut forth a fruitaco of grand and generous aotions. Most books on education are written by old maids who know at much about education as about horsedeaUng ; and therefore 'those books abound with a thotffimd minato and silly details, wbkK, if invariably and orupulous- According to calcula tions, founded upon the bills of mortality, ono ly in :s,12" attains the ngeol 100 number of births of the mnlo ire 01 1 ' . - . . ,, r , . Selkirk should be joined together on parch. I -, " " ' , J ,X V' alter 1 v logical shields, what can wo name it, hut a !'""'. 0,1!,tItM being bit with a delirium of a kind ? That , dividual 0,1 tract after tract of moorland in the shiro of . )cnr.s- ' " ment and bv rinc fence, and named one's name, why it is a shabby small typo of your vulgar ftapoleans, Alexanders, and conquering heroes, not counted vcnerablo by any teacher of men. Carlyle. A Secret. " How do you do, Mrs. Tome, have you heard that story about Mrs. Ludy?" " Why, no really, Mrs Gad, what is it do tcP '' "Oh, I promised not to tell it for all tho world ! No, 1 must never tell on't. I'm. afraid it will git out." " Why, I'll ncv er tell on't as long as I live, just as true as the world; what is It, come, tell." "Now you won't say anything about it, will you ?" "No, I'll never open my head about it nev er. Hopo to die this niinuto." " Well, if you'll believe me, Mrs. Pundy told mo last night, that Mrs Trot told her that hor sister's husband was told by a person who dreamed it, that Mrs. Trouble's oldest daughter told Mrs. Nichens that hor grandmothor hoard by a letter sho got from hor third sister's sccbjid husband's oldest brother's stepdaugh ter, that it was reported by the captain or a clam boat just arrived from tho Fcojco Isl ands, that the mermaids about that section wore shark skin buttles stuffed with pickled !' tOMt" Foiims op Intemi'Ekamck. There is the intnmporancn of mirth, and then its victim is a silly buffoon. Tho intemperance of seriousness, and then ho is a gloomy ascetic. Tho intrmporanco of ambition, and then he is thn laureled hero of u hundred fights, u mad.cappoct,or mountebank statesman. The iiitemperanco of love, and then ho is a good for nothing driveler. Thn intemperance of anger, and then ho is a frothing madman. The iiitemperanco of dress und manners, and then ho is a glittering fop. The intompcranco of tho purso, and then ho is a sordid miser. Tho intompcranco of tho plato, and then ho is a filthy glutton. Who Swallows? A novel way of catching rabbits is practised on tho southern) coast of England. Thoy scatter a quantity of snuff at thirmouth of their holes, cover ing it with green parsley, of which tho game is remarkably fond. On partaking of the delicious herbago, they are seized with such a fit of sneetingniikthey inwiably Hti their brains outturn roc