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^ \ ^ THE CAMDEN JOURNAL. ? III ?I I I III in HI | ! II ! I I I ' ^ I, I II I I I I I I I _ _ ?~7?"7* VOL.11. CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, JANUARY 16, 1650. NUMBER 4 poetical Department. THE DREAM OF HELEN. FROM " FESTUS." Well, I too have hid, What every one hath once, at least, in life? A vision of the region of t he dead : It was the land of shadows: yea, the land Itself was but a shadow, and the rare Which seemed therein were voices, forms of form And echoes of themselves. And there was nought Of substance seemed, save one thing in the niidst, A great red sepulchre?a granite grave ; And at the bottom lay a skeleton, From whose decaying jaws the shades were born; Making its only sign of life its dying Continually. Some were bright, some dark. Those that were bright, went upwards heavenly ; They which were dark, grew darker and remained. A land of change?yet did the half.things nothing That I could Fee ; but passed stiliy on, Taking no note oi' other, mate or child ; For all had lost their love when they put off The beauty of the body. And as T J/>oked on, the grave before me backed away, And I began to dream it was a dream ; And I rushed after it: When the earth quaked Opened and shut, like theeyu of one in fits ; It shut to with a shout. The grave was gone; Ahd in its stead there stood a gleedlike throne, Whkh all the shadows shook to see, and swooned; For fiends were standing, loaded with long chains, The links whereof were fire, waiting the word To bind and cast the .shadows into hell; For Death the second sat upon the throne, Which set on fire the air not to he breathed ; Ano as he lifted up his arm to speak, Fear preyed upon all souls, like fire on paper; And mine among the rest; and I awoke. (Eljc ?lie. Woman. ? As the dew lie* longpst, nnd pro. dure* most fertility in the shade, so woman in the shade of domestic retirement, nheds around her path richer and more permanent blessings than man, who is tnore ptoosoJ to the glare and observation of public life. I/uliea of fa?hinti strain their happiness to feed their vanity?and their love to feed their pride. A Cat.ep QroTEM.?An advertiser in a wes. torn paper, who rejoices in the various oecupations of d<H*tor, lawyer, justice of the peace and dry goods' merchant, adds the following to his list of pursuits and qualities : " N. R. Auctioneering of the loudest kind, -interwoven with ventriloquism." EPIC It AM To A GAMBLER. 11 von take my advice, tny dear friend, yon \Vi11 fay, That the h?j>t throic with dice is?to throw them iicay. A newspaper can drop the same thought into a thousand minds at the fame moment Avoid as much as possible telling others what yon intend to do. You may have reason to change your mind, and then you will lie thought fickle. (I a man would keep both integrity and inde pendenc.e free from temptation, let him keep out of debt. Pr. Franklin says: "It is hard for an empty hag to stand upright. ' OwvrnrssEa.?The T.ondon \ihenmtnn thus speaks of these useful vehicles: Their history is one of more dignity than shows on the surface. These social conve niences have revolutionized all the chief rapi tals of Europe. Invented in 1827, they ruined the elder branch of the Bourbons in 18.'J0. The accidental upset of an omnibus suggested the ; first idea of a barricade, and for a long time j constituted an essential part of the structure : which changed the whole science ofrevolulion*. i The overturn of a carriage was converted to | the overturn of a monarchy. It is a pcarefiil and health-giving instrum ent. By its help all the world is enabled to live out of town, ami wherever a good and cheap service of omnibus is established, rents along the road go up. A lady once requested her husband to inform her what difference there was between the meaning of export and transport. " My dear." replied the gentleman, " if you were exported, I should be transported.''' Some knowing one has said that any hnrijcr who writes so clearly as to be intelligible, is an enemy to his profession. Another Slip of the Pen.?The fourth paragraph of the President's Message com mences as follow^: w While enjoying the benefits of amicable info mm I ran ie>//i //le^t/rn ii/ifiooo mo utm i?s*t ; ??./?'???? been iiirensililo to the distraction* and wars which have prevailed in olher quarters of the world." Mary Howittis translating Irom the Swedish a new work of Miss Bremer's. " Shall tee talc a 'bus up Broadway?" said a young New Yorker, who was showing his country cousin the wonders of that rity. "Oh dear, _ ! ? ! .1 ? 1 r_!_L?- I ?!--l II I It no: nam ine ingnieneu gin, " 1 would noi do that m ihe street. Mahomet's Heart.?The following legend is narrated in Irving's Life of Mahomet: 44 At the age ol three years, while playing in the fields with his foster brother, Masroud, two angels in shining apparel appeared before them. They laid Mahomet gently upon the ground, and Gabriel, one of the angels, opened bis breast, but without inflicting any pain. Then taking forth his heart, he cleansed it from all irnptirity, wringing from it those bitter drops of original sin, inherited from our forefather Adam, and which had lurk in the hearts of the best of bis descendants, inciting them to crime. When he had thorougly purified it, he filled it with faith, and knowledge, and prophetic light, j and iPplaced it in the bosom of the child. Selected Sale. INGRATITUDE PUNISHED: AN EASTERN TALE. IIo tliat*M ungrateful lias no fault Iiut one. All other ciiincs ma}' pass fur virtues in him. Young. A dervisc, venerable for his age, fell in the house of a woman, who had been long a widow, and lived in extreme poverty in the suburbs of Bnlsora. lie was so touched with the rare and zeal with which she had assisted him. that at his departure, he said to Iter, " I have remarked that you have herewith to subsist alone, lint that you have not substance enough to share it with your son, the young Abdallah. If you will trust him I to mv care, I will endeavor, in his person, to * ' i - - * 1 I _ ncknowiedge mo onngauons 1 nave id you for iho carc you have taken of me." The mow? woman received this proposal with joy, and I he dervisc departed with the young man. advertising her, that they must perform a journey which would last near two years. As they travelled, he kept him in affluence, gave h in excellent instructions, cured him of a dangerous disease with which he was attacked: in fine, took the same care of him as if he had been his own son. Abdallah a hundred times testified his gratitude to him j for his bounties; but the old man always ancu-nt r?i I * VI i' son. it is hv actions that era- I titudc is proved; we shall see in a proper lime and place, whether you are so grnte: fill as you protend." One day. as thev continued their travels, they found themselves in a solitary place, and thedervise said to Abdallah, "My son. we arc now at the end of our journey; I shall employ mv prayers to obtain from heaven, that the earth may open wide enough to permit you to descend into a place where you will see the greatest treasure that the earth contains in her bowels. Have you courage to descend into this subterraneous vault?" con tinned lie. Abdallah swore to him he might I wl v.. I.ic nntl -rnal Tlirtn '" I"-"" < }"" 4*-..^ - . ..v... the dervise lighted a small fire into which he cast a perltimo; lie read and prayed for some moments; after which the earth opened, and the dcrvisc said to him, "you may now enter, my dear Abdallah, remember that it is in your power to do me a great serviced, and that this is, perhaps, the only opportunity you can ever have of testifying to rnc that you are not ungrateful. Do not let yourself be dazzled by all the riches you will find there; think only of seizing upon an iron candlestick witlHwelvc branches, which you will find-close by a'do in lhat is absolutely necessary for mc." Abdallah promised every thing, and descended boldly into the vault; but forgetting every thing that ha I been expressly recommended to him, whilst he was filling his vest and bosom with gold and jewels, which this subterraneous vault enclosed in prodigious heaps, the opening by which he entered closed of itself.? lie Ita'l however, presence of mind enough to seize upon the iron candlestick, which the dorvice had so strongly recommended to him; and though Ins situation was terrible, he did not abandon himself to despair; and, thinking only in what manner he should get out of a place which might become his grave, brt nt\rvi?(tlwin/)<wl I hnl I ink uniill liorl O III Jia/I iiu n|?j/n;nrini^u nun ?u\^ nuni ini'i only because he had not followed the order of the devise; lie called to his memory the care and goodness he had loaded him with, reproached himself with his ingrat.tiidc, and finished Irs inedfiation l?v hinnbling himself before heaven. At length, after much pains and inquietude, he was fortunate enough to find a narrow passage which led him out of this obscure cave; though it was not until ne had followed it a considerable way that he discovered a small opening covered with briers and thorns, through which he returned to the light of the sun. Ho looked on ;>ll sides, to see whether he could perceive the the dorvisc, but in vain; he designed to deliver him the iron candlestick ho so much wished for, and formed a des-gn of quilting Iiirn, being rich enough with what lie had taken nut of die cavern, to live in affluence without his .assistance. Not perceiving the derviso, nor rcmcming any of the places through which he had passed, he went on as fortune directed him. and was extremely astonished to find himself opposite his mother's house, from which he imagined he was at a great distance.? She immediately enquired for the holy tiervise. Abdallah told her frankly what had happened to him, and the danger he had run to satisfy his unreasonable desires; lie afterwards showed her the riches with which he i a if - ? ?i I i 1 was loaned, ins mouier conciunen, upon tlie sight nf them, ilial thcdervisc had only designed ro make a lost of Ids courage and obedience, and that they ought to make use of i he happiness which fortune had presen tod to thorn; adding, that such doubtless was tho intention of the holy dcrvisc.? Whilst they contemplated upon these treasures with avidity, whilst thev were dazzled with the lustre of them, and formed a thou sand projects in consequence of them, lliev all vanished away before their eyes. It was then that Abdullah sincerely reproached himself for his ingratitude ami disobedience; and, perceiving that the iron candlestick had resisted the enchantment, or rather tlie just punishment which those deserve who do not execute what they promise, he said, prostrating himself?"What has happened to me is just; I have lost what I had no design to restore, and the can llestick. which I determined to deliver to the dervise, remains with me; it is a proof that it rightly belongs to him, and that the rest was unjustly ac quired." As he finished these words, he placed the candlestick in the midst of their little habitation. When the night was come, without reflecting on it, he placed a light in the candlestick. Immediately they saw n dervisc appear, who turned about for an hour, and disappeared after having thrown them an asper. This candlestick had t welve branches. Abdallah, who was meditating all the day upon what he had seen the night before, was willing to know what would happen the next night, if he put a candle in each of them; he did so, and twelve dorvises appeared that instant; thev also turned round ibr an hour/and each of them threw an asper as they disappeared. He repeated every day ihc same ceremony, which had always the same success, but he nevercould make it succeed more than once in twenty- j lour hours. This trifling sum was enough : to make his mother and himself subsist tolerably; there was a time when shew would have made them happy; but it was not considerable enough to change their fortune.? It is always dangerous for the imagination I to be fixed on riches. The sight of what he behoved he should possess, the projects he had formed for the employment ot it; all these things had left such profound traces in the mind of Abdallah that nothing could efface them. Therefore, seeking the small advantage he drew from the candlestick, he resolved to carry it back to the dcrvise, in hopes that he might obtain from him the treasure lie had seen, or at least might find again the riches which had vanished from their sight, by restoring^ him a tiling fur which he testified so earnest a desire. lie was so Turbinate as to remember his name and that of the city which be inhabited.? He started therefore immediately for Magrebi, carrying with him his candlestick that he lighted every night, and by that means, furnished himself with what was necessary on the road without being compelled to implore the compassion of the faithful. When he arrived at the city of iMagrebi, his first care was to ask iri what house or convent Abounadar lodged. Ho was so well known that every body told him his habitation. He repaired thither directly, and found fifty por. _..U- I . -i r r I * iers, wiin M:pi uiegaie w nis house, naving each a staff with a head of gold, in their hands; the court of this palace was filled with slaves and domestics; in fine, the residence of a prince conld not expose to view greater magnificence. Abdallah, struck with astonishment and admiration,feared to proceed. Certainly, thought he, 1 either explained myself wrong, or those to whom I addressed myself designed to make a jest of me because I was a stranger; this is not the habitation of a dervisc it is that of a king ? lie was in this embarrassment, when a man approached him. and said to him,Abdallah. you arc welcome; my master, Abouna <Jnr. lias long expected you" lie then conducted him to an agreeable and magnificent and pavilion, where ilic dervise was scaled. AbdaNah, struck with flie riches he beheld on all sides, would have prostrated himself at his feet but Adonnadar prevented him and interrupted him when he would have made a merit ol'the candlestick which he presented to him. "You arc but an ungrateful wretch,' said he to him ; "do you imagine you can impose upon me ? 1 am not ignorant of any one of vour thoughts : and, if vou had known i.o. ?.r 11.:.. ?.1.1 mi; vaiuu ??i im.> v.<iimih;?)' nr\, vuu vtiiijiu iiff er have brought it to mc : 1 will make you sensible of its use." Immediately he placed a light in in each of its branches, and when I he twelve dcrvises had turned round for sometime, Abounadar gave each of them a blow with a cone, and in a moment, they were converted into twelve heaps of sequins, diamonds, and other precious stones:? "This, said he, is the proper use to be marie of this marvellous candlestick. As to me, I never desired it, but to place it in my cabinet, as a ialisman composed by a sage whom I revere, aid am pleased to expose it some limes to those who come to visit mc ; and, to prove to you, added lie, that curiositywas the only occasion of my search for it, here are the Itevs of my magazines, open them, and you shall judge of rny riches : von shall tell me whether the most insatiable elisor would not be satisfied with them."? Abdallah obeyed him, and examined twelve magazines of great extent, so full o( all manner of riches, that lie could not distinguish which merited his admiration most; they all deserved it, and produced new desires. The regret of having restored the candlestick; and that of not having found out the use of it, pierced the heart of Abdallah. Ah'iunndar seemed not to perceive it : on ihe contrary, he loaded hun with caresses, j kepi him some days in his house, and commanded him to be treated as himself.? When it was at the eve of the day which he had fixed for his departure, he said to him, "Abdallah, my son, I believe, by what has happened to you, you are corrected of the frightful vice of ingratitude; however, I owe von a mark of my affection, for having tin dertaken so long a journey, with a view of bringing me the thing 1 desired : you may depart. I shall detain you no longer. You shall find to-morrow, at the gate of my palace, one of my horses to carry yoti: I make you a present of it as well as the slave who shall conduct von to your house, and two j camels loaded with gold and jewels, which voti shall choose yourself out of my treasures." Abdallah said to him all that a heart sensible of avarice could express when its passion was satisfied and went to lie down till t!?u morning arrived, which was fixed for his (leparltne. During the night he was still agitated, without being able to think of anything hut | the candlestick, and what it had produced. ; "I had it," said he, *'so long in my pow? r: Abounadar, without me, had never been j possessor of it: what risk did I not run in the i subterraneous vault ! Why does he now , possess this treasure of treasures ? Because 1 had the probity, or rather the folly, to bring it back to him; he profits by my labour and the danger I have incurred by so long a journey. And what does he give me in return? Two camels loaded with gold and jewels: in one moment the candlestick will furnish him ten times as much. It is Abounadar who is ungratelul: what wrong shall I do him in taking the candlestick ? None, ccrlainlv; for, lie is rich: and what do I possess " These ideas determined him at length, to make all possible attempts to seize upon the candlestick. The thing was not difficult, Abounadar having trusted him with the keys ofhis magazines. He knew where the candlestick was placed; he seized upon it, hid it in the bottom of one of the sacks, which he filled with pieces of gold and othei riches which he was allowed to take, and loaded it, as well as the rest, upon his camels.' Me had no other eagerness now but for his , departure : and, after having hastily bid ! adieu to the (Tpnrrnns Ahnunndnr ho do'iv. cred him his kevs, and departed with his horse, his slave, and two camelsWhen he was some days journey from Balsora.rhe sold his slave, resolving not to have a witness of his former poverty, nor ol the source of his present riches, lie bought another, and arrived, without any obstacle, at his mother's, whom he would scarcely look upon, so much wa9 he taken up with bis treasure. His first care was to place the loads of his camels and the candlestick in the most private room of the house ; and, in his : .: ?_ i i L:. l. L- i impaiiuiicu ir? n:eii his eves wiiii iiis ?irm opulence, he placed lights immediately in the candlestick : the twelve dorviscs appearing, he gave each of them a blow with a cane with all his strength, lest he should he failing in the laws of the talisman: but he had not remarked that Abounadar, when he struck them, had the cane in his left hand. Abdallah, by a natural motion, made use of his right; and the dervises, instead of becoming heaps of riches, immediately drew from beneath their robe each a formidable club, with which they struck him so hard ano so long that they left him almost dead, and disappeared, carrying with them all his treasure, the camels, the horse, the slave, and the candlestick. Thus was Abdallah punished, by poverty, and almost by death, for his unreasonable ambition, which perhaps might have been panbnablc, if it had not been accompanied bv an ingratitude as wicked as it was audaIf nmtid c?nnn Kn lio/l n/?t en mnoK ac fho ro_ source of being able to conceal his perfidies from .he (wo piercing eyes of bis benefactor. ittisccllancoits Department. amekTcan manners. Mnckay a late observing English traveller in this country, thus notices some common features of the American manners: There is no feature common to all the de-1 partments of American society, which will so soon impress itself upon the stranger as IIHJ j#i will IIIV, I li J/' ??JI il"l| ??\.V,UjMV II III It IM lll?< j young ladies. In Europe, if tliev are not kept there, thoy at least remain somewhat in the hack ground. In America, on the other hand, they are in the foremost rank, and in fact constitute the all in all. Card.; j of invitation are frequently issued in their names?it being often, "The Misses Soand-1 so" invite, instead of "Mr. and Mrs. So-andso." The mother is invariably eclipsed by her daughters. Indeed, I have known instances in which parlies were given, at which she never made her appearance; the whole being done with Iter concurrence and and assistance, but she keeping back from a participation in the prevailing gavcty?just because she has no inclination to join it. prudently judging that her time for such frivolities is past. The young ladies take the i whole burden of the matter upon themselves ' ?receive the guests, and do all the honors of the house. The absent mamma has her health frequently inquired for, but nobody ever thinks of wondering that she is.not present. She is perhaps all the time in an adjoining room, superintending the arrangements of the comestibles. vShe regards the whole as the young ladies, dong, and leaves them to work their way out of it the best wav they can. And very well they generally manage to do so?the opportunity which it adonis thcin of cultivating the virtues of ic I ? .1 sen-reiiancc ocing oy no means inrowii away. Agreeable as all this may scom in some respects, it has very serious disadvantages in others. It imparts to society a general air of frivolity with which it could favorably dispi-nso. when pert young misses of six. teen take it all into their own hands, what else could be expected ? Not that all the young ladies in America are sixteen, either in conduct or in years; but the younger portion of them just admitted into society mako themselves more or less, the pivot on which it turns. A young girl lives a life of great seclusion until she does come out; but having an occasional peep at the conduct of her elder sisters or friends, her mind is made up as to the part site is to act before she is formally ushered into the arena. Willi the exception' of son*; of the more refined and i intellectual arch s of the large towns, it is sometimes painful to witness the liivnlous character of an American social assembly. There is no repose, nothing of a subdued tone about it. The few whose refinements and tastes would favorably influence it, if permitted to do so, are ovferborne by the num. bers as well as by the trowardness of those who impress it with their own immaturities. Society in America is thus like a young hoy. den that wants taming?like an incxperien. cod romp, as yet impatient of the fetters of conventional propriety. The consequence of this is, that botn men and women of intellectual taste and quiet habits withdraw more or less from society altogether. It is seldom, therefore, that the con verbal ion ina social assembly takes a sober, rational turn. Dreary common-places, jokes and vapid compliments, form the staple conversation, all which is attended bv a never-ceasing accompaniment of laughter which is frequently too boisterous for all tastes.? Such being its prominent characteristics on the female side, the picture does not improve when we examine the part borne in it by men. It is seldom that one ever sees the generality of men rise above tbe level o their female acquaintances, either in intellectual culture or social refinement. In al civilized communities, women have, in this respect, much in their power, LIVE THEM DOWN. Calumnies are as r?lr| as our raec! Satan bejjnn them in Paradise. He is well named ?accnser. lie is the father of lies and of liars. There are different ways in which those who are calumniated seek to put down the false and injurious reports. Some rendcr railing for railing. They are foolish enough to vie with their detractors in taunts and reviling*. It is a miserable resort. If you are very much excited by evil reports, and descend to retaliation, you at once raise the suspicion that there is some truth in what your enemies say of you. Conscious innocence does not stoop to recrimination. Some affect a supercilious indifference resnertint* the evil that is said of them. TheV assume an independence which is nol wholly consistent with a modest appreciation of* one's self. They who care pot what is said respecting themselves, are not likely to live above merited, reproach. The truly virtuous and good are far from being indifferent to what may injuriously affect their reputation. Some prosecute their defamers. They go into a civil court to establish their innocence. Perhaps this is sometimes necessary; but t think it a measure of doubtful expediency. It probably seldom occurs that a slander suit improves any person's character. The motives of prosecution are usually supposed to be revengeful. A truly worthy person will nol be easily persuaded to go before judges, jurors, lawyers, and a crowd of spec ! tators, lo prove ms cnaracicr. Soinc are at great pains lo cont>adicl all false rumors. Such often have their hands full of business. The more notice you take of slanderers, the more industriously will tliev defame you. They are a class of persons who have very little character, and are right glad of an opportunity to attract some notice, by attacking those whose names arc associated with respect. Is thcac not a far hotter way than any of those? '-Not rendering evil for evil, or railI ing for railing; hut contrariwise blessing." ' For so is the will of God, that with well doing you mnv put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." Nothing else will so effectually silences slanderers. Let your life con! tradict their falsehoods, and you will have no need to defend your character. There is something noble, djgnifiel, lovely in the silence of conscious innocence, when the tongue of detraction is carping and slandering. There is something Christ-like, when they who are reviled revile not again; and when they bless those who persecute them, and say all manner of things against them falsely. There is a homely proverb that "he who spittcth against the wind, spitteth in his his own lace." It is so with him who spits venom against the character of the innocent nnrl virtilOlls. All th f: assaults of his malice recoil on liis own head. Be not disturbed by him. Let him have his own wav, and your innocence and his infamy will be boili made apparent. It may cost some trial of your patience, but that will be a profitable exercise. Your name may fin* a brief season be under the cloud; but it will shortly appear brighter than be lore. Possess your soul in patience, Move quietly and steadily onward in an upright way, arid fear not the evil which is aimed at you. Who is he that ?vill linrm vrm it voii hp followers of 1 lint which is good? No one. There may ho those who will try to injure you. They may he more inimical towards you for the very reason thai they cannot provoke v?'t to he revengeful Ue it so, if it must. "Commit . thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass; and lie shall j bring forth thy righteousness as the light, ant thy judgment as the noon-day." A fanaic resolution, said to have been ailop. I ted at Oberlin, in Ohio, by an anti-slavery | meeting, lias been extensivelyt republished by the Press of the Union. It expressed great joy ' at the declining Mate of religion, the drooping condition of popular churches, and attribute* | it to the want of honest zeal in behalf ol Abo. | lilionis-n. j j St/.n of Cat.ifoknia.?'California would make forli/fits' States ofthn size of New llamp. j shire ! The sea cn-i?t extends nearly a Pious. ' and miles, ami the territory extend* in the intoiior twelve hundred miles. VJ