The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, January 16, 1850, Image 1
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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