The Georgia collegian. (Athens, Ga.) 1870-current, March 05, 1870, Page 7, Image 7
...Squibob recommends a strict observance of Beecher’s maxim, — “Never lie, unless necessary.” ...Said an enrolling officer to a conscript during the war, “ ’Tis sweet to die for one’s country!”— “Ah, me,” replied the conscript, “ I never was fond of sweet things.” ...The Bank is the very place to catch a bad cold; there are so many drafts there. The reason is perhaps that so many people go to the bank to raise the wind. ...Noah must have had a very val uable menagerie in his ark; none of the people in that day could furnish the admission fee. Noah’s family went in as deadheads. Likewise, we have heard a youngster envying Daniel—for, said he, “ Daniel sot up all night looking at the lions in the den, and it did’nt cost him a cent.” Speaking of Daniel reminds us of the little fellow who asked the manager in a panorama of “ Daniel in the Li* on’s den,” which was Daniel and which was the den ? Replied the show-man, “ You pays your money, you takes your choice.” Facts Concerning Distinguished Characters. Lord Brougham, of England, was reported to have lost his life twenty years before his death really occur red. Immediately upon the an nouncement of the supposed fatal mishap, the leading journals of Eng land wrote extended notices of his life and character, So that he enjoy ed the pleasure of reading his own obituaries; and the advantage of see ing the ideas of both his friends and foes concerning him. Miss Mary Russell Mitford’s life was one long story of a devotion to a profligate father. All her literary earnings were appropriated to meet the demands of his lavish extrava gance. Yet, with the prejudice of a woman’s heart, she thought him a vital assemblage of all manly virtues. Spurgeon is a wonderfully effectn ive preacher, because he convinces his congregation that he is terribly in earnest. Read one of his sermons and 3’ou will wonder how it could in fluence, impressively, an audience.— Hear it, and you will be amazed at yourself for doubting its capacity to produce powerful feeling. He agrees with Henry Ward Beecher, in think ing that the pulpit is not intended solely for the conveyance of Gospel truth; that he *who declares his de termination to preach nothing “save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,” re pudiates God’s providence and all its developments. Believing thus, Spur geon does not hesitate to harangue on political issues and to introduce ever and anon panegyrics on William Ewart Gladstone—whom he regards as the embodiment of all those qual ities necessary to constitute a wor thy Premier. THE GEORGIA COLLEGIAN. Celebration of Washington’s Birth- Day, by the Literary Societies of Emory College. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, the celebration was held in the Few Hall, instead of the College Chapel, as has been the custom here tofore. About 10 o’clock, could be seen the students of the College (a goodly number of whom “ were sporting” young ladies of rare beauty), wend ing their way from all parts of the village toward the Few Hall, where they afterwards heard two fine speeches from the orators of the ocs casion, who were Messrs. Lewis, of the Phi Gamma, and A. M. Campbell, of the Few Society. The weather being so cold, the greater portion of the citizens did not “ turn out.” However, the greater part of the young folks did. The Hall was very comfortable—being rendered so, by the blazing fires which were built in the morning. The Exercises were opened with prayer by Dr. Smith, President of the College, after which the Oxford Brass Band played most beautifully, and greatly to the credit of its mem bers. As soon as the music was over, Mr. Campbell was introduced as the first f'rator of the occasion. After a few beautiful and appropriate remarks on the character and life of the great warrior and statesman whose birth day we were celebrating, Mr. Camp bell announced to the audience his subject, which was, “National De generacy.” I would like to tell you more concerning this address, but time prevents. Suffice it to say that the orator did his subject justice in every respect; that he displayed such knowledge as very few young men are capablo of displaying. After this address, which brought the house down in applause, was mu sic. Then Mr. Lewis was introduced. This gentleman’s address was not so long as the preceding, but .less was splendid. The subject of his speech was, “ Duty,” in which he took occasion to eulogize Washing ton ; and his eulogy was perfectly beautiful—especially the concluding portion —when he spoke of the grave on Mt. Yernon, in which lie the re mains of Washington, the father of American liberty. I fear that I have already taken up too much of the precious space of the Georgia Collegian , and will therefore close. After the speaking was over, the audience adjourned, amid shouts of applause, and while tho Band was playing “ Georgia gals and Sorghum ’lasses.” Hoping that the Georgia Collegian may, ere another return of Washing- ton’s birth-day, bo circulated over the whole South, I am truly yours, c. l. w. Generosity of Narvaez. The following instance of generos ity on the part of a Christian Al calde, will not be read without inte rest, since it proves that, in a brave man, neither national nor religious prejudice can smother tho best prin ciples of our nature: “In tho latter part of the 15th Century, the war between the Chris tians and Mahommedans, for the su premacy in Spain, raged violently. However, in the year 1466, an armis tice was agreed upon and all fight ing ceased, with the exception of guerilla and partisan warfare. Tho most illustrious of these guerillas was Fernando Narvaez; governor of An 1 * tequera, who had signalized himself in many an incursion into the ene mies’ borders. One day, during the armistice, on the eve of an expedition, Narvaez detached some horsemen to reconnoi tre the country. The men, perceiv ing no enemy, were returning to An tequera, when, on turning a hill, they suddenly fell in with a Moorish horseman, and made him a prisoner. He was a young man, about twenty- of age ; of prepossessing appearalce; richly habited; wear ing a sw/ord and buckler of exquisite workmanship, and mounted on a fine horse; evidently belonged to some distinguished family of the country. He was brought before Narvaez, who asked him who he was, and whither he was going ? He replied, with considerable emotion, that he was the son of the Alcalde of Honda; but, on endeavoring to continue his narration, his tears fell in such abun dance that he could not add another word. “ Thou surprisest me !” said vaez. “ Thy father I know to be an intrepid warrior; but thou weepest like a woman ! Dost thou not know that this is one of the ordinary chances of war?” “ I do not lament the loss of my liberty,” replied tho Moor, “ but a misfortune a thousand times heav ier !” Being pressed to explain the cause of his agitation, he said : “ I have long loved the daughter of a naighboring Alcalde, and that love is returned. This very night was to see her mine; she is now waiting for me, and thy soldiers have detained me. I ennnot describe my despair!” “ Thou art a noble cavalier !” re plied the compassionate Christian.— “If thou wilt promise to return, I will allow thee to go and see thy mistress.” Full of gratitude, the Moor, accep ted the condition, and departed ; be fore daylight he reached her dwell ing. On learning the cause of his evident dejection, she said : “ Before this fatal moment, thou hast always shown affection towards me; and now thou givest me new proofs of it. Thou searest that if I follow thee I shall lose my liberty, and thou wishest me to remain ; but dost thou think me less generous than thyself? My fate must be uni ted with thine; whether free or en slaved, thou shalt always find me at thy side. In this casket, are jewels sufficient either to pay tby ransom or to support us both in slavery.” The two lovers immediately de parted, and towards evening arrived at Antequera. They were nobly re ceived by Narvaez, who passed tho highest praise on the fidelity of the cavalier and the affecting devoted ness of the maiden. He not only dismissed them both, but loaded them with presents, and sent an escort to conduct them safely to Ronda. The news spread throughout the king dom of Granada, and became the subject of many romances, in which Narvaez was sung by his enemies— a pleasing reward for his beneficence. Cats. Some carping critic thus gives Yic tor Hugo’s aesthetic contemplation of the Cat, to in his novel : The cat is the concrete symbol of a vacillating politician. It is always on the fence. It is the feline embodiment of one of the profoundest human principles wrenched from the circumambienco of the Unknown, and hurled into tho bosom of consciousness. Jsine tailors make one man. A cat has nine times tho life of one man, for it has nine lives. Possession, al so, is nine points of the law. Behold a legal possession of existence equal to the span of eighty-one clothiers* lives. The ocean roars. The cat only purs. The billows rise and culminate and break. The cat’s back rises. The feline tide is up, and we have a permanent billow of fur and flesh. Oh ! osculations .between sky and earth ! Oh ! lips of the Seen touch ing the lips of the Unseen ! Oh ! wave of thought careering through the asymptotes of cioudland, crysta lizing into angelic feel the tangents of humanity. The stars come out at night. So do the cats. ...Such constructions as “Is Being Done,” &c., are manifestly improper. Macauley never uses this pbraseolo* gy. The purer English is to say, e. g. that “ the house is building;” not “ the house is being built.” 7