And, when the second morning shone, 4. Around the glistening wonder bent Took marvelous shapes: strange domes and towers Rose up where sty and corn-crib stood, Or garden wall, or belt of wood; A smooth white mound the brush-pile showed; A fenceless drift what once was road; The bridle-post an old man sat, With loose-flung coat and high cocked hat; And even the long sweep, high aloof, In its slant splendor, seemed to tell 5. All day the gusty north-wind bore To have an almost human tone. 6. As night drew on, and, from the crest Of wooded knolls that ridged The sun, a snow-blown traveler, sank The knotty forestick laid apart, And filled between, with curious art, 7. Shut in from all the world without, Shook beam and rafter as it passed, The great throat of the chimney laughed. 8. The house-dog, on his paws outspread, 9. At last the great logs, crumbling low, Sent out a dull and duller glow; The bull's-eye watch that hung in view, Then roused himself to safely cover For food and shelter, warmth and health, 10. Within our beds awhile we heard The wind that round the gables roared, J. G. Whittier. LXXXV.-IRONICAL EULOGY ON DEBT. DE EBT is of the very highest antiquity. The first debt in the history of man is the debt of nature, and the first instinct is to put off the payment of it to the last moment. Many persons, it will be observed, following the natural procedure, would die before they would pay their debts. 2. Society is composed of two classes-debtors and creditors. The creditor class has been erroneously supposed the more enviable. Never was there a greater misconception; and the hold it yet maintains upon opinion, is a remarkable example of the obstinacy of error, notwithstanding the plainest lessons of experience. The debtor has the sympathies of mankind. He is seldom spoken of but with expressions of tenderness and compassion-"the poor debtor!" and "the unfortunate debtor!" On the other hand, "harsh" and "hard-hearted" are the epithets allotted to the creditor. 3. Who ever heard the "poor creditor," the "unfortunate creditor" spoken of? No, the creditor never becomes the object of pity, unless he passes into the debtor class. A creditor may be ruined by the poor debtor, but it is not until he becomes unable to pay his own debts, that he begins to be compassionated. A debtor is a man of mark. Many eyes are fixed upon him; many have interest in his wellbeing; his movements are of concern; he can not disappear unheeded; his name is in many mouths; his name is upon many books; he is a man of noteof promissory note; he fills the speculation of many minds; men conjecture about him, wonder about him-wonder and conjecture whether he will pay. |