Western Sun, Volume 8, Number 1, Vincennes, Knox County, 7 December 1816 — Page 4

POETRY. $tminHHm4vm4m mw mww Tie discontented Rich, are Poor. Swift. 11 Mn wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long," Then can magnificence and fhow This fleeting life prolong ? Can wealth feeure U3 happinef ? Explore the world tnd fee ? Alas! we find there's gay diftrefs, And fplenciid miicry I We fee that too mucii care annoys The ptetfuret of the great ; But u contentment there are joy8 Beyond the reach cf fate. The rnifrr count : hin golden Qorcs, And darts at each alarm ; He pinei in want, yet 0 ill adorc3 Wealth's tantalizing charm. If fttch the biaudifhtnent3 of wealth, T i. ?ver prize it lets Than poverty with rofy health, And humMe happinefs. Revolutionary Inci, lent The following well told story, is extracted from the life of Marion, an interesting little book, recently published. u About this time we received a flag from the enemy at Georgetown, S. C. the object of which was to make some arrangements about the exchange of prisoner . The flag, after the usual ceremony of blindfolding, was CondiK ted into Marion's encampment. Having heard great talk about gen. Marion, his fancy had naturally enough sketched out for him some stout figure of a warrior, such as O'fiara. or Cornwal lis himself, of martial aspect and flaming regimentals. But what was his surprise, when led into Marion's presence, and the bandage taken from his eves, he beheld in our hero a swarthy, smoke dried little man. with scarcely enough of thread bare homespun to COVCrhis nakedness, and, instead of tall ranks of gay dressetl soldiers, a handful of sun burnt, yellow legged militia men, v C7CT some roasting potatoes, & some ask't p, with their black tire-locks and powder horns lying by them on the bogs. Having recovered a little from his surprise, he presented hi letter to gen. Marion, who perused it, and soon settled every thing to his satisfaction. The officer took up his hat to retire. u Oh ii i !" said Marion ' it is now about our time of dining : and I hope, sir, you will give us i he pleasure of your company to ttinner.' tit mention of the word dinner, the Etrtti h oflicer looked around him, I ut to his great mortification, could see no sign of a pot pan. Dutch oven, or any other cooking utensil, thai could

raise the spirits of a hungry man. 1 Well Tom said the gen. to one of his men, c come give us our dinner.' The dinner to which he allu ded, was no other than a heap of sweet potatoes that were very snugly roasting under the embers which Tom with his pine stick poker, soon liberated from their ashy confinement ; pinching them every now and then with his fin gers, especially the big ones, to see whether thev were well done or not. Then having cleaned them of the ashes, partly by blowing them & with the sleeve of his old cotton shirt, he piled some of the best on a large piece of bark, and placed them between the British officer and Marion, on the trunk of the fallen pine on which thev sat. 4 I fear, sir,' said the general, 1 our dinner will not prove so palitablc to you as I could wish ; but it is the best we have. The officer, who was a well bred man, taking up one of the potatoes affected to feed, as if he liad found a great dainty ; but it is very plain that he ate more from good manners than good appetite. Presently he broke out into a heart v laugh. Marion looked surprised. 1 I beg pardon, gen.' said he, but one cannot, you know, always command one's conceits. I am thinking how drolly some of my brother oflicers would look, if our government were to 'ive them such a bill of fare as this.' 6 1 suppose," replied Marion,' 1 it is not equal to their style of dining.' ' No. indeed,' quoth the officer, ' And this. I imagine is one of vour accidentia! dinners a sort of bon van. In general no doubt, you live a great deal better.' ' Rather worse,' answered the general for often we don't get enough of this.' 5 Heavens V rejoined the oflicer, ' But probably, what you loose in meal you make up in malt, tho1 stinted in provisions, you draw noble pay.' Not a cent sir.' said Marion, not a cent.' ' Heavens and earth ! then voa must be in a bad box. I don't see gen. how you can stand it.' k Why, sir,' replied Marion with a smile of self-approbation, 4 these things depend on feelings.' The Englishman said, ' he did not believe it would be an easy matter to reconcile his feelings to a soldiers life on gen. Marion's terms all fighting, no pay, 6c no provisions but potatoes.1 Why, sir,' answered the gen. the heart is all ; and when that is much interested, a man can do anything. Many a vouthwould think it hard to indent himself a slave for 14 years. Out let him be over head and ears in love, 6c with such a beauteous sweetheart as Rachel, and he will think no more of 1 I years servitude than young Jacob did. Well this is exact I v my case, I am in love 6c my sweetheart i LIBERTY. Be that heavenly nymph my champion, and these woods shall have charms beyond London & Paris in slavery. To have no

proud monarch driving over me with his gill coaches nor his hot of excisemen Cs, tax-gatherers

insulting and robbing ; but to be my own master, my own prince and sovereign gloriously preserving my national dignity, and pursuing my true happiness planting my vineyards and eating the luscious fruit, sowing my fields 6c reaping the golden grain and seeing millions of brothers all around me, equally free and happy as myself. This, sir, is what I long for.' The oflicer replied, that both as a man and a Briton, he must certainly subscribe to this as a happy state of things. Happy,' quoth Marion, 6 yes, happy indeed ; and I would rather fight for such blessings for my country and feed on roots, than keep aloof tho' wallowing in all the luxuries of Solomon. For now, sir, I walk the soil that gave me birth, 6c exult in the thought that I am not unworthy of it. I look upon these venerable trees around me, and feel that I do not dishonor them. I think of my own sacred rights 6c rejoice that I have not basely deserted them. And when I look forward to the long, long ages of posterity, I glory in the thought, that I am tighting their battles, The children of distant generations may never hear mv name ; but still it gladdens my heart to think that I am now contending for their freedom with all its countless biasings.' I looked at Marion as he uttered these sentiments, ami fancied I felt as when I heard the last words of the brave de Kalb. The Englishmen hung his honest head and looked, I thought, as if he had seen the upbraiding ghosts of his illustrious countrymen, Sidney and Hamden. On his return to Georgetown, he was asked by col. Watson why he looked so serious ? 1 I have cause, sir,' said he, to look so serious.' 6 What ! has gen. Marion refused to treat Y 4 No. sir." ' Well, then, has old Washington defeated sir Henry Clinton, and broken up our army ?' No, sir, not that either ; but worse.' 6 Ah ! what can be worse ?' 6 Why sir, 1 have seen an American gen. & his officers, without pay, and almost without clothes, living on roots & drinkin g water ; and all for LIBERTY ! What chance have we against such men ?' It is said col. Watson was not obliged to him for his speech. But the young officer was so struck with Marion's sentiments that he never rested till he threw up his commission, and retired Horn the service -- Means to Live in peace. Mind vour own business. 1 Thess. iv. 11. Keep your tongue from evil. Peter iii, 10. Don't contend for everv trifle, whether it be a matter of right or opinion. If others neglect their duty to you, be sure you perform yours to them. To render railing for railing, is to return sin for sin. Make vour enemy see c feel your love to him. Romans xii. 'JO Beg of God for universal charity. Be humble.

By faith wait lor the providence of God. A guilty heart can never be at peace. Despair blinds us to the mears of safety. Actions of hazard require deliberation. The Seducer. Who is yon meagre ruined wretch pressed down by disease and covered with shame $c confusion ? sure it is no human being. The Almighty never stamped his image on a form so forbidding. Hush stranger ! cease thy cruel animadversions on the vie tim of vilainy. Turn thy eye for a moment and behold the reverse Seest thou yon sprightly coxcomb, glittering in the sunbeams of prosperity, and hastening with eagerness from pleasure to pleasure. He is her seducer : in an ungarded moment he triumphed over her virtue, he broke his faith and left her to brood over her misery in penury and want. Disease, like a corrodi ng canker, preys on her vitals and she will ere long be added to her native dust. Stranger you weep at her misfortunes, your tears are unavailing, Her fate is determined. Her repentence is accepted and she shall be happy. Go warn thy pratltng innocents of their future danger ! Go shew them this picture of misery ; and when they enquire the cause, tell them a lordly brute fixed his criicl fangs on the object of their pity ; tell them she once was as gay, as lovely, as innocent, and as happy as the)' now are ; but she was betrayed, and her fond expectations blasted forever. Time Fame Oblivion. On the ruins of an ancient Citadel I enquired of Time u To whom,'' said , 1 was this building erected, which you have levelled on the ground ? Time made no answer ; but spread her swift wings and hastened her flight. I then spoke to Fame O thou, the parent of all that survive ! Thou who " She cast her swollen eyes upon the ground, in the attitude of one whose heart is too full to utter words. Wondering and confused at what I had seen, I was turning aide from this monument, when I saw Oblivion stepping from stone to stone. Thou," exclaimed I, " thou must be acquainted with it ; ah, shew me " He interupted me with a voice like deep thunder at a distance u I care not what it has been it is now mine !n

4NECD0TE. An Irishman, just arrived newly in the month of December in this country ' because it was a land of liberty happened to be attacked in the road by a furious mastiff. He stopped to take up a stone to defend himself with it ; but the stone was frozen fast. By mv shoul says Pat) now is not this a swate land of liberty, where tlie dogs are let loose, and the stones are tied fast V

A GOOD MILCH COIF wanted immediately, enquire of the PRINTER. Sept. 28, 1815. Blank N ote Books.