[The lists are open to all amicable adjustment of this important cause, and the ground peculiarly favorable for light skirmishing. We like this process of 'plea and replication,'' rejoinder and surrejoinder.' It elicits 'the merits of the case,' and brings the parties to a definite issue,' as the lawyers have it. We trust the champiou for the other side will not desert the ground, but again appear in defense of her party.]

HEAR THE OTHER SIDE.

To the Editor of the Microcosm.

As I cast my eye over your November number, the rather ominous title "Hear both Sides," arrested my curiosity. What can this mean, inquired I, of my friend H— who, with an extended hand and a beseeching look, was pleading for the first inspection of your bright little World of Home: Let me' see it, exclaimed he, impatiently. No, no, said I, let me read for you. Well, read loud then, rejoined he in a disappointed tone, as he threw himself upon the sofa beside me. I began; but before I had finished the introductory remarks of your very frank correspondent, I perceived by the uneasiness and significant hems of H-, that he anticipated the discussion of a. topic to which he was tremblingly alive. I had scarcely finished the sentence in which your correspondent brings forward her "personal experience" of the evils of which she complains, as an apology for animadverting upon. so delicate a point as "the intercourse between the sexes," when H, in a sarcastic tone, exclaimed, " O, yes, my dear, give us a chapter of your personal experience, doubtless it will be very instructive." I must here inform you that my friend though a philosopher and a scholar is a disaffected bachelor, whose temper has been soured by repeated injuries, either real or imaginary, and whose heart is now hardened under what some unjustly consider the baleful influence of celibacy. This fact will sufficiently account for his piquant and ill-natured remarks. But to return; I gently chided H———, for his irony, and proceeded with the remarks of your correspondent. After speaking of the readiness of her own sex to ascribe every expression of esteem and friendship which may fall from the lips of a lady, to the existence of a "warmer feeling," she prefers the same charge against the gentlemen themselves. This charge so grated upon the nerves of my friend, that unable to restrain his feelings, he exclaimed, "it is false-false as the Koran !" Hush, said I, keep cool. "But" continued he, "this is downright scandal; it is in effect charging us with weakness, self-conceit, and vanity. Who can endure it?" Be patient, I replied, hear her through and then judge. But the animadversions of your fair contributor upon our alledged unwillingness to take no for an answer, again provoked the invective of H. "Really," said he, "I wonder what will come next! Are the ladies so very averse to a second trial? are their decisions as changeless as the laws of the Medes and Persians? Did not our friend C, after two refusals prove to the entire satisfaction of Miss W, that two negatives are equivalent to an affirmative, and thus secure the object of his love? How was it with K—, was he not accepted after the fourth refusal ?" We resumed our reading but were again interrupted at the close of the following sentence. "Can that be a right state of society in which it is necessary to be guilty of one crime in order to escape the imputation of another." "What" said H-, “all ladies either coquettes or hypocrites! Really, this is a new classification for which her own sex will hardly thank her. According to her statement, all

who are not under the imputation of coquetry must be hypocrites. The cynic Philosopher himself, who seeing a woman that had hung herself upon a tree, exclaimed 'O, that every tree bore such fruit,' could scarcely have made a more invidious classification." You are uncandid and too severe, I replied. She means only to censure those customs of society which tend to produce insincerity and deception. "I have no means of judging of her meaning but by her language, and that, fairly interpreted, implies all that I have said." I now besought H, to waive farther remarks, until I had finished the article, to which he assented. As I closed the last sentence, in which your correspondent craves some share of that pity, which is lavished on the rejected, in behalf of their rejectors, on the ground that they " do not always love to inflict pain," "O, amiable sufferers," exclaimed H, "you are doomed to be the unhappy instruments of inflicting pain without design, and of blighting hopes which you have never either by word or look countenanced or encouraged! you are indeed worthy of commiseration!" "Who is this," inquired he, "that pleads so eloquently for this unfortunate and afflicted class of her sex?" Une Inconnue,' replied I, is the signature." An oracle of wisdom"-continued H-! "her lessons of philosophy are admirable-her exhortations to magnanimity pathetic-and her requisition, always to suppose the conduct of the lady honorable, most reasonable! Really, I think her communication worthy of an answer." Well, answer it, then, said I. 'My nerves are too sensitive," he replied, "I wish you would do it yourself. Make what use you please of my remarks; some of them I think worthy of consideration."

66

I have narrated this conversation of my friend, that your correspondent, knowing the carping disposition of some of her readers, may hereafter be more guarded and cautious in her statements. I wish here distinctly to disavow any sympathy or fellowship with the bitter and sarcastic spirit which he manifests. I am a Unionist, and sincerely deprecate those habits of public and private sparring which are so common between the sexes. I am sorry to discover this fault in the communication under consideration, which otherwise, seems very unexceptionable in its spirit. I regret also the prevalence of that spirit of meddling which shows itself in significant hints, sly railery and satirical jesting, to the manifest annoyance of delicate nerves and sensitive minds. Not that I would censure or prohibit all playful innuendoes and felicitous allusions. They are sometimes grateful to the parties and the foodful nurse of a budding and growing affection. But I do censure, condemn and reprobate the vulgar repartee, the blunt joke, the ordinary banter which, on almost every occasion, are bandied about, with such boorish freedom. These, I think, are the evils of which your correspondent justly complains when she says a lady is allowed to have but" two states of feeling-love or hate," towards a gentleman. This is indeed a sad state of things and tends directly to engender and foster insincerity, artifice and dissimulation. Whatever countenances or encourages these should be avoided as the bane and curse of society. I regard frankness, simplicity and ingenuousness not only as the most attractive graces of the human mind, but as our only security and defense from the basest arts and the grossest evils. In every circumstance of life they should be guarded with a vigilance that never tires -but in the intercourse between the sexes, where

"Nought but love

Can answer love and render bliss secure,"

they should be held sacred as the ark of the Jewish covenant. Whoever dares to violate them should be hunted from society as a spirit of evil. I therefore join with your correspondent in her complaint, and pledge whatever influence I possess to the work of reformation. I hope she will not waste her strength in unavailing complaints, but will forthwith, commence the work of reform. I would not wish to dictate as to the means which shall be used to accomplish this object, but would in the true spirit of the age, and with all due deference to the opinion of others, propose the formation of an ANTIMEDDLING Society, the object of which shall be to reform those intermeddlers who are busily employed in match-making, match-breaking and match-talking; and also to correct public opinion, and array it against the evil under consideration.

But, to other sentiments expressed by your correspondent, I cannot so fully respond.

She says, "If a lady finds pleasure in the society of any one of them, [referring to the gentlemen] and frankly allows him to perceive it, the modest conclusion immediately is, that she is, in the technical phrase 'in love' with him, or at any rate, ready to become so. If he discovers that he had mistaken mere friendly regard for a warmer feeling, the lady is forthwith accused, tried, and condemned for coquetry."

This quotation contains a sweeping assertion, a heavy charge, a hasty conclusion, which I am hardly prepared to admit without further proof. Does she mean to include every gentleman in this charge? She would not, surely, condemn us all en masse! Does she refer to a class merely? Her charge then is too general; those who cannot distinguish between a "mere friendly regard" and "a warmer feeling"-will scarcely have the acumen to discern its application to themselves. Or would she refer to those selfimportant coxcombs, who boast of their favor with the ladies, and measure their importance by the number of their fancied conquests? I have no defense for such. I cheerfully deliver them into the hands of their fair tormentors, to be punished according to their deserts.

But ought the ladies to monopolize all sympathy as the only sufferers? Have the gentlemen no ground of complaint? I would not retort the charge of your correspondent; nor would I recriminate. I wish to console her, with the reflection, that the ladies are not alone in their sufferings. Has there never a case occurred in which a lady without the best of reasons has come to the "modest conclusion" that a gentleman was "in love" with her, “or ready to become so?" or where the attentions of mere civility and politeness have been mistaken for "the existence of a warmer feeling?" Has a gentleman never unjustly fallen under the odium of trifling with the most sacred affections of the human heart? This, whatever it be in a lady—is an unpardonable crime in a gentleman. It justly awakens the indignation of society against him. It arraigns him as an enemy of human happiness, who raises expectations but to embitter disappointment. It pronounces him a blight upon society, which like an untimely frost withers and destroys. fall under the imputation of such a crime, to be subjected to the ignominy of such reproach, however just to the guilty, is to the innocent unmerciful and cruel. A few remarks upon another topic suggested by your correspondent, and I have done. I refer to the influence of fancy in the election of one,

"With whom in wedded love the soul would live."

Το

Some seem to think (and here we would not exclude your correspondent from the number) that the voice of reason is too stern to be heard in the temple of love, and that her notes are too solemn to chime with fancy's playful music. But I am not of that number. I would have fancy sweetly obedient to reason, and reason kindly tempered by fancy, and both by their united influence harmonize and control the affections. I wish to see esteem, friendship and love founded upon real worth, and not upon a mere, idle phantasm of the brain. Do not misunderstand me. I would not undervalue a warm heart, sportive fancy, impassioned sentiment. These I admire. Chastened by reason they are the ornament, the glory, the perfection of woman. Without them, she may indeed, like the brilliancy of an ice-clad grove under a winter sun, dazzle, but never warms. INCOG.

For the Microcosm.

THE GARDEN.

WHENE'ER I wander 'mid the tranquil charm
Of leaves and winds, of sunny banks and flowers,
I pause in wonder that the thought of harm,
Should mar the glory of such precious hours.

I think of that bright garden lost so soon;
Its heavenly rest, its perfume and its shade,
Its brilliant birds, with love in every tune;-
And of the garden, where the Master pray'd

How still the breeze on Kedron's gentle stream!
The brook was crossed by Him; yet on it crept ;
It did not wake in joy from slumbrous dream
Those blessed feet to kiss :-All nature slept.

The flowers in quiet odor bent their heads;
The very leaves forgot their mirthful play;
The moon o'er all, her silvery mystery spreads,
And 'mid the calm the Savior takes his way.

He sought repose within the olive grove;
And 'neath the softened shadows of the trees,
He raised his heart in contemplative love,
And prayed for them-oh, God! his enemies.

And heavy drops, hung on his brow, like dew
'Twas not the dew which weighed the roses down;
On these, the moonbeam gem-like lustre, threw-
But on his blood, an angel's smile was thrown.

Like a shut lily stricken from the light,
His fair head sunk beneath the coming storm;
A ruffian band disturb the silent night,
And traitor lips have touched that sacred form,

A garden is earth's fairest spot-yet woe
The pathway of the lovliest scene has crossed;
As if, our heavenly Father meant to show
Creation perfect, but the creature lost.

V. S.

SINCE it is the province of your work to impart instruction to the domestic circle, to improve all ages in the performance of the various relative duties, allow me to recommend to your readers the memoirs of Miss Anne Jane Linnard, of Philadelphia. In the account given of her life, they will find not only precept in abundance, but what is still more instructive, a bright example of excellence in the various relations of daughter, sister and friend. This little book ranks high among the biographical sketches of the day, and it is not enough to say of it that it is equal to the memoirs of Harlan Page, so deservedly commended and so extensively read; nor would we be considered as depreciating that valuable little work when we say that in some respects we think the memoirs of Miss L. are more replete with instruction than the life of Mr. Page. It is more difficult for a female, especially one in delicate health, to accomplish what Miss Linnard effected, than for one of the other sex. The various obstacles to active usefulness like hers which a female must encounter, especially amid the promiscuous and fluctuating population of a large city, are well understood, and it is therefore unnecessary to specify them here. Her ardent desire of doing good to the souls of others was, as we believe, implanted by the Spirit of God, and her ability to execute came also from the same source.

According to the account given by the biographer of Miss Linnard, she was blessed originally with a mind of more than ordinary strength and an uncommon fondness for mental improvement. In early cultivating and disciplining her mind, she was preparing a broad foundation for future usefulness. In her example in this respect, those whose education is now in progress will find a powerful incentive to the most thorough mental cultivation, and will be enabled we hope to appreciate in some measure as they ought, the advantages which they are now enjoying and the importance of improving them aright. The native disposition of Miss L. is represented as not being remarkably amiable. She was proud and domineering, and like all such characters, was doubtless self-willed and self-indulgent. But grace triumphed over all and brought every thing that was wrong, as well as what was right, in her character, to subserve the same great object, viz, that of glorify. ing God and doing good to her fellow creatures.