42 



Stye ifhrmcr's iltoitthto bisitor. 



attended of the deceased membena of Congress 

 at Washington— its sound' alone in the represen- 

 r talives' hall, darkened by deep mourning— evoked 

 the whisper to ore seated by our side at its close, 

 that there is more religion in music than in the 

 high eulogies by the ablest man pronounced over 

 the bier of the dead. If for nothing else than 

 the music in the Catholic church service, our at- 

 tendance is not set down as loss on the debit 

 side. Mr. Matthews is now very aged, nearly 

 eighty years of age: for the last twenty years he 

 has seldom officiated as the leading clergyman 

 at his own church in the morning and evening 

 service. Often does he preach a sermon, and 

 these are distinguished not for eloquence, but for 

 plain good sense and sound moral advice. This 

 gentleman is understood 10 be very wealthy, and 

 the use be makes of his property and income is 

 highly creditable to him. From sixty to seventy 

 orphans, under the instruction mainly, we be- 

 lieve, of some of those sisters of charily, whose 

 lives, under the Catholic faith, are spent in re- 

 lieving ihe wanrs of the helpless, in ministering 

 to the comforts of the destitute and distressed, in 

 smoothing the pillows of the dying, are educated 

 and supported at the Orphan Asylum, connected 

 with Mr, Matthews' church at Washington : they 

 are the destitute and helpless offspring of parents, 

 one or both of whom are dead ; and they are pre- 

 pared at this Asylum to go forth as soon as they 

 are able, to some useful and honest occupation 

 and calling in after-life, under such teaching as 

 shall lead them ill the path where they should 

 go. Knowing that the support of so many child- 

 ren, the clothing and feeding merely, must be of 

 great expense to somebody, our inquiry for the 

 foundation of so great a charity, was answered 

 by the fact that no inconsiderable part was de- 

 rived from the free generosity of the aged pastor 

 alone. 



In the city of Washington, from a variety of 

 causes, but mainly from the fact that men desti- 

 tute of property, seeking public employment, die 

 there— officers of the army and navy, as well as 

 clerks and others in public offices— also that wi- 

 dows, who are obliged in the cities to open and 

 keep boaaruing-houses, or seek some other em- 

 ployment w'uh limited means, die sometimes after 

 their husbands, leaving young families — there 

 seems to be a more than common share of or- 

 phans. It is to the credit of the benevolent peo- 

 ple there, that other denominations than the Ro- 

 man Catholic, make »a generous provision for 

 these orphans. The late Mrs. John P. Van Ness, 

 whose fathc r was the original owner of much of 

 the laud now embracing the settled part of the 

 city, made provision in her life-time for the erec- 

 tion of a brick edifice intended as an asylum for 

 orphans. This building stands near the mauso- 

 leum, in which repose the remains of the family 

 of Van Ness. Close by this Asylum, has lately 

 been erected, a brick edifice for the service ol 

 the Protestant Episcopal church, of which the 

 Rev. Mr. Gillis is pastor. At this church, on the 

 first Sabbath in March, was in attendance that 

 part of the orphans supported at the Van Ness 

 Asylum, attached to the Episcopal service. These 

 children, in a group occupying a separate place 

 in the church, with countenances of animation, 

 speaking innocence and intelligence — taken up 

 and nourished and cherished on the principle of 

 benign Christian charily — were a most beautiful 

 ninent of the holy place of worship on the 

 Christian Sabbath. 



A mosi deep and poignant evil of war is that 

 which, in the inevitable sacrifice of life, leaves 



widows and orphans to tears and suffering. In 

 whatever attitude it may be considered, the con- 

 sequences of loss of life from war are tremend- 

 ous: well may the Christian pray that war may 

 be averted. In the constitution of man, in his 

 imperfect state, war is sometimes unavoidable. 

 In this country, more than once has war been a 

 portion of its destiny — whether, ou the whole, 

 for good or for evil, will be wisely determined by 

 an over-ruling Providence. The war which we 

 may hope to be now terminated, must add its full 

 share of orphans, deprived, by the hand of man 

 against man, of their natural protectors. And 

 now that the bright morning of peace is again 

 breaking in the east as the harbinger of a longer 

 day of repose than the nation has yet seen, may 

 we not hope that a generous country will take 

 care of the widows and orphans which the war 

 has made ? 



Particularly applicable to this occasion, is the 

 piece of poetry which, after a lapse of many years 

 hack to childhood, now breaks upon us while 

 turning over the leaves of a newspaper printed 

 nearly fifty years ago. 



[Copied from the Lancaster (Penn.) Intelligencer, Sep- 

 tember 3, 1G00, in the Jibrary o!" Congress ] 



THE ORPHAN BOYS TALE. 



BY MRS. A. OPIE. 



Slav, Lady — stay, for Mercy's Bake, 

 And hear a helpless Orphan's tale : 



Ah sure my looUs must pity wake — 



'Tis want that makes my cheek so pale ! 



Yet I was once a mother's pride, 

 And my brave father's hope and joy: 



But in the .Nile's proud tight he died, 

 And I am now an Orpha:; boy ! 



Poor foolish child, how pleased was I, 

 When news of Nelson's victory came, 



Along the crowded streets to fly 



And see the lighted windows' flame ! 



To force me home my mother sought — 

 She could not bear to see my joy 5 



For with my father's life 'twas bought, 

 And made me a poor Orphan boy 1 



The people's shouts were long and loud — 

 My mother, shuddering, clos'd her ears : 



" Kejoice, rejoice," still cried the crowd — 

 My mother answer'd with her tears 1 



"O why do tears start down your cheek." 

 Cried I, " while otiiers shout for joy :'" 



She kiss'd me ; and in accents sweet 

 She call'd me her poor Orphan boy 1 



" What is an Orphan boy 7" I said j 

 When suddenly she gasped for breath, 



And her eyes clos'd ! 1 shriek'd for aid ; 

 But, ah. her eyes were clos'd in deatlt ! 



My hardships since 1 will not tell : 

 But now, no more a parent's joy. 



Ah, lady, 1 have learned too well 

 What 'lis to be an Orphan boy ! 



Oh, were i by your bounty fed! 



Nay, gentle lady, do not chide ; 

 Trim me. t mean to earn my bread — 



The sailor's Orphan boy has pride. 



Lady, you weep ; — what is't you say ? 



You'll givo me clothing, food, employ ! 

 Look flown, dear parents ; look, and see 



Your happy, happy Orphan bu_\ 1 



We are pleased to perceive that the Concord 

 and Portsmouth railroad has been begun near 

 its western terminus. That railroad connecting 

 the ancient commercial capital with the central 

 political capit. I ol the State — tapping also the 

 great northern avenue to the panadas and west- 

 ern States, as nearest to the Atlantic seaboard — 

 is destined to make the one a receptacle for un- 

 told amounts ol merchandize in its transit to and 

 from the country, find the other a great depot for 

 its deposite and sale: it will make both Ports- 

 mouth and Concord places of active business 

 equal to almost any other two towns of the 

 nation. 



The absence of the editor of the Visitor at the 

 South, where he has had the good fortune to 

 find in a milder and more elastic atmosphere a 

 relief that has repaid every other inconvenience, 

 leaves the manuscript part of the paper which 

 he furnishes without the usual supervision. He 

 is happy to find the composition in the hands of 

 some of that large number of young men who 

 have learned in the last forty years to read his 

 hand-writing like a well-printed book, and to 

 make but few errors either in words or puncta- 

 tion. 



An apology is however due to cur friend the 

 Lexington farmer, for representing him as of a 

 " good old age." That epithet might have well 

 applied to his venerable father who recently went 

 down to the grave with a full measure of years 

 and of honor. We wrote of Col. Phinney as we 

 would write of ourselves, that he was in a 

 "green old age "; and in making the correction 

 we are happy to say that ibis gentleman is likely 

 better and longer to enjoy the munificent volun- 

 teer donation of some four or five thousand dol- 

 lars to aid him in the present purpose of supply- 

 ing the dwelling of which he was deprived last 

 summer by fire. 



Prospects of the United States in February '48. 



We are full of all the elements of wealth, and 

 we have an abundance of everything necessary 

 to secure it. Our produce will be wanted in 

 Europe, as soon as they are able on the other 

 side to pay for it ; the raw material for Ihe cotton 

 Manufactures of Great Britain will be wanted in 

 great quantities, before they can commence full 

 work ; our State stocks have been returned to us, 

 and we have bought and paid for them in gold 

 and silver; they are now in demand again in 

 Europe, and large orders have already been ful- 

 filled on German account. The Dutch are the 

 shrewdest financiers in the old world, and they 

 have shown their wisdom in investing in our 

 State securities. The principal purchases thus 

 far on foreign account have been confined to 

 Pennsylvania fives, and the prices paid have been 

 a handsome advance on those realized upon the 

 sales here during the panic, when holders on the 

 other side were forced to sell at the rates then 

 current. The recent sales of State stocks to 

 European capitalists are but a beginning of the 

 movement, and the amount already sold is but a 

 trifle of that which will be taken in the course 

 of the next two or three years. The views of 

 foreign capitalists have become completely revo- 

 lutionized in regard to our State stocks, and we 

 have no doubt they will be more sought after for 

 investment than any government securities in the 

 world. They pay better dividends, and are, in 

 fact, safer investments, than those of any Euro- 

 pean government: and what is more and per- 

 haps better, they will be paid in full tit maturity, 

 which cannot be said with any degree of truth 

 of the loans of any other nation in creation. We 

 allude, of course, to the regular dividend [laying 

 stocks of the Slates and of the general govern- 

 ment. The change which litis taken place in the 

 opinions of foreign capitalists relative to the 

 value and safety of investments in American se- 

 curities is the result of a variety of causes. 



When the harvest in Great Britain proved de- 

 ficient, and ihe attention of Europe generally 

 was directed to the most important sources of 

 supply, considerable anxiety was experienced 

 relative to the ability of the UniMd Slates to 

 meet the demand likely to arise. This produced 

 a great deal of inquiry regarding our agricultural 

 resources, and more information was gathered of 

 our position than would have been obtained 

 under other circumstances in several years. — 

 Wiien it was slated that we could alone supply 

 the deficiencj in the harvests of the United King- 

 dom, no one ou the other side believed it ; but 

 when we filled their markets with provisions and 

 breadstuff's, there was no lunger any doubt. The 

 facts which then transpired) showing the im- 

 mense crops of the country, and the annual sur- 

 plus on hand, astonished even those who had 

 made it their business for years to examine these 



