igher circles, to which these gentlemen belong both
by fortune and education, should be imparted, in some degree, to those
with whom they converse. So it undoubtedly does, and the air of
refinement, native to the New Brunswicker, is never so strongly visible
as when contrasted with the new-caught emigrant. Rudeness and vulgarity
in glaring forms one never meets from them; odd and inquisitive ways may
be thought impertinent, and require both time and patience to be rightly
understood.
The state of morals and religion is fast progressing; these, of course,
have all their mainspring from education, for an uneducated people can
never be, rightly speaking, either moral or religious. So New Brunswick
may have the apology for whispered tales that float about, of corn being
reaped and wood being felled on the Sabbath-day, and of sacred rites
being dispensed with. She is yet in her infancy, and when one thinks
that 'tis but sixty years since they first set foot on the shore, where
stood one lonely hut, on the site of the now flourishing city of St.
John, we must know that their physical wants were then so many that but
little attention could be given to the wants of the mind. But now,
thanks to the parental care of Britain, schools and churches are rising
fast throughout the country, and learning is received with an avidity
that marks the active intellect it has to work upon; besides, all these
old stories of failings occurred long before the tide of emigration
caused them to be enlightened by the visitation of the inhabitants of
the gifted climes of the olden world. Well would it be if all those
showed as much desire to avail themselves of their means of
improvement, as a New Brunswicker does of those enjoyed by him. Their
personal appearance differs much from the English. Cooper says, "the
American physiognomy has already its own peculiar cast"--so it has, and
can easily be distinguished--in general they are handsomer than the
emigrants--darker in complexion, but finer in feature and more graceful
in form--not so strong, and fading sooner. Many of the children are
perfectly beautiful, but the cherub beauty changes soon, and the women
particularly look old and withered while yet young in years. Infantine
beauty seems peculiar to the country, for even the children of emigrants
born there are much handsomer than those born at home. Such are some of
the traits of the natives--then comes the wide circle of emigrants, each
(at leas
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