The Portland Gazette

MISCELLANY.

FOR THE GAZETTE.

Our state can boast of many young Ladies and Gentlemen, of fine literary acquirements, beautiful countenances, and highly accomplished manners.
It is much to be regretted by the sober and thoughtful part of community, that so many of her accomplished young people, regardless of our laws and the precepts of religion, profane the sabbath, and render it a day of frolicking and mirth. We would particularly advert to the practice, which has become too common, of visiting on the sabbath a society which has long been established in New Gloucester, called Shakers. This society preserving good order among themselves, and worshipping God with the "song and dance," according to the dictates of their own consciences, has become the resort of the fashionable and curious. To a stranger the sabbath in this quarter appears more like a southern holiday, than a day devoted to religious exercises and worship. The morning devotions of the pious are disturbed by the rattling of carriages, racing of horses, and loud whispering of lovers in the streets.
It is indeed astonishing that young people can hope for the blessing of heaven on an union in the sacred bands of marriage, when at the very time they are fondly anticipating it, and holding what they vainly imagine to be a "sweet interchange of soul and sentiment," they are profaning the sabbath, violating the laws of God and man, and disregarding every moral precept. We certainly have much regard for this class of young expectants, and sincerely hope they are not so infatuated as to expect to enjoy domestic happiness, the "only bliss that has survived the fall," when they are so destitute of virtue, and so much abuse and disregard holy time.
It is very important and essential in order to preserve the good morals, and keep alive that reverence for the sabbath, which have heretofore distinguished this section of the country. That young people be exemplary in their conduct, and imbibe correct habits and principles; for such as they imbibe when young, will generally govern them when they become heads of families, and leading characters in the state. In a few years, should this practice of riding for pleasure on the sabbath, and visiting shaker meetings and such places, merely to gratify an idle curiosity, our sabbaths will become holidays, and we have no more reason to censure the practices of the south. It is the language of too many of our young people, and indeed they have been taught like the parrot, to lisp such phrases—'we live in a free government we have an excellent constitution which gives us perfect liberty of conscience, and imposes on us no restraint—we can go to meeting now or let it alone:—pay the minister or not, just as we please.'—Highly flattering indeed are these sentiments to him who is unwilling to pay any thing for the price of his protection, and knows no difference between natural and civil liberty.
It is to be hoped our young gentlemen will be cautious not to receive such sentiments until they have searched them to the bottom, and thoroughly ascertained their tendency. They should ever bear in mind, that in order to be happy, they must be virtuous. Virtue and good morals are highly necessary in order to the enjoyment of the pleasure which is derived from the social circle. We sincerely hope our Ladies will remonstrate against this practice of riding for pleasure on the sabbath, and of visiting in large parties, shaker meetings. We may with confidence, look for the improvement of morals in our young gentlemen, when the Ladies will unite in their determinations to teach them that the sabbath is no time for the display of gallantry.

A LOVER OF GOOD ORDER.