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Literary
January 20, 1786
Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A reflective prose piece from Portsmouth, January 20, describes villagers spending winter evenings by the fire sharing stories of past hospitality and simple joys, contrasting this innocent rural life with the debilitating noisy pleasures of the city, urging moral reflection on transient indulgences.
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Full Text
PORTS MOUTH, - January 20.
Though the sun is now retired to distant climes,
and nature is wrapped in the deepest gloom of winter;
yet is not all joy banished from the tranquil scenes of a
country retirement. The inhabitants of the village
spend the evenings of this dreary season in pleasing
recitals of their former acts.--Placed in a circle round
the genial fire, they listen to the artless narrative of age,
and breathe a silent wish that the former manners
would again return, when the door of the opulent was
set open to the needy, and hospitality resided in the
mansions of the great.--Sometimes the tale of sheeted ghosts
beguile the time, and arrest the fancy with such
powerful charms, that the stealing hour of timely rest is
forgotten, and midnight approaches before the
narratives are concluded.—- Happy, thrice happy, would it
be for the votaries of more noisy joys, did they spend
their time in innocence like these ;-the morning would
not then wake them, only to feel the pains of languor
and disease, nor would they require the help of art to
brace up the debilitated and slackened nerves, Little
do they think the heavy debt they are accumulating,
and how dearly they must soon pay for their transient
joys.
Though the sun is now retired to distant climes,
and nature is wrapped in the deepest gloom of winter;
yet is not all joy banished from the tranquil scenes of a
country retirement. The inhabitants of the village
spend the evenings of this dreary season in pleasing
recitals of their former acts.--Placed in a circle round
the genial fire, they listen to the artless narrative of age,
and breathe a silent wish that the former manners
would again return, when the door of the opulent was
set open to the needy, and hospitality resided in the
mansions of the great.--Sometimes the tale of sheeted ghosts
beguile the time, and arrest the fancy with such
powerful charms, that the stealing hour of timely rest is
forgotten, and midnight approaches before the
narratives are concluded.—- Happy, thrice happy, would it
be for the votaries of more noisy joys, did they spend
their time in innocence like these ;-the morning would
not then wake them, only to feel the pains of languor
and disease, nor would they require the help of art to
brace up the debilitated and slackened nerves, Little
do they think the heavy debt they are accumulating,
and how dearly they must soon pay for their transient
joys.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Agriculture Rural
Moral Virtue
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Rural Retirement
Winter Evenings
Hospitality
Simple Joys
Moral Reflection
Urban Dissipation
Literary Details
Key Lines
Though The Sun Is Now Retired To Distant Climes, And Nature Is Wrapped In The Deepest Gloom Of Winter; Yet Is Not All Joy Banished From The Tranquil Scenes Of A Country Retirement.
Placed In A Circle Round The Genial Fire, They Listen To The Artless Narrative Of Age, And Breathe A Silent Wish That The Former Manners Would Again Return, When The Door Of The Opulent Was Set Open To The Needy, And Hospitality Resided In The Mansions Of The Great.
Happy, Thrice Happy, Would It Be For The Votaries Of More Noisy Joys, Did They Spend Their Time In Innocence Like These ; The Morning Would Not Then Wake Them, Only To Feel The Pains Of Languor And Disease,