Our Late Little “Cold Snap”
image 1
image 2
image 3
image 4
cropped image 1
OUR LATE LITTLE “COLD SNAP.”
Most of our readers will not probably hear anything very new to them, when we mention that there was quite a little reminder of the approaching cooler season, yesterday afternoon, last night, and early this morning. As to the night, it would not surprise us to hear that, in certain parts of Long Island, there was a slight touch of frost—as around the edges of “the plains” in Queens county, and on some of the hill-sides with a northerly exposure. In some of the hollows, also, where the air is still, the frost falls early and easily.
As to us city folks, the few coolish hours we have experiences will put us in mind of overcoats, coal, &c.; though, of course, there will be quite a stretch of pleasant weather yet, and possibly some very hot days. The “snap” will have the effect of sending back among us a great many of the large swarm of migrated citizens whose faces are yet to be missed from their familiar haunts in the streets that usually know them, and will now soon know them again. We can almost fancy, after such a cooler as last night, that we see the haste with which they pack up, take the first boat, and return to their own “firesides.”
Well, the pleasantest part of the year is to come yet—and to those who will it, capable of affording a vast fund of satisfaction and pleasure. September! October! Months of fine air, delicious and moist mornings, calm and picturesque evenings,—of fruit, and of harvesting the grain, the corn, the buckwheat, ½c.; months, indeed, for the rambler out of the city—true months for the “excursions,” and for that favorite amusement of our Brooklyn and New York youth, “target practice.” These too are the pleasantest and most appropriate days for the manly exercises we spoke of the other day—base ball, cricket, foot-ball, pitching the quoit, &c.
In retrospect, we think we may safely say that we have had a summer “to be thankful for.” There has been no prevalent sickness in city or country—no serious distress or disturbance; but on the contrary, much has turned out well, that might have turned out ill. Congress did really adjourn—the Kansas question is virtually settled, (we suppose,)—and British Ministers have abandoned the “right of search”—and the Atlantic Cable1 is laid! Other facts, triumphs, public gratulations, might be mentioned, but we think these will answer at present.
These things we say because we always like to “improve the occasion” for giving a bit of a sermon, in our own way, on thankfulness, a contented mind, and to encourage a hopeful disposition. Perhaps this is a little bit of a foible of ours. We confess it to you, reader, without fear of trembling. For are not the newspapers the true preachers of the times, after all? Have they not a right—is it not their duty—to “join profit with amusement,” and, as they skip along, (for, a word in your ear, reader, we can be profound, too, but prefer the helter skelter style, from choice,) utter all sorts of benevolent and wise things with their comments on the daily occurrences?
Notes:
1. The Transatlantic Telegraph was the first cable connection between the United States and Europe, built by Cyrus West Field and the Atlantic Telegraph Company. It sent its initial message—a note from the British Queen—in 1858 and, although the cable spanning from Canada's Trinity Bay to Ireland was only in operation for three weeks, had a major impact on transatlantic relations of the antebellum period. [back]