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POETRY. > From the Ne-jdurypoi I H:mki. Mr. Printer, 1 have been told that there is, in this town, a fociety of rcfpedablc gentlemen, who ftyk tlierofc Ives 0# BaehJtrs, and who meet ugularly to tranfic't thvir important bu- finefs, drink toalls, fing fougs, to . Whe- thet or not nay information ts coriect, it m rot now iu my power to afiert. Certain I be, however, that many of ihe fair lex have been long fu picious of fuel) a combination a- jr-iinft them, and have manifeited no iiicou- iiderahlc foiicitude to receive a little light up¬ on that dark and apparently nefarious iub- jecl. Now, as I have ever profeffed myfeli an inflexible friend Jo the Ladies, 1 have fan* guine hope.-, that the fubfequent difeovcry and difclofure of a clandettine meeting, will convince them of my loyalty and iinccrity.— One morning of lail week. I rofe early, and was walking lcifureiy through the market, when I faw a large budget cf papers on the ground- i immediately picked it up, hid il under my cloak, and, recollecting it was not April Fool's day, fuppofed it was fomething valuable ; and determined that nobody Ihould bethewifer for it. As foon as I returned home, I examined the budget, which was la¬ belled, •* Proceedings ofthe Batcbtlor Club, at their annuel meeting) January, rSl2;" and was probably accidentally lott by the lecrc- tary after adjournment It contained nume¬ rous important documents, which, Mr. Prin¬ ter, I may foon renrtt you for publication. At prefent be content with the following Song, which i* one of the papers.. Yours, &c« Mosej Mustard. LEAP YEAR SONG. O hail, happy fe_afon ! when Ladfes are free To court whom they choofe, and addrefs the young men ; When no longer condemn'd clofc concealed "to be, To wait their How-moving advances to them Let us land then the custom, nor carelefs pafs o'er The once joyful year which they g.Vis have in four ; When, uncenfur'd, each evening by moon¬ light they roarn, While Fafliion and Pi ide keep the fellows at home. As the leap year draws on, it is cutiou3 to mark, /7&»r rlinnrr nil flifr>l:yM. and htr 'qh tightly fit J .... How prim each old maid is rigg'd up for a /pari, As if me were fire flie a hufband mould i rrff I MISCELLANY. For the Kingston Gazette RECKONER No. 51. Verum ejl etpater et noverea quorum, Denies velfdicem comejje poflunt. CATULLUS TO THE RECKONER. SIR—The fubjeft of converfa- tion yefterday in a felect company of which I happened to be one, was a recent unequal marriage. Ne- phanor, aged 65, married to Cha- rybdis of 18. What an unfeeling monfter, faid a Lady, celebrated at home for her imperious loqua* city, his vrJ& lias been dead only eleven months. • Wliat had he to do with a wife, faid another, has he not children well qualified from age and experience to take charge or his dorncilic concerns ? his daughter Clara is three years old¬ er than his bride, and cdipies her as much in difci*etion, modefty, & goodnefe, as the virtues and beau¬ ty of the rofe furpafs thofe of the glaring Sun-ilower. 1 am forry, laid trie tniitrefs of the houfe, to fee a young lady introduced as a mother into a grown up family. Let Clarybdts have all the virtues which can adorn her fex, Hill ihe muft find her fituation difagreea- bfe. She will have Rep-daughters older and perhaps wiier than her- felf, watching every movement fiie makes and every word Ihe utters, and not much difpofed to inter¬ pret favorably any part of her con- duel. Step-mothers are always blamed for every dilturbance which follows their marriage ; they arc accufed of treating ihe. children of their predeceffor Iiarm- ly, and of always preferring their own. Indeed the cruelty of Step¬ mothers has become proverbial. But is it not very natural for th to prefer their own children to thofe of another ; fuch a prcfer- And yjung maids are U-kewife improving the tiie time, Aware that tis bell to tafte love in its prime ; In fhort, young and old, and both ugly and fair, If this year not married, will fink in defpafr. When manag'd by Ladies, how imoothly things go ! There is nought of diforder, confufion and ftrife ; Old Maids and Old Batclxhrs foon learn to know, What comfort pertains unto foijhand and aiAfe. The rogues are about, and I've reafon to fear, They'll Ileal our affections e'er pafies this year ; Let us guard then our hearts, left we haply fliould lofe 'em, Forbefet by the girls, O how can we refufe 'em ? Jt is ours to expatiate 'gainft marriage and love,' Weboaft ourfelves free from regard to the fair, Yet even this fong to the Ladies will prove, What llrange, ineonfiftent things Baichslors are. But now, 'mongft ourfelves, let UB candidly own That love for the fex is by all of us known ; And why we deny it, and make fuch a fufs, Is, truly, becaufe they refufe to love US ! Cm ence may appear very improper to a dilintereued ipedato:, but very few perfons in the fame fituation will be found to acl differently. The intercfts of the children of the two marriages are placed in oppo- fition, & the younger being muck the more helpleis, and having their tender claims enforced by the mo¬ ther's endeaimcnts, prevail over the father's wife to be impartial, even tho' he be in other refpecls a man: of virtue and refolution. 1 do not wilfa to plead the caufe of Step-mothers, but their taieihouid be fairlv ftated nor ought they to be treated with indifcrinnnate cen- fure. They are in general more to be pitied than reprehended they are expofed to the greatefl temptations \ affection is continu¬ ally oppofing juftiee, the heart and undcrftandin^are let at variano O and if aifecfion conquer, we ought rather to confider them as put on a trial which they are not able to bear than as deferving general ex¬ ecration. We are daily in the ha¬ bit of excufing faults in others, to which there is much lefs tempta¬ tion. I- pity Charybdis ; fhe can¬ not be happy, and indeed ihe be¬ gins 1 fear to experience disappoint¬ ment already, for the children are leaving the houfc, & none of them appeared at the marriage ceremo¬ ny—I mould very foon fettle a re¬ bellion of that, fort, iaid a gentle¬ man, who had been thrice married. My young folks began to murmur at my fecond marriage, and to turn up their nofes at their new mam¬ ma, but 1 threatened to turn them infbntiy into the ftreet, if they were not humble and obedient. Children have no buhnefs to criti¬ cize theconducl of their parents- whatever the father does ought to appear right in their eyes, merely becaufe he does it, independent of every other confideration. I nev¬ er allowed my authority or actions to be queitioned or examined at home—my word was the law from which there was no appeal—1 ad¬ opted in my family the maxim of the Kincr,that 1 could do no wrong. There has always appeared to me, faid our kind hoilels, as ihe was looking at her children, fomething difagreeabls in a fecond marriage _I m far from fuppoimg that they arc always improper, indeed I can conceive'many cafes in which they become highly expedient, but in general when there is a profped if a fecond family, and when the children of the ftrft mother are pretty much advanced, there is ccr- tainly fomething in the new con- r.exion that fhocks a feeling mind. The introduction of a new Millreis ciilurbsthat iancHty of grief which good children delight to chcriih tor a beloved parent. They re¬ member her endearment:,, her ten¬ der anxiety for their welfare, her labors of love, and they are (hock¬ ed to fee a Granger b her place.— Here we fee the mod engaging part of our nature mortified and hum¬ bled. If the children lament the death of their mother, it is a re¬ proach on their father's conduct, and may excite his refentment. Your ideas, Madam, faid a gentle¬ man, are much too refined for common life, and will very feldom apply, tho' I confefs a ftrong pre¬ dilection for them—I loft my mo¬ ther at an early age, but my recol¬ lection of her goodnefs to me has been ever freflx, and I fliould have been exceedingly grieved to have ieen another in her room. • So ftrong was my attachment that I ihould hive hated the new parent as an intruder, and behaved im- oroperly towards her. in addition therefore to felf-intereft, & ftrong attachment, which you very prop¬ erly noticed in mitigation of the harfhnefs of ftep-xnothers, we may ;idd that ftep-children are often re¬ bellious, and even the moil amia¬ ble arc fometimes found on fuch occa-iions' the wotfk—But to live to fupcrintend their educa¬ tion & to fettle them in the world. Indeed thefe are matters of which he never thinks. He allows him- felf to be led away by an unwor, thy paffion, which blinds him to every thing noble—he looks at his own gratification and thinks no- thin"" elfc worthy of notice. But we . may fpare our indignation, for fuch perfons are fulhciently pun- age and ycuth feldom unite Hhed M kindly. This long difcuflion makes us forget its origin. Ncphanor had no good reafon for marrying. He has two daughters of the molt amiabk difpofitions, and engaging manners, who were eager to anti¬ cipate all his wants. By the ftep he has taken he has proved his in¬ gratitude to them for their filial p*entle- affection, and rendered their fitua¬ tion peculiarly difagreeable. If they remain with their Step-mo. ther, they cannot feel themfeives at eafe, they are both older and much better educated, they have been long aecuitoined to direct all the affairs of the houfe, and it will not be pleafant to become cyphers where they ufed to command. Nor will Charybdis enjoy much pleafure. If Ihe entertain an affec¬ tionate regard for Nephanor, fhe mult feel unhappy, for ihe cannot expect him to live many years, & if fhe married for profit and con¬ venience flic will be Hill more dif- appointed, for he has not the pow¬ er" of alienating any conliderable part of his property. He is juft 65, and of a Vobuft healthy coniti- tution, there is little doubt, there¬ fore, but ne will have an addition to his family. Now fuppofe he live five years longer, which is as- long as- cv.ri well be expected, not- withftanding his prefent health, for he lives luxuriouily, and then leave Charybdis with two or three infants and a fcanty fupport, will ihe have caufc to exult in her un- natural alliance ? In all marriages there ihould be a near equality irr age, the advantage if any on the fide of the hufband. No widow- -V-----------^ -v n ---- ~— _ ----- - - ^p w ^ ^- _- -_. - ------- j ---- ---- ---- —---------------------------------- - —---------------- ----- ------. ^^ proceeding to deliver other pru¬ dential rules, when fupper was an¬ nounced, Yours, . MODESTUS. ' Aua men forming a connexion of this kind feldom confuk the inclina¬ tions or feelings of their children, -: hey zte more diipoled to refort to :authority and to fiifle oppolitioiu I[ am as much in favor of exacting Strict obedience from children as ;Agreftrs, but not blind obedience. Were my children capable of rea- ffeming 1 ihould reafon with them, >k it their underitanding approach- er flkould marry a perfen younger cd to maturity I would even ad- than his children.—Our noil was wife with them. The father is un- cqueftionably the head, bat his do¬ minion mould not be defpotic, but ;a dominion of love. Our hoft, who had not yet engaged in the conveiiation, now broke in. Why aill ao-ainft crentlemen for confulting their own eafe and' convenience, not a word of the ladies who do tthe fame. If aladv be encumber- « eed with a large family, fee will not often find an opportunity of chan¬ ging her fituation, replied a widow adv. There may be fomething in fchat, rejoined our entertainer, but S-nfiead of blaming ftep-mothcrs & ftep-children, or lamenting their umhappy fituation the hufband on- lly is in fault. I do not (peak of Cuch marriages as may be neceHa- ry and expedient, I mean fuch as •are promoted by caprice or ima¬ ginary propriety. On fuch occa¬ sions the parent not only difrcgards tthe intereits of his children, but hj forgetting his departed wife, tramples upon their affection. Nor is he lefs cruel to his new partner. He marries her with the moral 'certainty of foon leaving her a wid¬ ow, furrounded in all probability with a family of helpleis children —Docsthis prove affection for her? No ; he is gratifying his own fclf- ilh paffions—he feels not for her, for ii he did he would not marry. And full lei's does he regard his fu- ture children—he cannot exocct ' J ""HE fuhferiber gives notice that his falei ■*■ at Au6li»)n for Monday the 24th inft. will be pptVponed to Friday die zSr.h —When will be fold (pofnively without referve) 1 barrel Peppermint Cordial, I barrel Shrub, 1 do. Wiiivy, 1 do. Port Wine, 4 kegs Plug Tobacco, about 3.-) lbs. Hyfon Tea, 1 bale printed Calicoes, I do Furniture do. 1 do. Cotton Plat ill a*, 1 piece Carpeting, 4 ftits China, and a variety of other article** B. WHITNEY. Kittgftoa, 171I1 February, 18 \ 2. Not A LL thofe indebted to the fubferiber are, L\ fequefted to call and make payment immediately, or they will be fued without further notice ; & all thofe who hold Notes or Accounts ate defired to briog them for¬ ward. RICHARD SMITH. February 17. r -. Dollars Reward to any perfon w t) will prove to-'can virion the perfon ho per ion or perfons, who ftrft reported that I had ab* 14 3w icottded. Printed and Puhlhhvd By STEPHEN MILES, A few doors Eali cf Walker's Hotel. Price fifteen fbifflitgs per am.— ^x. in tufwiftti 5^. iffjtx fiWfiibsi and 57. al ihe tnd of ihe year—Sx* htfive of foflage* %j^4 <^> tth fsSknM Notes, Cards, Handbills, E&. htmljuniely exeaitedatfliwl notice.