The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-05-10
For The Cecil Wing
THE SUNKEN SLOOP;
A story Of an ElOpement.

n StOEy OI hh LlOIClIlcues
A few days ago, tempted by the pleasant
breath ola bright morning, | strolled off from
the town, over.the causeway and down the south
east bank of the Big Elk, as it winds through
the marsh towards Elk Landing. The trees
were thickcning up with young leaves; the dog
wood and wild honcysucke were in full blooms
sweet little flowers, purple and white, were
scattered about over the ground, and the wood
resounded with the notes of birds. The hlue-jay
was chatterng and screaming; the robin was
singing on the topmost spray: a Hoe OF plovcrs
were whistling along the brink of the stream,
and hundreds Of smaller birds were darling hilh-
er and thitlcr, from bush to bush, chasing each
other with wild and merry chirpings.
The scene was pleasant and tempting, and at
the bend of the stream, above the Landing, sat
down on an old messy log, 10 breathe the fra
GRANGE OF the wild blossoms, to listen to the
merry voices the birds and watch their huttcr
ings to and fro. The tide was low and opposite
me in the river, exposed to view, lay the rem
nants of the hull of an old sloop, which long ago
had been foundcrrd there in the mud and left to
decay. The old waer-worn plank brought up
to memory, story of that old sloop, told me
many years ago, by Zeb Ferguson, an eccentric
old character well known in Elkton TO the last
! and to some of the present generation.
! Tha: old sloop has been lying there since
mac lived ALGERNoN Mason, wealthy planter
Of Virginia. Sole heir to his immense estate,
was his beautiful daughter, Eleanor Mason, one
of the loveliest of women. Possessing mind
at once acute and brilliant and an innate apt
ness at observing and apprOpriating all the en-
chan;incnts of manner, the select schools and the
| polished society into which her wealih and fam
lily placed her, left her--as she was in beauty
and sweetness OF tcmper--a paragon also, in ac-
| accomplishments and in learning solid and polite.
The idol of her parents and the life of society,
| in the county of which her father was one of
| the most prominent citizens, suitors from among
the rich and the naughty crowded around her
and claimed her hand, but she remained unmov-
ed by their protestations of love and unwon by
| their entreates.
| Amongst those who visited the house of Ma
son was an unpretending Young man, modest
and difident, yet sensible and calm, and always
found, from his youth, equal to any emergency
where foresight, energy, or even daring was re-
quired. Month after month he was seen min
| Cling with others at the home of the beautiful
| Eleanor, the least observed Of all, dreaming no
more himself of being a suitor than others
dreamed or thought him such. All! how little
do we know each other how little do we know
OF the thoughts and feelings Of those around us!
how little we know of ourselves!
| But sometimes, MARK SELpEN would find
! himself left alone with the fair girl, who en-
chanted the hearts of all who met her glances,
and then, sitting beside her, unconscious ofthe
power he was eXerting, he would unbosom to
her the wild imaginings of his heart and calm
ly looking in her eyes, would dwell in tones,
soft and eloquent, on the sorrows, the aspirations
and the loves of the human soul. Deeply inter-
ested she would lean to him and listen, and ere
either was aware, their hands would be clasped
| fha,r bo
wildly and fast, without their once dreaming of
love. But the arrows had flown, and when
feeling their wounds, the real state of things
broke upon them, it was with equal feelings of
strange delight and strange surprise. Intense
and wild was the gaze of that moment, when,
winding his arm around her, their lips met in
convulsive kiss and a food of tears of rapture
ming led from the eyes Teach.
Unexpectedly -unintentonally, they found
themselves wildly loving and vows, not to be
broken, were given and exchanged ere their
propriety, or the possibility of fulfilling them,
was for moment considered. When cool re-
| Election came, thousand difficulties which
seemed insurmountable, presented themselves.
She was willing to make any sacrifice for him,
but her parents, she knew, would forever cast
her off; and he--ah! he had sacrifices TO make,
too. He was proud in intellect and proud in
hcart-he felt that in soul he was wealthy while
in purse he was poor; and well he knew the
cold, caviling world would say, he sought the
maiden for her gold. From the insinuation his
proud spirit shrank and gladly would he have
broken away from his home, and sought afar to
| forget his love. But he lored her, and that feel
ing predomnated over every resolve which his
mind had from time to time almost adopted.
When, in the course oftimc, the subject was
opened, as it had to be, to her parents, their rage
knew no bounds. Seden was forbidden 10 visit
the house, and Mason threatened TO disinherit
and dsown his daughter if she dared TO marry
him. Some months of weeping to Eleanor and
of woe TO both followed, but an occasional clan
destine meeting kept the fame oflove all bright
ly burning, and eventually, they resolved to
unite their hands for lfe-their hearts had long
becs one-even though she should be driven
forever from the home where kindness and love,
save touching this case, had ever met her, and
where she had ever been surrounded by elegance
| and luxurious ease. Under cover of the night
she met him, and the next morning they were
formally bound together for better or worse as
long as life should endure-more strongly were
they bound together in soul long before.
The storm Of wrath which the event excited
in the breast of Algernon Mason, was equaled
| only by the disappointment of dallyins dandy or
two, who expected finally to win the hand of
Eleanor, and by the surprise of the good people
Of the neighborhood-who, kind souls, could
find no end to their wonder, that so rich and
proudlyborn lady should throw herself away
on one so poor-and so furious was it, that Sell
den chose to flee, for fear of danger to himself
or his bride, both of whom were threatened by
her enraged parent. In the river near by lay
small sloop, with the master of which Selden, in
his fishing excursions, had become acquainted,
and to it with his wife he fed. The sIoop set
sail for the bay, where it encountered violent
storms, and after being beaten and blown about
for week, finally, with torn sails and shattered
mast, riven and leaky, it made into Elk river,
and running high up, it grounded on the spot
where its ruins still lie.
Safely landed, Sclden settled himself in Cecil !
county, and engaged hut under another name,
at teaching school, With q friend in his old |