The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-09-16
5Iasbcs fron, q Gc'ne / ire.
W.,tten for The Cecil yyhig.
No. I'll.
4 MOONLIGHT lFiLE.

Il lNtj.NLHHi " -iLk.
IT'S eleven O'Clock on Saturday Night
give Inc your arm reader, and we'll take a
walk. "What fnr?" For any thing You
pl,aSc--for recreation, amusement on nStruc-
ton. For if you have never taken que
stroll about the town at this lourof night let
me tell You there's many scene in Elk;on
life to which You are stranger. With here
and there few exceptions the houses are
closed. The windows of the stores are barr
Cd and the doors locked, but through the
chmks of the window shutters you can still
owner sets alone at his desk. with his ledger
open before him. Tn that ledger you will find
the workmanship of the finest pcn,nan and
the most accurate business man in town. Ten
years ago. more or les. he was poor clerk,
without money and without friends. cXccp.
those he had made for himsj, and tonight
he is we'll nigh, If not entirely Independent.
Ten years ago his friends predicted his death
from over application to business; but with
the exception of here and there grey hair in
his head, he gives no more evidence of the cf
lccts of time and labor than he did when that
prediction was made. Mark that man well
my young friends, and in his thin. hut not
unhandSome face, You may read lesson
which will do well to take with you through
life. The same s:cadiastncsS of purpose, the
same rn,iring energy. the same potent cndur
an"c and the same .,elity Of character would
have ensured him success in any profession.
and by such alone can you hope to succeed.
Further on Il party of tired clerks are sit
ting on porch. smoking and talking. No
necessity of hurryine of to bed Tonight as
soon u business is over, for they will have
long sleep to-morrow morning. and tonight
hey mean to enjoy themselves. a toilSolnc,
monotonous life is theirs, wcariSomc alike to
mind and body. With few opportunities for
exercise and still fewer for aiding they too
frequently become mere business machines,
or if unable to restrain the activity of mind
and body, fritter it away on useless and too
often sinful dissipation.
There is light ina second story window,
and even through thu thick curtains you can
see something shallow like moving to and fro.
Ona ltlle crib bed in that room, a beautiful
| Child losses rcStlcSSly about, its face flushed
with fever. Stop close under the window and
you can almost hear its heavy breathing, and
the occasional opening and closing offs parch-
cd lips. The passing shadow is the mother
gliding back and forward from her table to
the crib. Spare that child, oh God it is the
widowed mothers only comfort
There are more people than you and read,
CT, who have not yet retired for though do
not s., c any one astir, | hear confused muir
muir of voices I'll venture wager that is
IS hearty laugh, and IS gentle, yet
decided voice. Aye! there they are on the
! porch. in the shadow of the moonlight, some
, half dozen of them. ladies and gentlemen. A
very simple, natural thing thus to be sitting
on the porch this pleasant evening but re-
member young men
! It'll devils in h moon 70: misehi e.
especially when assisted by eyes as bright as
those yon are looking into.
Here we arc upon the Court House yard,
and we'll take seat upon the stone wall, and
note of what is going on. There is party
coming out of IS all pretty gay" as
our friend - says. Among them is young
man not twentysix years of age when his
fricrds have given up as irrcclaimable. And
yet the rest will not take warning. 1npcr-
ctptihly the habit of frcqncntng bar rooms
and taking glass has grown upon them. I'M
til now they find no place of resort half so
agreeable. As they walk across the street to
the - -, they meet poor, staggering,
| bloatcd wretch who not many years ago was
young man, and who was seldom seen in a
bar room except now and then on Saturday
nights. But they knop they will never be-
come such poor, degraded creature as -
is. Perhaps not. But let me ask them. #
two or three years ago they would have believed
they would ever be seen coming out of a bar
room drunk as they are now! They have
taken the first step and who shall say they
will stop short Of the goal, which is-MlsERr
AND DEATH.
|
TIE BANK OF MILrORD.-The Beacon
states that this Institution is still in state
Of Tho r,chinr Wm ~ Char