The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-11-06
A Trip to Virginia.

If we should adopt the style of ancient
chroniclers or modern romanceS we might
write. that on the afternoon of-as the
declining sun was shooting his slanting
rays of gold across the crytal waters of the
Chesapeake, our good ship spread her sails
to the western breeze that stole down from
the hills Of the Patapsco, now clothed i'll
the green, and purple, and gold of Autumn
an American Autumn-hat season of
unrivalcd beauty. But the afternoon in
question was overhung with dull and
cloudy sky, not unlike the turbid waters of
the Basin which are defiled by the thousand
sewers, and cutters which carry away the
filth of busy, swarming Baltimore, from its
streets, and lanes, and alleys: and the deck
we stepped upon was that of the steamer
Wenonah, bound for Fredericksburg, Va.
The Indian maiden whose name our boat
had appropriated, had taken her position
like guardian angel in front of the pilot
house, whence she bent her pensve, mel
ancholy gaze across the waters of the Ches-
apeake toward the land of Pocahontas, hold
ing unceasing vigils through daylight and
darkness, through sunshine and storm,
over the precious height that promenaded
the decks or reclincd indolently on the
sofas, Willing away the time, regardless of
the angry waves that roared beneath.
Night closed upon our steamer blowing
-, Of no
peake, and the next morning, at daybreak,
we were ascending the Rappahannock. At
Z o'clock we stepped from the boat at
Merry Point, Lancaster county, and stood
F. F. VS.. The landing was a fair sample
of the majority of such places on the river.
A plank wharf, built upon piles TIC deep
water. The nearest house to the landing
was distant abont two hundred yards, 4
mean looking frame, story and half
high, and used rs a grocery, where limit
ed assortment of the most common dry
goods, groceries and whisky were retailed
in quantities to suit purchasers, We en-
gagged the services of a two-horse dearborn,
whose owner had driven twenty-five miles
that morning to meet the steamer, with q
couple of ladies, and whose homeward road
led him to Lancaster Court House, our OBJ
jective point Over the sandyroad, skirted
on either hand with chestnut and pine,
here and there, on the road side, or peep
ing through the trees and invading pine
the meaner, and by far the more numerous
class, mere cabins with clapboard roofs,
and chimneys constructed Of. sticks and
clay, often leaning at an angle of % from
the house or hut. These are the domiciles
of the "poor whites and negroes. The
farm or plantation houses are, of course,
more comfortable and seemly structures,
in many instances composed of brick; bat
alas! their squallor, neglect and decay pro
claims too plainly that the genius of I'M
thrift and poverty broods over the land.
Arrived at the Court House of Lancaster
county we dsmounted from our wagon and
took survey of the place. What a spec
tacle! Some half dozen tumble down
houses, yard fences gone to decay, with
here and there a solitary face looking from
dingy window or battered door, The
Clerks Office is an ancient building Of
brick. two stories high, the windows ofthe
second story patched with shingles, the
doors and shutters of the lower story closed,
with grass growing up to the sill, as though
the dismal looking place had been sealed
up, never again to be opened. The Jail
was small two storied brick building,
with walls three feet thick, built, to all APP
pearance, sometime during the last century.
There is no yard to the Jail, and a more
GLOOMY trap, human being could not
we'll be delivered into. The Court House
is a large brick building, comparatively
new. having been erected but a short time
before the war, but it stands out solitary
and alone in the edge Of an old field, with
out fence or ornament, to all appearance
the abode of the spirit of desolation, which
seems to brood over the land. There are
three small groceries in the place, where
coarse muslin is sold by the yard, sugar
and bacon by the pound, and whisky by
the half gill. The hotel is in keeping with
its neighbors. Outside and in, it seems
abounded to decay; the floor of the porch
falling in, plaster falling from the walls
the whole appearance of the place present
ing more the aspect of habitatloh
for bats than men. And this is the
court house seat of a county which has
been settled for two hundred years. The
finger marks and foot prints OF slavery are
seen ON everything in this favored land
Ruin, decay, want! like grim spectres seem
to have taken up their abode here. The