The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-12-25

bad place in the street at the junction
of Church with Main street needs fixing.
The paving stones have sunk and in wet
weather the centre of the pavement is
mud hole. 1t should be attended to with
out delay.
Christmas Gifts.-Levis is selling goods
down at auction prices, in order to run off
his stock and fill up with new and fash
ionablo assortment for the business of the
new year. Now is the time to buy, if rare
bargains are desired. Till after the holt
days, goods will be very low at this fash
ionable house.
Fair and Festival.-There will be fair
and festival held at Harris Meeting House
eek Neck on Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, Of next week, and
on Monday of the following week, for the
benefit of the M. E. Church. Extensive
preparations have been made for the occa-
sion, and lively and interesting time is
anticipated.
Christmas.-We greet our readers this
health and happiness may be the portion
of every one. These two blessings are in
separable, and where the latter is found
the former must dwell. And whether the
clouds lower with the tempest and the
storm, OF the sun sheds his brightest rays,
the memories which cluster round the day
should fill it with brightness and happiness
for all. Though this be the eighteen hun
bred and sixty-ninth anniversary of the
day, Christmas is still as young and full of
joy and hope, as the first morning it dawned
on Bethlehem, and the glad tidings were
proclaimed that Saviour was born, and
Prince of Peace had come into the world.
The old year, too, is near its close, and
Now Year soon to dawn, bringing new
hopes and desires, new expectations and
apprehsnsions for the future. Who does
so well in the past, that he might not have
done better? How many golden opportu-
mites have been left unimproved? Let not
such be subjects for repining but teachers
for the days that are to come, and with re-
newed and redoubled efforts, determine to
gain all things obtainable in the future that
are worthy and of good report and to all
merry, merry, Christmas but let not your
joy flow out from the wine-cnp, but from
pure heart and q clear conscience.
VandenhOff.-The lecture course of the
Elkton Library Association was closed on
Tuesday night last by Vandenhoff, who
was in fine health and spirits and read his
best. His power as a reader is indeed mar
Vicious. We venture to assert that our Elk
ton audience never enjoyed a finer literary
treat. The reader exceeded in power the
expectations of his most ardent admirers.
His reading last winter in this town was
nothing to compare with the splendid per-
Torrance of Tuesday evening. Tho sDag-
ger Soliloquy" in Macbeth, with which the
exercises of the evening opened, was in
tensely grand. 1t was one of SHAKESPEARE
greatest sermons in action, as the eloquent,
and gifted reader rendered and brought
out all the deep and fearful passion with
which the scene is invested The selections
were mostly excellent, and the magician of
the hour held his audience spell bound
while he drew out all the passion, pathos,
wit and humor, hidden in the silent page.
By way of Introduction to one of the his
torical pieces, some good advice was admin
istercd, to the young who are wasting pre-
cious time and running their minds, by
reading bushels of the pernicious trash
that is published as cheap novels. This
pictorial literature which floods the coun-
try by tons, and is devourcd SO eagerly by
scores of thousands who make it almost
their entire reading, is as poisonous and
hurtful to the mind as Intoxicating drink
is to the body.
In rendering scene between Sir Philip
and Lady Toazle, from Sheridan's School of
Scandal, Vandenhoff was evidently in his
proper vein. His reading of the quarrels
between those two worthless was capital
But where all was SO fine it is difficult to
discriminate. Each piece possessed its own
peculiar beauties, which to be appreciated,
must be heard from the lips of a Vanden-
hoff. The lectures have been, as course,
a perfect success, and have doubtless con-
tributed immensely to the cultivation of
taste in our citizens for the popular lecture
and an intellectual and refined entertain
ment, as something infinitely moro pleasing
than the penny whistle shows which form
erly have been so fashionable, but which
recently have met with but feeble patron
age from our citizens.
AS pecuniary venture, the company
have not realized great deal from the lee
lures, but we hope there has been sufficient
encouragement to induce the organization
of another course for the winter; and i'll
that event, we would suggest less num-
Der, with longer intervals between, than
the last. Quality is more esteemed than
quantity by our citizens.
Letter from Zion.
ZION, Nd, Dec. %, 1869.