Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-08-07
G0RRESPON DENCE.
a "Trip to the Eastern shore OF yirsInin.

CRsFTElD ON PILES THE VENUS Of AMERICA
"oLD yIRGINNY--A STORY OF HENRY A WISE.
Correspondence of the CommorcaLl
ONANcocK, Va, August 3.
party consisting of lieys. Il. Stubbs 7. L.
Tompkinson and family, G. d. Watson, and the
writer, left Wilmington, at 10 A. Mon Tuesday,
| Both July for Onancock Accomac CO., Virginia via
Baltimore, to attend camp meeting of the M.
| L. Church at Wise's Point. After pleasant
/ ride, we arrived safely in Baltimore at / T.. NJ,
/ where we were met by Prof. j. q. Robinson, who
assumed to be Colonel of our expedition. and
| gave orders to march, himself taking the lead.
| Some Of our company supposed he had kindly
| volunteered his services to conduct us to the
/ steamer Maggie. which was to convey us thence
| to our destination, but being strangers he took
| them in by hatlng them with the rest of us, IN
| his comfortable home, where refreshing bath,
and a sumptuous repast put us IN decidedly
| good humur with " all the world snd the rest of
| mankind y Some of us, knowing beforehand,
that Prof r., is given to such tricks, rather
ticipated fort play, and quietly submitted to our
| fate.
While our physical wants we're being supplied,
| we had also - the feast of reason and flow OF
| soul in which variety of subjects, ranging
| from the grandest truths IN theology, to the
current topics of the day, were spiciy discussed.
| Politics. OF course came in for lis share of
| notice. pending the discussion of which one of
| our number inquired =" How is Greeley going
| down, in Baltimore Z" The answer, for unique
| ness, is worthy to be recorded among the good
| things to winch the present state Of political
affairs has given rise. Said he They are swal-
lowing him, but 1t is like swallowing the crater
| instead OF the nutmeg" Upon which one of our
| company remarked that this was - the grdteSt
| and SpicieSt illustration of the political situation
| to which lie had listened.
AT o'clock, we were all on board the pleasant
steamer Maggie, commanded by Capt. Wilson,
with Rev Thomas Myers a first-class cottage
organ and big watermelon, TO which we al
terwards paid our reHpeGts,) added to the mum
| Der. Casting loose, we Blded down the Patap-
SEQ and the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, towards
our destination, passing the time very agreeaby
for the 100 miles Of our trip with conversation,
| eating, music and seeping-our musical quar-
ette attracting the attention and apparently re-
ceiying the thanks of all ON board
There was but little Of the time, however,
spent in sleeping, as 1t was well ON 10 tho wee
| small hours OF the morning ere We retired
| and the temptation to witness the dawning and
| sunrise on the Bay strong as to call us
| from our usual resting places at ~ O'Clock,
| Wednesday morning. Ihe beauty Ot inc scene
that greeted our vision amply repaid us for our
| pains but the early stirring and the salt sea
| breeze, together with the long waiting, gave us
| most ercrucidtiiig appetite for breakfast.
All of our party ate heartily of the excollen,
| fish with which were so 50 plentlfuly served,
| both on the SteauIer and at the Camp Meeting
| having learned through the example OF for
mer member Of Wilmington Conference, that
| fish il good to make BRAN, and particularly, i'll
| view OF the fact that we were going among a
| people and on mission that would require an
| extra supply. Marx Train being written to by
| young gentleman who WAS about deciding to de-
vote his life to u literary career, to know II ii
| were true that eating fish was prOmoiiye of
| brain power, replied somewhat after the follow
| ing fashion . Fish IL undoubtedly the best
| brain food, and i'll your case, Judging from the
| character Of the letter Jun hayo written me,
would respectfully prescribe, to begin with, t,Co
lchaes." Our party were however fed liberally
| upon the fish called sheep s-head, which,
/ Judging from the character OF our efforts at
/ Wses Point Camp, is not first class rs II brain
producer.
We reached Crisield, in the early morning,
which we found to be quite bustliD6 little town,
the principal part of which is built on piles outin
the water, with plank streets for pedestrians and
| water avenues for canOelsts. lhe Inhabitants
| call ii the Venus of America
Our run from Clisield to Onancock, down the
/ broader part of the bay was grand and exhilara-
| ting. Old Atlantic sent up breeze to greet lis
| that seemed like the atmosphere of new world
| to u.s. who for 80 long a. time had been compelled
to inhale the noxlous gases that mingle with
| the city air.
For the first time in the lives Of some of our
party we came in sight of 'Old Nirginias Shore"
| We felt that we were gazing upon classic ground,
| and historical "reminiscences crowded thick and
fast upon us, filling our minds with pleasant
reverie. Here and there along the shore stood
the primitive single story cottage, telling in the
car of imagination, with olden-tme simplicity its
story mingled with love and sorrow while in
terspersed at intervals of arlstocratlc proprety,
out of respect to the f. Il. VS., arose, now and
then, the old family mansion, surrounded by it's
| numerous tenements. in which read the
legends of noble ancestries and gazed upon the
| simple but more than royal Independence and
luxury of the high life" OF Virginia 'in ye olden
| time" Many of those old mansions are now
| held and tenanted by the once common peo-
pie" who, with the revolutions of the wheel OF
lime, have been turned to the top of society.
We were shown the old residence of Hon.
| Henry A. WISE which was, of course, the Occa-
sion Of a sprightly conversation IN our party,
during which the following story was related,
| showing his religious prOclivities A gentleman
| was once visiting Mr. Wise from Maryland. Rls-
ing early in the morning, they proceeded to the
cellar, where they indulged treelyin some very
line old wine which being of different Sorts be-
gan very soon to have its peculiar effect. Pres
emily there was heard from above the
Jingle of bell. whats that for?" inquired
the visitor. For prayers" replied MIR. Wise
''Prayers the --" exclaimed the gentleman
''who prays here ~ "Why d it said Mr.. Wise
don't you think can prayY' Upon which the!
assembled to tile spacious parlors where the as
sembled family was led in devotion. Mr.. Wise
| very impressiyely reading one of the beautifu
| prayers from the z. H. prayer book Mr.. WisI
| Is doubtless more consistent in his present pot
. zeal statue than in his religious convictions. o
+ the people of Virginia, the prospects of the NJ
0 | h. Church. and the glorious success of the CAM
Il meeting, you shall shortly hear. Until theu
@ | adleu Il. W. Il.