The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-06-08

ears may roll ana CempeSCS SdtHeT,
Storms may cloud youths azure sky,
Brightest locks may blanch to silver,
Frosts of Time may dim the eye,
But pure hearts first devotion
Always lives-it can not die.
From Posthumous Papers Of John Ransom Printer
THE MOTTO DUEL.
In the summer of 1S4S, was Touring
it in the city of New Orleans, working on
the various newspapers whenever l could
get chance. A scarcity of work, and an
unusually healthy season, kept the ''typos"
at their cases, leaving very little to do for
the wanderers of the craft. Thoroughly
disguised with such state of affairs, l
wrote to friend and former schoolmate,
who was at that time editing paper in
Montgomery, Alabama, to be on the look
out for a situation of some kind for me-
Much earlier than expected, 1 received
the following letter in reply:
MONTGOMERY, Ala, July, 1S4S.
My DEAR RANSOM: Your letter of June
10th at hand. am sorry to hear you have
been in such miserable luck, yet glad, for,
as if fate ordained it, while | was reading
your letter, I received visit from Col.
Davids, of Columbus, Mississippi, who
told me he was about starting paper in
that place, to advocate the ticket headed
by Zachary Taylor for the presidency
Having conversed with him in regard to his
future plans, bruited the question OF
proper man to take charge of the mechani-
cal affairs of his journal Upon his inquir-
les as to whether or no | knew OF a suita-
BILE person, l handed him your letter. After
many interrogateries as to your ability and
character (you may be sure painted both
in the very blacklist colors, my descrip-
ton pleased him so much that you may
consider yourself engaged; and in view OF
this fact you will find inclosed draft for
800, which the colonel left to be forward
ed, to pay your expenses.
You will report at Columbus, without
delay.
think Senator Wis at the bottom
of this affair, and a silent partner of the
colonel's in the enterprise.
All well here. Wife sends her love.
Your old friend,
N. G.
This letter and the money was really a
surprise. Glad for the opportunity to es-
cape from the Crescent City and breathe
the up-eountry air once more, | was not
dilatory in my preparations for leaving; SO
on the third day after the receipt of c.
Ms letter, 1 was on board steamer
bound up the Mississippi for Vicksburg,
from which point l hoped to be able to
stage it to Columbus.
My coniectures proved to be correct as to
the stage routes, but little dreamt of the
long and tedious journey l had before me,
or of the rugged roads over which we had
to travel, else it is possible my bravery would
not have carried me so far, however, sat it
out, managing to keep my seat during the
ride and troubled the various drivers we
had from each relay as little as possible.
The pleasure of the last news-that only
twenty miles separated me from Columbus
i still distinctly remember, not only as
the harbinger of rest, and the opening of
new field for operations, but from an Incl
dent that TRANSFERRED.
We had changed our horses, and were
about to start upon the last section of our
journey, when two ladies were driven up to
the inn where we had stopped. By the
movements of the driver, surmised that
we were to receive another passenger, which
proved to be the case. The youngest Of
the two ladies soon took her seat inside,
after bidding her companion "Good-bye :"
AS she did so, heard the words returned,
"Give my love to Colonel Davids." This
exclamation rather startled me. Was it
possible that the lady who had just enter
ed was a relation of the man with whom |
was to be associated? This query was
uppermost in my mind, until the crack of
the drivers whip and the sudden jolt of the
vehicle recalled me to my senses. l turn
ed to observed the new passenger we had
taken on board. She was apparently about
twenty-five years of age-she might have
been twenty-five. The face was one not
easily forgotten. Its loneliness l can COM
pare to nothing I ever saw. Only pencil
of a master could have done it justice. The
hair was of a yellowish golden hue, bound
in the prevailing fashion by braids and
pins, yet / could see where it rose, as if in
rebellion against the restraints, in waves
over her head, and though what sunny
head it would be were it allowed to fall
into natural ringlets. Her eyes were Of a
peculiar color, a sort of neutral tinting be-
tween blue and gray. The dress of the
period, arranged with view to ease and
comfort, under the warm climate Of Mis-
sissippi, admirably set off charming fig
ure. Take it for all in all, it was bright
vision, one upon which l never expect to
look again.
Turning to fellow passenger who had
entered the coach at Jackson, and who
had told me that he was acquainted in Co
lumbus, whittier he was also bound with
myself, | noticed that his eyes were as i'll
tently bent upon the beautiful woman who
sat opposite as mine had been. Whisper
ing, I asked him if he knew who she was =?
"Yes,'' he answered, "that lady is the
wife of Colonel Davids, noted politician
in Columbus. He thinks she is the only
woman in the world worth thought
But 1 don't blame him, for she is assurediy
a fine looking woman"
Turning from the speaker, l observed
that our lady passenger was attempting to
read book, which the .iolting of the vehi-
Gle rendered impossible. Yet she appar-
emily remained occupied with it, paying no
attention whatever to her fellow-passen-
gers. As she read, had fair opportun-
ity to observe her more closely, ard as
did SO, little by little the vision became
more familiar. The face was not Il strange
one, but to place it in a satisfactory local
ity was puzzle. l thought of my school
days in Midway, Mass; of the girls and
boys who used to sit in the same classroom