The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-03-07
The Chesapeake Peninsular.

region III held by those VINO have
wandered from it is exemplifed by
a late remark OF William II. Hoop
or, delegate in Congress from Utah,
and Mormon, though nota poly
gamist. He was describing the
virtues of Easton Shore cooking,
when one said:-
Captain Hooper, when were you
last on the old PENINSULA"
"Never, Madame, since 1 left it
thirty-fve years ago."
"Why, sir, from your frequent
mention Of tho place, I should think
you want to slip over there at
least once every session of Con-
gress."
"Never, Madamel I never wish
to eeit again; for l might be dis
appointed. l always want to re-
member it as it appeared to me last
in the days of my youth: the most
beautiful spot under the eyes of
Providence"
| Similar testimony was that of
John Curtis, father-in-law by her
first marriage of Mrs. George
Washington. The Curtis family
had descended, in America, from
John Curtis, Houander in name
and origin, who received the ap-
pointment of Collector of Customs
on the Eastern Shore Of Virginia in
1857, and whose great estate of Ar
ington there, andI relative fortune
of money, attested either the rich
ness of the Eastern Shore at that
time, or the antiquity of the Collec-
tor of the Customs as we know him,
q Royal officer to this day. The
estate Of Arlington, near Washing
ton City, perpetuates the name Of
the elder manor of the Curtis fami-
ly near Cape Charles, and it is au-
thentic history that the son Of the
Collector married the daughter Of
Daniel Parke, who carried the dis.
patches of Marlborough to Queen
Anne, announcing the victory Of
Blenheim. This second Curtis,
living unhappy with his wife, left
this tribute to the Eastern Shore on
his tombstone
"Under this marble tomb lies the
body of the Hon. John Curtis, Esq,
Of the city Of Williamsburg and
parish of Burton, formerly of Hun
CARS parish on the Eastern Shore of
Virginia and county of Northamp-
!, ton, aged seventy-one gears, and yet
Hved but seven gears, achich acas the
space of time he kept bachelors home
q at arlington, on the Eastern Shore Of
Virginia"
: these attestations, however, re.
9 vive the widely known anedeote in.
vented by Hon. Tom Corwin, who
{ used to tollit on tho stump" A
= very old man, with long jaws and
}, high cheek-bones, came once upon
|, a time to the witness-box of IN
: Ohio court.
: "What is your age?" asked Cor.
win.
= "Twenty-two.'
: "You probably mistake the
: qustfon. The years of your life
| wish to know the number OF them
!, "Twenty.two"
. "Have you spent all your life in
Ohio?"
"Ohl no. I did live forty year on
the Eastern Sho' of Maryland, but
L hope the Lord amt counted them
, agin mel"
The queer pharsos and pronunci-
: alton of this region are habit, and
, no longer of ignorance.
II do'no but" is mild form of af-
firmation. "a dangored sight good
s deal is an ambiguous estimate of
o quantity. "Won't 'mung ye come
d to SEQ mel is somewhat qurelous
). renewal of an invitation. "What
y for sort of a man is hardly indi-
o genuous, but sounds suspiciously
. like an imitation of "Fildelfy" or
Q "Baltmer" business talk. Who
f can define all "ill-commeonod day"
except upon the theory of natural
volubility unrelieved by diction-
ary? "An else" is transposition
of unless. "Right smart" is OF
( universal currency: it applies to a
r man Of sagacity, to quantity, and to
distance; occasionly the word
{ "peart" takes the place of smart, to
signify animation. "Cleverness"
in Delaware means hospitality and
good-fellowship solely, never skill,
and it is the next diploma below the
impossible grade Of "a gentleman.
Cousinship is a feature of good
family life on the Peninsula, the re-
mark being common of $50 and SO
is my fourth cousin" Extraordi-
nary cases ofhuman longevity occur
here, Notwithstanding the preva-
lency at times of low fevers; but
the Eastern Shore is healthier than
the opposite and higher coast.
Crime rare; society tranquil during
the war; Northern immigration is
welcome, and observes no preju-
dice.
It is to be remarked that the PEN
insulated regions Of the Chesapeake
closely resembling the Eastern
Shore. many Of our strongest pub
lie men have come; as for example,
Washington, the Lee family, Pinck-
ney and Writ, Taney and Reverdy
johnson; in short, the whole line Of
Virginia statesma an. William and
Mary, and st. Johns Colleges are
pitched in the lowlands of the
IL