The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-11-30

The few attempts at sociability which
are made are decided failures until aftel
we pass the first station out of Austin.-
We have just forded beautiful trout
stream, turned spur of the mountain,
which .uts close down to the roadway, and
are entering fertile little valley studded
with farm houses, from which the smoke
curls lazily upward, mingling with the
balmy morning zephyrs, and dotted with
cattle grazing in the scattered timber, ne.
groes harvesting and threshing grain, and
rancherOs riding to and from their herds
and ranches, and from the midst of all
come mp to us the happy songs of house.
wives at their tasks and childhood's merry
laughter. We are abreast farmhouse
having the outward appearance of New
England farmers cottage. Everything is
neat, almost to primness; the evidences OF
thrift are everywhere visible; in the neatly
built and whitewashed garden fences, in
the hoard-walks, gates, and lattices, all in
scrupulous repair; in the trailing vines,
fiower-beds, and "posies - in the garden;
in strings of pumpkins and dried apples
suspended in the morning sun; in the barns
and out houses; ina hundred different
things might enumerate. Says l, half to
myself and half for Gingham's benefit:
"Tll bet new hat that that family is
Yankee"
''Tines is mighty tight nowadays, Col
onel," remarks Bingham to Buckskin,
without appearing to notice my observa-
ton.
Powerful" rejoins Buckskin between
expectations.
They hadn't orght o be-" urges Cling
ham.
This is proposit ion so self-evident tn at
Buckskin does not feel called upon to re-
ply, so he expectorates thoughtfully.
"'Tw'n't so befo' the waw, Colonel
resuming the theme. ''Then the Yam
KEGS knew their place an kept it, but now,
since they've been lowed to come into the
South and settle, and vote. and hold Office,
they've got all the best ranches and the
biggist offices, and it's burnin shame,
say. Why, there's that ow-down Plymp-
ton, as whose house we jest passed, he's
one of 'em. He come here a bit after the
breakup, poorer n parson, an Jess, and
my old man. and some of our neighbors
was goin' to give i'm warnin', but jest then
company Of Yankee soldiers come to
Fredericksburg, and some, of course, down
here, and stopped at Plympton's house,
and some others of the same stripe
Plymptop, he tuck 'em in and fed 'em; l
wouldn't "a done it eff they'd ben a-star-
wouldn't.
"Wal, goin' on year had passed, and
Plympton he KEEP on workin' in his under
hand way, and didn't never 60 to town ex
cept OF Saturdays, and then never would
spend cent, so my old man and Jess both
said, and was awful mean, and never went
to the grocery up at the Branch of an eve
min like the rest Of the neishbors, and
never went bar huntin' nor bull baitin'
nor nothin'. but jest kept agoin' on in his
sneakin' underhanded way. Folks down
the Branch KEEP a-sayin, Plympton was
getting rich but told 'em 'twa'nt by no
fair means, like gentleman, eff he was
One day Squar' Belcher he come up from
his place below Plympton's, and he says to
my old man, laugbin' all the time fit to
kill, says he Colonel, came past Blue
nose Plympton's this mornin', and what
dye s'pose he's gone and done? He's
went and built him a barn bigger'in your
house and mine n his together; it looks
like meetin' house" This sot us all
a laughin harder N ever But says the
Squar, that amt all. He's went and
raised the walls Of his old house, and built
two new rooms, and put Oh all new roofs,
and plastered it inside and out, and paint
ed it, and put up fences round his garden,
and they do say he's goin' to fence his hull
ranche.' This made us all laugh till we
couldn't laugh no mo-. Yes says the
Squar' by n by, true as Gospel, and
there's mo- of it yet. He's got machine
for cuttin' wheat and another one for
-hrashin' it, and they say his wfe's got a
machine for churnin' butter with dog,
and another one as II make more buds in
4 day than all the women on the Branch
could in week by hand thought my gal
Sally'd split herself with iaughin' when the
Squar' said this, and Jess swore if he didn't
stop he'd saddle the sorrel mar an 90 I'D
The Branch to the grocery, for he couldn't
stand it. But the Squar he kept right on.
Says he. There's lots mo- of it. lie got
seine new tangled bulls and COWS from the
No tn t'other day, and my son Stonewall,
IS went up to see EN-, says one of 'em IL
weigh more n three of our kind, and the
COWS give power of milk. He amt got
many, but he says he's goin' to cross 'em
with our kind, and that in few years
hey all be as good s these he's Just
bought. He's got some rams and a pow
sriul peert boss that he says he's goin' to
10 the same thing with. And he says his
new sheep shears five m eight pounds at
shearin, and you know, Colonel, three
pounds is power This tickled us more
n ever, for we d been born and raised
with stock, and knowed all about it. Sally
she lay down on the grass and laughed till
thought she'd brake somethin'; Jess he
cut and run for the timber, swearn' he
must go away or bust, and my old man he
laughed, too, somethin' mighty quare for
MIN to do, so Iknowed it was awful funny,
tho | felt like cussin'. And what's mo-
says the Squar's by 'n-by, he's a goin' to
run for Squar' next election, haw! haw!
haw" says the Squar', jest that way. This
was too much for my old man. He could
stand old Plympton's foolishin', but wheu
5he low-down bluenose come down here
and set hisself up for office, that riled him,
never heerd such swa arm sence I was
born, and arter while he SAYS to the
oquar' very solemn, says lie, Il don't like
to dot, Squar', but our rights is in danger
Of bein' invaded; we mus; do it, what
says the Squar'. Warn m, says my old
man. But he won't go, l reckon saws
tha Cn,,nr' SThan -