The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-10-11
For The Cecil WI
AMONG THE CHANGERS.

| for Inc Iecu wing
AMONG THE CHANGERS.
"You are in the midst of the Changers,
let us hear something about them," writes
a friend to me.
Well of course I'm willing to tell all that
1 know about this new order of creation,
among which move, live and have my
! breathing.
| Changers or anything else need not ex-
pect very gentle treatment at my hands to-
day, for am five miles from my school; it
is raining furiously, and no train going
south in the morning until an hour after
school time. Two weeks ago I entered
upon the arduous duties of the school-room
in the little town of Buckley. The school
building was originally intended for a
sorghum mill; "then we turned it into a
planning mill,' said the builder to me-
"Then you turned it into woman killing
ing scarf l threw it over my head and
went out for walk. 1t was the second
day of my teaching after the long happy
! freedom of the Summer vacation, and
saw weeks and months of this tread mill
life stretching before me and felt just like
running away from it. Why had 1 ever
come here to be the target for all the ill
natured gossip which ever foams up and
Stops over in village atmosphere; and
what misses the preacher is sure to light
on the teacher. AS walked on and on
over the rough planked sidewalk, queried
with myself as to what was more dull and
ugly than a western railroad town, aud in
tantalizing contrast rose the remembrance
of lonely Jersey hamlets, nesting on sunny
hill-slopes, or mountain sides, where one
could breathe the air of old ocean, and
catch the faint and ceaseless roar Of his
waves, or of quiet little towns sleeping by
the bright waters Of Chesapeake far away
in Maryland, my Maryland. Then I stop
ped short in my walk and wondered what
allied me? What could have given me
such an uncompromising fit of the blues.
Alas knew before morning,
For the demon ague took me,
And for seven days he shook me.
Oh, half the horrors I'll not tell you in these
rhymes;
Which | felt when he did shake me,
And some swear words he did make me,
Almost say out loud sometimes.
Then another mood came DER me
And another scene before me-
Then oh then through fearful vision
Saw home as spot Elysiain-
ClaSpad tho 1OvipO hand Of mother
Lean'd on the strong arm of brother.
But like the traveller of the Nile
Rare thoughts of all that lay between, the
while;
All the herrid railroad smashings-
Burnings, scaldings, killings, crashings-
Things, it surely seems to me
I'd rather read about than see.
So bought some patent pills
Warranted to cure all human ills,
Every scratch or ache or pain
And so I'm on my feet again.
q confidently expect this poem to attract
the notice of some one of the leading mags.
of the day, and thus by a lucky stroke or
two of pen and your editorial kindness my
fortune will be made.)
The annual crop of country fairs is about
harvested in this State. The State fair
was held at Peoria, and the Chicago pa
pers speak of it as grand success, and it
is proposed to hold it at the same time
and place next year. The Industrial Ex-
position now being held at Chicago is lit
tie spoken of, the financial panic being the
all absorbing topic.
But l promised to tell you about the
Changers. The most know about them
is gathered from attending their pic-nics.
These institutions commence in the morn
ing and continue all day. Some times
they are held in the grove, some times
under huge canvas. The speaker whom
they most delight to secure is certain S.
NJ. Smith, an cid farmer of sixty, who
speaks for nothing and to the point. He
never fails to draw a picture of railroad
officials rolling in idleness wealth, and
luxury, and contrasting it with the toll
and poverty which are the inevitably
Accomplishments of the farmers lot, accord
ing to S. NJ. Smith. listen and strive to
understand, but just between me and you
and our smart relations, I can't make out
what they want these lively Changers for,
nor don't believe they know themselves.
Dancing is one of the features of the Gran
ger picnic, and the gay sets, tripping it
on the light fantastic toe all day long,
don't seem as though they suffered from
the tyranny of railroads muchly.
There is type of western Granger who
disports himself in stringless shoes and
eschew the superfluity of stockings, also
of collars, and although this ungainly gear
might cover limbs that rival those of the
Apollo in grace and beauty, and although
he might plead his cause with the ele-
quence of old Demosthenes, could he ever
persuade yours truly it were we'll to be the
half of Granger. Nay, verify. But
another type will wear shiny boots, al
though it takes so bushels of corn to buy a
pair; bran new Granger hat, and paper
collar. He usually sports side whiskers
and mustache, and well-this is the type
of Grange whose wrengs l intend to inves-
tigate and whose cause l propose to advo-
cate, should ever be engaged by ye Gran
gers to lecture for them, and | am sure
that will be when they once discover my
talents. Adleu, A. A. Z.