The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-22

w nile all without and all around
CLOVIS every sight and every sound
With the freshness of the morn.
"Change cars for Fort Wayner' What
unpoetical fellows conductors are? No
wonder I never resumed that "poem :"
again, for 1 stayed looking after my lug
gage until every conveyance had left the
depot and then learning that the train by
Fort Wayne, Jacksonville and Detroit,
did not arrive until ten o'clock at night, l
inquired for the nearest hotel. l was di-
rected to long white house standing I'M
der the shade of row of sugar naples;
both the exterior and the interior of that
hotel would have delighted Dickens; more
intensely delighted would he have been
with the study of the grotesque looking
groupe of idlers lounging in chairs,
smoking and talking under the shade of
the sugar naples. He would have sat down
among them and joined in their converse
ton; then he would have departed, and
afterwards have written a novel, into the
pages of which he would have introduced
every one of them. But this mode of pro-
cedure would not have been quite the thing
for woman, even though making some
pretenson to authorship, so l was glad to
follow the lead of round faced boy with
handsome black eyes, into the family sit
ting room. He apologized for the reign.
ing disorder, the unmade beds, the up
turned chairs, &c; he pushed nondescript
bundle into corner and offered me the
rickety chair thus made vacant; " Things
were not always in this plight" he said,
"but Johnnie was lost and mamma and
Ike were hunting for him in the back yard;
he often stole off in the afternoons and
went to sleep, sometimes under the plum
tree and sometimes in Bob's' kennel;
they'd find him directly, then mamma
would be in" Just then the whole house
hold came trooping through the hall and
into the room where | was sitting, in search
of the lost child; mamma was wee-be-
gone looking specimen of widowhood, and
Ike was grinning negro boy, who bowed
politely and hoped the lady would 'scuse
the house till Johnnie was found;" half
dozen dirty-faced children followed at the
negro's heels and a slatternly girl in
dedraggled wrapper brought up the rear.
Out of the room in which l was sitting,
and over the house again they went search
ing for the lost Johnnie; but no Johnnie
could they find. Then the mother began to
wiring her hands and weep, and the half
dozen dirty little wretches surrounding
her walled in chorus; Ike beloved as only
a negro can, and even the brazen girl pre-
tended to snitfle; touch of nature makes
US all akin and felt like joining in the
search for the lost child myself. One of
the loungers outside stepped in at this
iuncture and proposed that the we'll be
examined; then such a chorus of grief
stricken sounds as went up from that mot
ley group! Ike threw himself upon the
carpetless floor; he rolled over and over,
all the time giving vent to series of ter
rifle bellows; a small terrier. until now
asleep in corner, awoke and set up
loud and mournful bowling. Ike was
finally prevailed upon to allow himself to
be lowered into the well, and the entire
household again repaired to the back yard
and renewed the search. Going to win
dow which commanded a view of the search
ers, and watching with interest their move
ments, my attention was arrested by a
slight movement and sound coming from
one of the beds, going to the spot from
which the sound proceeded, and removing
several bundles and piles of soiled cloth.
ing, there lay the lost child sleeping in
window and shouted "Here he is" Ike
stood shivering upon the brink of the well,
blubbering and declaring "Ef he went
down dar he never 'spected to come up
alive; deed he didn't" At my announce
ment of Johnnie's discovery, he bounded
toward the house, and was the first to
reach the bedside, and lifting the sleeping
child in his arms, laid him on his mothers
bosom.
"Now, Mrs. Nuns, wants my treat"
demanded Ike as soon as the tumult had
somewhat subsidized.
"Yes, but l only promised you a treat
if you would find Johnnie"
"Beg your pardon most specially mad
am, you said when Johnnie is found alive,
Ike l treats YOU"
The colloquy ended in Ike being treated
to bottle of "rale ole stock ale.' he said,
as he politely offered me the first glass. 81
am good templar;'' said l sternly.-
"What's dat ar? You mean you one O
dem crusenaders, dem dar women what
goes trampin through the streets prayin
and singin-don't mind snow, nor ice, nor
rain, nor oaths, nor nothin, they done a
sight good they did in this town; when
they commenced they was five saloons,
and now they's seven. Dem ar women
allus made fellow feel queer, though
neve swore, nor drunk drop fur week
after them crusenadsrs was here, but