The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-03-10
mi / S G eIIane O rs.
TO TOWN AND BACK AGAIN.
THE BLESSED PRIVILEGE OF BEING INDIE
PENDENT.

THE BLESSED PRIVILEGE OF BEING INDIE
PENDENT.
1t had been bad day, things had gone
wrong from the start. Perhaps, as the old
adage would sometimes have it, had got
out of bed in the morning with the wrong
foot first, who knows2 Or perhaps the
tempestuous complexion Of things tempo
raj on this particular day of which l am
writing might have been mainly the result
of something wrong in my mental, or pos
sibly more remotely still, in my physical
condition, for do not eminent physiolo-
gists generally agree that in the ebb and
flow of ones bile, to use nautical express
sion, our estimate of things often sink like
the mercury toward zero with the chilling
blasts of well-nigh imaginary disaster and
distress, or rise to the excitement of fever
heat purely to the response of pleasurable
conceptions. BE that as it may shall re-
count my experience, and the reader must
be the judge.
To begin with the first item of cxaspcra-
ton, the lawless cattle of my careless neigh
Dor broke into my yard in the night, and
twisted all my young shade trees into fan
tastic loops, for the mere wanton pleasure
itching sides. 1t could not | apprehend
need the conditions Of bad digestion and
low spirits to make a sight of this kind
appear extremely unpleasant to any ordi-
nary man. Indeed am inclined to think
even that with much milder tempered
man, than am, and with conditions of
full health and the most perfect gastric
economy, it would superinduce the very
wost of bile.
In the second instance, starting off to
the village with a load of wheat, the top
sack in some unaccountable manner be-
came united and sowed its contents evenly
along the road for mile before found it
out. / am one of those nervous, excitable
beings in whom patience-and especially
in the endurance ofpetty annoyances-sel-
dom, am sorry to say, has her perfect
work; but Notwithstanding. the peculiar
aggravating character of this event, l think
may truthfully say that on the discovery
of this disagreeable mishap, l retained my
composure of mind to that extent as en-
abled me to look on that long line of wheat
with features as unruf1led as the peaceful
waters of quiet lake in a balmy morning
in June. But, finally, as sat seriously
meditating upon the unpleasant events OF
the morning, and of the general unstable
and unsatisfactory tenure of things here
below, my whip lash Tapped itself around
u spoke in the wheel, just as whip -lashes
are always contriving to do, and began to
wind itself up with the regularity of the
weight in an old fashioned Dutch clock,
and giving yank to extricate the whip, I
was so far successful in accomplishing this
always difficult feat as to pull the stock
clear off the lash, tip myself over back
ward off the load, tear hole in the back
of my coat larger than good sized mar
ket basket, and knock pretty much all the
skin off the knucklcs of my right hand.
Now my coat was an old one and could
| be mcnded, and my knuckles were flesh
and blood and could heal; there was moth.
ing indeed in the whole occurrence more
serious than either of the other events
have described, but this was the last feath
er, which proverbally broke the cameps
back, and now the spirit Of wrath, which
up to this time had sat muttering in tho
background under the control Of judgment
and common sense, came boldly forward
like Banquo's ghost, which would moi
down, and burst forth in unrestraineC
|
A curse on the whole business any way
The farmer is the pack animal of all man
kind, the universal mule of his more fortu
nate fellows. He tolls more hours thar
any other laborer, and gets the least pa,
for his work. His class is universally clat
in the coarsest of clothing, lives in the ri
dest of dwellings and subsists upon thu
meapest fare, while producing the luxurie
of the world. He is mere machine, toll
ing for the general good, without influence
in the affairs of State, his service unappre
ciated, his wants unsatisfied, and his jus
rights in society ignored. l was at thi
moment interrupted in my soliloquy b.
the approach ola stranger, who havin,
beckoned me to stop, said to me in tina
genial, hearty tone, so unusual in this sci
fish world that it should therefore Away
meet with grateful response, but which o.
the contrary am sorry to admit invaria
bly, excites ones suspicion when he hear
it, "Good morning, Sir; fine weather this
hauling grain, see live in the country
/ presume y and then opening smal
Russia leather valise which he carried i
his hand, he continued without other pre-
face: 81 am engaged, Sir, in a sale of
wonderful pow der, to be used in the burn
ing of kerosene oil. All kerosene oil
unsafe, Sir; 10000 deaths annually occu
in the United States alone, from the explc
sion of kerosene lamps. The most carefu
scientific tests are found to be unrcliabl