The Cecil Whig., 1877-11-10
For The Cecil Whig
"ON A BEE LINE"


"ON A BEE LINE"
"A nice young mar plays on a flute; a
brass band makes the air trembe with
melody; an aspiring prima dohna bangs a
jngling, second hand piano, aud squeals
with might aud main" Coming across
such notes as the above l am assured that
| have been at Teachers Institute: only
there can be witnessed such elevating
sights, or such ravishng sounds be heard.
West Chester junction, on the line of
the p. & B. C. Il. R., is a wild, rocky glen.
through which winds the Chester Creek; at
this junction we awaited the arrival oc the
Philadelphia train to take US on to West
Chester, on the morning of the 29th ult.
The sun was shining with warmth and
splendor. fleecy clouds were floating over
the soft blue sky, and richly tinted leaves
were raining down from the forest trees
around, upon the messy rocks and grassy
knobs of the rugged hills. Many young
Friends were promenading the plat
West Town Boarding School, four miles
from West Chester; this school was found
ed over a century and half ago, By the
Ackworths, of England. The young stu
dents may be easily distinguished by the
dress which they are required to wear, aud
which is exceedingly plain and neat.
While waiting for the train We noticed a
singular looking parsonage seated upon a
bench just outside the little waiting room.
She wore a moldy straw bonnet, trimmed
with mildewed ribbon, which had once
been sulphur hued. Her snuff colored
dress reached only to the tops of her large,
thick leather shoes; on her arm she carried
little bag of green baize; from the paper
in her hand she read with her lips in a
loud whisper, and now aud then INDUCED
in laugh. We approached this queer
genius with interested curiosity and we
were soon conversing together. She vol
unteered to conduct us safely into the town
when she found that we had never been
there before. She gave us a seat beside
her in the car and pointed out objects of
interest. An old stone barn with arche d
foundation, she told us, was once owned
by man who was born on the same day as
the Marquis de Lafayette, the wounded
Frenchman, was borne into his father s
house, after the battle of Chadd's Ford.
A high hill she pointed out as Gallows
Hill, because it is the spot on which once
stood the fatal gibbet, where the admirng
crowd might witness the death throes of
the unfortunate malefactor; but now the
hanging is done in the Jail yard. "Did
you ever see any one hung on Gallows
Hill?' we ask ''Indeed did - she re-
piled, proudly. what had be done ~
Poisoned his acife so he could marry an
other woman, the deceitful wretch.'' But
now the train stops at Street Road station,
and the young Friends leave the cars and
enter the numbering, old, dusty "stage :"
which is to take them out to West Town to
books and study, after the Fall vacation.
We felt quite happy at having such a
choperon as our queer friend. We fell to
talking about the "Friends" She had
had a birthrighs in "society," but had left
it and joined the Presbyterians. The So
ciety of Friends, at the present day, was a
"dead dody," "galoanized CORPSE" she
said. We thanked her for this Ito us)
startling information. She spoke in short,
jerky sentences, but with an air of convc-
ton which defied contradiction.
Having arrived at the depot, she hurried
us off to house near by, where she said
she wanted to smooth her hair and SIX
up" little. When we were alone, in a
third story room, we own to feeling queer.
Suppose she was pickpocket in disguise :?
Suppose she was an escaped lunatic? But
she proved to be neither one, SO we de-
scended aud once more started up the
street. We had scarcely gone square
when would have given half my life to
be rid of my "queer FRIEND" for l soon
became aware that we were attracting at
tention. Shop girls were peeping from be-
bind half-open doors and giggling. Small
boys were thrustibg their tongues in their
cheeks and rolling up their eyes in an ex-
asperating manner. Where are you tax
ing me top painted, almost out of breath,
at such rapid pace was she hurrying me
along. "Im going to the Court room,"
she said. ''Are you a 1eporter?' She
shook her head. "Well what in the name
of common sense are you then ." She put
her lips close to my ear and whispered
81 am laacyer." MAY GO with you to
the court?' asked. She answered "yes,"
and | followed in the wake of the moldy
bonnet and the green bag into the impos-
ing hall of justice. for the first time in my
life. 81 am lawyer" explained my
"queer friend,' when we were seated in
the court room, "but l never take any re-
tanning fee." " That's what makes you
look so seedy," l thought, as l took a
glance over the bar wherein were seated
some twenty lawyers of the male persua-
sion, dressed in the height of style, with
waxed mustaches and flashing diamond
rings.
A man was on the witness stand who had
been an unlucky depositor in the late Bank
Of Brandywine, which, last week, got on
general "bust." A man might know bet
ter than to invest in bank with such a
tipsy name as Brandypine. At any rate
the bank had gone up, and there didn't
seem much chance for the depositor, who
did not fail to remind the Judge that al
though the President of the broken bank
plead extreme poverty, he still lived in a
style of princely splendor, while the depos-
itor found it difficult to supply his family
with the comforts of life, owing to losses
by the failure of this bank.
l was so much interested in the court
and SO anxious to learn how Justice is ad.
mnistered, that l almost forgot that had
come to West Chester to attend the "In-
stitute." But about three o'clock | left
the airy, we'll ventilated nicely furnished
court room, and saying farewell to my
,noor fr;onJ ,roploJ 49,, ,y,, g., uo,.;o,,l