The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-03-09
M J. S eIlane O u 8.
Visit to the Centennial.
FOREST HILL, Md,
February list. 1877.

We three, j. H. w., T. II. w. and w. A.,
not in imitation of die sexsie durch die
game welt kommen," for they journeyed
to the kings town in search of fortune.
We three, on the contrary, to crafty curl
osity left Edgew God, a station on the Phil
adelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore rail
road, on the morning of the 31st of Octo-
Der, for the city of Philadelphia and the
Centennial. No incident of moment oc-
Cured ON the way thither. l could not
but note this fact, and contrast this travel
with Others, where incident succeeded in
cident, adventure adventure, most fortu-
nate circumstance for one who loves to
pick up by the way, as he journeys, items
for the instruction or amusement of his
fellow citizens. In this case it was most
annoying monotony, wearisome sameness,
producing ennui, not the least of the Attic
lions in the vast catalogue ofAhuman ills.
The physical features of the country were
not without certain interest, but they
were familiar. This absence of gratifca.
ton in the travel, served to intensity our
desire to see the Great Exhibition, and
was, therefore, measure Of compensation.
We had read numerous accounts of the
Centennial, written by persons of every
degree of intellect and variety of taste. and
were prepared to see much but, confess
edly, the pen in this instance had failed to
describe the reality. Seeing, we could ap-
preciate the emotions Of the noted Queen
who made visit to the wise King" the
half had not been told u.s." The purpose
of this communication is not to describe
what we saw. Such an attempt would be
an utter failure, exposing us to ridicule.
We may be allowed, however, to express
our surprise, and, especially, at the richness
and perfection of the products of those
eastern nations that we have been wont to
call semi barbarous, particularly those of
| China and Japan. We must content our
selves with picking up an item here and
there, somewhat upon the principle that
the negro boy picked up the coffee, grain
| by grain, in the old stone store, at Darkes-
vile. BY the by, that story, elsewhere than
in this communication, would be worth
telling, and | might be tempted to tell it
even here, did it not involve the reputa-
tion of one who, in the mutations of time
has become quite notorious in political
circles. Involve the reputation forget
that the times have changed. Grabbing
is now honorable; not reputable, indeed,
to take the coffee from the sack, grain by
grain, but by one grab to take coffee, sack
and all. The young thief was detected
in his homeopathic experiment. "You
rascal" said the merchant "you are
stealing my coffee" "No, master" said
the guilty one; lit just jumped into my
hat The present generation, official es-
pecially, INDUCES wonderfully in the Jump
ing process.
But, to the Centennial Never before
did see such a gathering Of homely peo-
pie. BY homely mean-now must be
very careful i'll my Interpretation of that
word. remember that an application of
it once to the father of an irate young Vir-
ginian like to have cost me dressing. I
used it then in domestic sense. "Your
father is homely-stays much at home"
The explanation was satisfactory, and the
catastrophe avoided. BY homely, mean
ugly men as Cassius was, 1" lean and lank. ;,
women like Pharaoh's lean kline, ill-favor-
ed. Not all so. There were some fine
specimens, physically, of humanity, male
and female, but taking them as whole, bv
no means exhibiting the attractions of
Apollo or the graces of Diana. The query.
why2 Have these people come from the
mines, the factories, wood cutting and coal
burningl Surely they do give evidence
of toll and poverty, and struggling with
the untoward. Many of them reared from
infancy to contend with hard fate, and i'm
parting TO their offspring the marks of the
kicking and cutting that life has given
them. 1t is the old story of all work and
no play, and by no means complimentary
to the civilization of the section toward
which the geese fly in the spring of the
year. When youth, was in the city of
Richmond, at the time of general gather
ing of the people Of the State, from tide
water, and Piedmont, and valley, and AL
leghany, and trans-Alleghany, and was
all admiration, because of the many noble
specimens of the genus homo l saw there
and was not the less enthusiastic, because
| was not born under that particular star
that assures beauty. To be frank, l am
unable to appreciate the superior civiliza-
ton. In the elevated language of the hood
lum, can't see it,"
And this vast crowd, lank and lean
with little sprinkling of Responsibility OF
appearance, patronized vastly Memorial
Hall. The nude paintings and undrape-
ried statuary were the ATTRACTIONS. Not
that many OF them were capalfcsof appre-
ciating high art. I am not charitable
enough to suppose that a prurient curioai