The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-09-28
For tile -HEgis Dc tnteNigencer.
Rural Scenes.

| II" Tto -LSyto u tfttoUtJtNCCF.
| Rural Scenes.
| One fine morning, few days since, was sit
| ting at an open window of farm house not
| much over thousand miles from Churchvile
reading, in one of the Baltimore dailies, the fol
| lowing: "When the eX-soldiers who now hold
| Office in the custom-house called on Mr. Thomas,
| the other day, and thanked him for not turning
| them out he replied that he thought those who
had rallied to the country's defence, sacrificing
health and homecomforts, should be preferred
for civil office now; and that in the future as in
| the past the best recommendation for office
should be the services and sacrifices of man
who fought in the army of the Union"
"Now," thought /, Gin consideration of the
well known fact that Mr. Thomas, as well as the
war-horse of the american, throughout our late
unpleasantness snuffed the battle from afar, and
said ha ha would not have been more consist
cnt Ito say nothing of modesty)if both of them
had allowed Col Wilkins, who was Union
soldier, to continue in the collectorship instead
of moving heaven and earth, and the present
fraudulent administration, (Which can hardly be
said to appertain to either) in order to ensconce
one of themselves into that Office Mr. Thorn
ass modesty stands out about as prominently as
his patriotism when he says-not by words, to-
be SUI c, but by acts, which speak louder-1, John
l.. T., Jr., though never in the Union army am
worthy to hold the highest and most lucrative
position in the Statc but all other civilians
must give way to soldiers, even down to the
pettiest Office
"But then," | went on, in thought, "this is
about as consistent and as modest as his MASTER
Rutherford b., who, after accomplishing, with
the assistance of the leading men of his party,
the biggest steal the world ever saw-much
bigger than all the stcalngs Of all the carpet
baggers Jumped, and followed by II long tail of
cyphers-says, in effect: Now, BOYS, if the
Administration knows herself, she's not going
to steal any more, Having burglariously reach
ed the top round Of the worlds ladder-which
is the White Housc-dwarfiug Belknap, Bah.
cock, the Bosses Tweed and Shepherd, Honest
John, and host of others, each Of whom was
champion thief in his particular line, she has
all she wants, and has no further temptation TO
steal. But she is not going to sit ingloriously
down, like Alexander the Great, to weep because
there are no more worlds Cor continuously to-
steal. She's going to live honestly, hereafter,
and try thereby if she can't conciliate the Amer
lean people, MS well as diminish somewhat the
inevitable pangs of the Hereafter; and she would
advise you, her accessories, aiders and abettors
to do the like. The only ambition she now has
is, to be elected President of these United States
She has not as yet the faintest idea what sort of
feeling an election to that position would pro.
duce. Hence these eternal iunketings,"
At this point became so indignaut-as indeed
always do when | get to thinking about that
infamous count-in, (and so must any decent man
exclaimed, "Confound it!' Cor perhaps some.
thing worse) there can be no question about 1t
we Democrats ought to have kicked up a war
last winter about that Internal count. War, |
own, is dreadful atlliction, but if ANYTHING can
be conceived of sufficient to justify it, thai GER
tainly would, in government that pretends to
be free. Why, in the next presidential campaign
they'll do the very same thing; and then, ifn--
just here | CHANGED to look out of the window
and saw right before me specimen of that very
race which was the occasion, if not the sole cause
of the late war, its accompanying horrors. and
SuDspuupnt Thprpnnpp
were somewhat diverted from their course. set
to thinking what there could be in this being and
his race to cause half-millon of freemen to lose
their lives in fighting about him. What now
saw, vent will not say how far-towards CON
yinclng me that the abolitionists were right
With the hope of convincing the reader, give
the result of my observations.
Calming down and reseating myself, | pre-
tended to be reading the newspapers, though,
all the time, closely watching the man and
brother-or rather the man and bother. AS soon
however, as | found that what | was witnessing
was likely to prove interesting enough for your
paper, | left off reading and fell to writing as
follows: q copy from the original y
Farmhouse lin Third Election District
OF Hartford county, and premises. Freedman
enters yard, equipped for mowing-scythc in
capital order, just ground and set-grass (third
crop very light. Time, 9.30A. NJ. Boss absent
Freedman leans on scythe, much in attitude of
Father Time, for eight minutes, (there was a
L IL
itating when and where to strike. Rouses-
swings scythe over grass in threatening manner
lays scythe down and goes off and gets ham
mer, thinkers at scythe, with intervals of medta-
tion-goes off and gets pincers-tinkers at scythe
goes off and gets wooden wedges thinkers at
scythe--whole time, a half hour. 10A. NJ. Freed.
man goes to grass--sclects shade (day being
hot strikes one stroke-.inspects scythe--strikes
another stroke--feels edge of scythe--gets out
milestone and strikes Father Times attitude
FL n1-
at toe of boot and meditates five minutes
starts up suddenly and puts in leisurely four
strokes with intervals Of meditation. AT fourth
stroke scythe runs into stump-pulls scythe out
of stump and inspects point-gets out milestone
sits on stump--yawns-.m editates on boot-toes.
two minutes each-feels edge of scythe-whets
[still sitting l-meditates-rises slowly leans on
scythe-looks like Father Time, except that II.
T. strikes ofener than Freedman. freedman
lays scythe down--goes to culinary--talks to
cook fifteen mlnutes-borrows cup-goes to
pump for drink-retuns cup-talks to cook
three minutes. Freedman goes to grass-pcks
up scythe-feels edge-gets out whctstonc-in-
spccts grass nail-puts up milestone and laws
down scythe-gets tools-tnkers at grass-nail
seven minutes-swings scythe over grass threat
eningly-fcels edge-mows three lcks, with in
tervals of meditation--strikes q stone and then
strikes Father Ts attitude-devotes three min
utes to gazing on toe of boot-gets out whet.
stone-feels edge hets-feels edge-mows one
slrohc-nSes leIl suspcnuer, SIX mlnutes-goes
to orchard for apples-gonc nine minutes
strikes two licks-sits on stump-draws boot
-inspects the inside two minutes--puts boot
on--takes up scythe--feels edge--fixes the other
suspender. Freedman here struck several ticks
which witness forgot to count. This brings
Freedman to kitchen-porch l--enters kitchen for
lunch--sts on stump, eating pone and enid
ding" fifteen minutes--to pump for drink-to
orchard for pcaches-gone eight minutes
Freedman takes up scythe--strkes Father
minutes-roused by hubbuc in "big road; goes
out to see wagon that's stalled, gone twenty min.
utes Strikes four ticks, strength apparently fail
ing, but shows pluck by feeling edge eight minu-
tes To dinner at 1890. Absent from grass an
hour and half. At2P. Nj. Freedman sits on
stump and mediates-- takes up scythe-seems
to be weakening--gets out whetstone--hears hen
cackle and goes to see about brings egg to
cook-gone ten minutes-converses with cook
four mnutes--shows unmistakable signs of
rworlS--takes nm scythp-fepIs adun-- dro w a