The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-01-05
WHOLE NO. 1927.

dwelt for years among the hardy noun
talneers of Switzerland: | have seen, ane
Z conversed, and sat down in their cottage.
with them all. | have found often among
them simple goodness; ignorance, oppres
sion cannot trample out that. | have wit
messed patience under hopeless toll, resig-
nation beneath grievous wrongs; / have
met with civility, kindness, cheerful
Smile, and ready welcome. But the spirit
ot the man was not there,-the spirit that
.can lift up the brow with a noble conf
: idence and feel that, while it is no mans
:, master. neither is it any mans slave. Be-
tween them and the favorite of propitious
Stune. one felt-Mey felt-that there was
: eT~sat gulf fixed, broad, impossible.
81 Far other is it even in the lowliest cabin
OF our frontier West. 1t is an equal you
meet there; an equal in political rights;
one TO whom honors and office even the
highest, are as open as to yourself You
ieel that it is an equal. The tone in which
hospitality is rendered to you, humble
though means and forms may be, reminds
you OF 1t. The conversation, running over
the great subjects of the day, branching
" on perhaps to questions of constitutional
right, or even of international law, assures
you of it. | have heard in many back
woods cabin, lighted only by the blazing
log heap, arguments on government, views
OF national policy. judgments of men and
Things that for sound sense and practical
shrewdness, would not disgrace any legis.
latlve body upon earth.''
! There was, in those times, one Western
trait that is not to be met with in like man.
ner to day, falling off, however, which is
due to change of circumstances rather than
OF character. The early settler was Arabian
IN his hospitality. Houses of entertain
ment were infrequent; the farmer was
1 often comparatively isolated, and though
scant of cash, he had usually enough, and
to spare, of plain provision for man and
beast. Thus. as general rule, the chance
traveller found welcome and shelter forbim.
self and horse, if he knocked at any door
/ which he CHANGED to approach toward
| nlght-fall Payment, commonly offered,
| was almost always declined
"What do owe you 2" asks d farmer
to whom was indebted for comfortable
supper and breakfast, and plentiful pro.
vision for the animal | rode.
WE'LL" he replied, with a smile. 81
haven't time this morning to make out the |
oiil' but I'll tell you how you can pay it.
Promise me that if you ever come within
striking distance of my little place again,
you'll give me call, so we can have another
good long talk together
The only hesitation seemed to be when
they feared the stranger might be dissatis-
he'd with such fare as they could offer. On
one occasion encountered a tempestuous
snow storm during a horseback journey to
Indianapolis to attend an eighth of January
celebration, and, espying decent looking
double log cabin, | resolved to seek shelter
there.
:" Can put up with you tonight, mad
am p l asked patient looking woman,
who came to the door at my call
Well" she said, hesitating, " it don't
seem like a body should turn stranger
from the door on a night like this, but we
amt fixed to keep travellers. We haint
got no meat in the house,
The snow was drifting right in my face,
and it was getting colder every minute.
6 Have you bread and butter and teae'
l asked.
" No tea, but coffee, and plenty of bread
and butter, and eggs, of course.''
Il don't want better fare than that
said l, about to dismount.
" But lie amt at home" she objected.
g and there's nobody to take your critter.''
Never mind. You expect him soon a.
Within an hour, guess
"All right. l can take care of my OVID
horse"
In the stable | found corn, fodder and
prairie hay in abundance; and l had fed
and cnrred my horse before lie came back.
When l returned to the house, my hostess
renewed her apologies.
Il most wish hadn't let you stay.
know we haint nothing to give you like
what youve been used to at home''
l repeated my assurances that should
be quite satisfied with what she had
Then, i..ppening to cast my eye around
the ROOM
Madam" said l, :" thought you said
you had no meat in the house; but surely
these are prairie FOWLS" pointing to three
or four that hung against the wall.
"Oh, SIR said she, would you eat ,
prairie fowl? Theu l can make you out
supper"
"Pray," l asked "what made you sup
pose that disliked prairie fowl?" ,
"Ah," she replied, :" If you had had ,
them morning, noon and night as we have,
you wouldn't wonder. We can shoot them I
most any day in our barnyard but it's all
right"
And so it was. He made his appearance
in time for supper. The broilcd prairie
fowl was done to wish; the bread was ex-
celent, the coffee fair with rich cream, and
the butter and eggs unexceptional. have
seldom eaten a better supper with better
appetite, if it was in house where there
was no meat to be had. My hostess felt .
quite at her ease when / explained to her
that lived in heavily timbered part of
the country, in which prairie fowls were
not to be had for the shooting, and where, ,
in consequence, they were valued as
rarity. !
did not think it necessary to add that .
if the :" meat" of which she deplored the
absence, had been forthcoming, so that she
could have offered me (as she doubtless
would instead of the worthless bird mess
of fat pork swimming in grease, as dish
which one need not be ashamed to set be-
fore any one, nothing but sheer politeness
would have induced me to touch it. Such
an avowal might have set the good woman
to wondering in what uncivilized portion
of the world | had been born and bred.
CONSERVATIVE ELEMENTS AMONG THE
PEOPLE. !
Passing to matters of great moment, {
perceive among the larger and better por- I
ton of these people conservative elements
which are wont to be overlooked by emf ,
nent statesmen in transatlantic monarchies f
W ho nrophaSy plausjbly enOuph as Macau- [