The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-17
MANWELL'S IDEA.
A STORY WITH A MORAL.
For Young Men and Women Who have

Silly Notions alb out Earning their Living.
The villages in the neighborhood OF
Boston present some curious social as
poets. Every morning the railroad takes
almost the entire male population to the
city. At night it returns them again.
The village is practically sleeping-place
for people whose every thought is of the
town. Their very manners and customs
!, are of the city, and yet in reality the peo-
pie are only villagers.
Love is a never-ending theme with all the
story-tellers, and they delight to tell the
tale in every tongue. Hear then, a story
of love under new and peculiar circum-
stances-a tale of mingled love and social
martyrdom, the highest moral courage.
and the most pitifill sights and insults.
The village of Weston consists of one
main street, where stand the churches,
town-hall, post-office and sundry feeble
minded stores. There are noble Gins,
few pretty-houses. The better class of
dwellings are on the hillside beyond the
railroad, or to the north. on the meadows.
By day sleepy place; at night every
house is filled with city people sound
asleep.
The people live here, but their hearts
are in the town. Every boy looks for
ward to the time when he shall join the
pilgrims to the city and Il store. To go
into an office or store in Boston is the
only thing for young man to do. He
must have business in town or lose caste.
Tom Maxwell had the misfortune to be
borne in Weston. and early imbibed its
peculiar notions concerning life and the
thing to do. For instance, no young gen
tleman must work with his hands, he
must not go into a retail store; he must
dress well, be able to take part i'll the
Lyceum debates, and he must not on any
account stay in the village during the day.
Unless he could do all this, he had better
remove to New York or Chicago, and
dwell among the unenlightened in outer
darkness.
Tom had secured place as accountant
sidered a lucky fellow. He had small
property of his own, and he had fallen in
love. The Object had even said she
would some day wear his name. She
wore his diamond ring already.
Suddenly Tom Maxwell appeared at the
village station at eleven O'Clock i'll the
morning, and in an hour it was known of
all women that the wholesale grocery
concern had failed. The Object knew it
first, and straightway all knew it.
Of course the engagement would come
to an immediate end. There was not the
least fuss about it. Weston prides itself
on its dignifed serenity under trials. 1t
stopped and that was the end of it. The
next day Tom had diamond ring on
storage at his rooms.
Thereupon the young man sat down to
consider the situation. He was now
twenty-five, had a good general education
and didn't know any thing very well. His
hands were soft: he knew how to dance;
he could sing tolerably and paint little;
he could not dig, neither could he steal.
He was, in fact, fair sample ofthc Wes-
ton young gentleman.
He also considered the situation from a
lovers point of view. Here we have no
right to intrude, and we must learn his
thoughts from his actions.
For several days he wandered around
in the open air. casting about to see what
he might do, but really curing his heart
wound in silent contemplation of nature.
Herein was he doubly wise. In mo-
ment of inspiration he thought of emigra-
ting to New York. Other fellows had
gone there, and had made money: why
not heo He even investigated the expense
of the journey; but something stood in
the way. He loved the Object still.
One day he happened to pass through the
main street at high noon. There was not
soul to be seen in all the drowsy place.
Some stray hens gathered round the over
flowing water-trough before the chief
store, and solitary COW cropped the grass
along the sidewalk. He was tritle hun
CRY. and went up the decayed and broken
steps of the store to purchase lunch.
The door was locked, and he peered in at
the dirty windows Was it here the
iiousekeepers of Weston bought their
sugars and molaSses, their teas and spices?
He felt glad he had not known it before.
What horrible place Dark, dingy, con-
fused with half-open boxes and barrels, a
broken scale on the counter, rows of fly
specked bottles on the shelves, confusion
and disorder every where.
Just then a man i'll shirt sleeves and
frowzy hair appeared and opened the door.
Tom asked for bread and cheese. He,,paid
for something, took it away in a news
paper. and charitably bestowed the whole
of it upon the ancient hens in the street.
1t was good investment. With the
purchase he gained an idea. Ideas are
money to the wise. and Tom Maxwell was
wise above his generation. He lookedup
and down The sleepy street, and contem-
plated the three establishments that sup
piled the village needs: one variety place
where nails, needles, and dried fish found
home; one butcher shop-a horrid den
full Of unspeakable denominations: and the
dismal grocery.
The idea grew upon him rapidly. He
considered it two days, and then resolved
to try it. Little did he imagine the I'M
mense social changes his decision would
involve How could he f reese the Sights,
the sneers, and insulting condescension
that they would bestow upon him. He saw
nothing. not even the outcome of his love
experience that would spring from his
new idea.
The following week the village carpcn-
ter received an order to turn the lower
story of the old Allen mansion into some
thing new-what, he could not fully COM
prehend. There were to be two immense
windows, with q wide door opening into
parlor. Behind this were to be two
large rooms, and in front there was to be
wide piazza, with ample canopy and
broad steps, and with spaces for flower
borders on either side.
The new; spread quickly through the
village. Everybody knew that Tom Max
well had embarked in some insane scheme
and was tearing the Allen mansion to
pieces. Poor boy . his sad love experience
had injured his mind, lie was throwing
his money away. His friends should in,
terfere and save him from ruin. At night
the returning merchants paused before
the dismantled mansion. and wondered
what new folly had broken loose in the
town.
Maxwell heard of these things, and the
next morning high board fence shut the
work from view. This only excited the
greater curiosity. Every female tongue