Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-05-05
4 sflsrt Eturg.
4 Louisiana ldyl.


/ Orleans the river throws ont a louj
tired arm, and stretching, stretching
lin indOlent satisfaction, reaches across
the miles of ccuntrv until 1t ldly Dip
it's fingers in the sea.
In the snug hollow Of this arm Of
avon. where il springs out from III
hu- body, the Mississippi. cuddles I
little Catholic town. so embraced
and higher than the surrounding
country, It Is comparatively sccuf1
from ovrrtlows and subsequently,
!eyers. and prrpng over its sheIterin{
leyerS. l"oks with love aud ch'ld's}
conf lence only on the murky wateP
that surround 1t.
The inhabitants Of this county coaf
nook which always seemed like until
the happy valley of Rasselas) are
CAV. pleasure loving people; ready
,augh. ready to ery. full of enthusiasm!
fond OF holiday. hopeful of futures.
In the shasluw OF the old GAthoi+{
church aud within snnud Of its deep(
toned bell, which log oat FAITHFULLY
three times das 81 he long year
through. lived s.,ssi areY 81 msnhossy
Eiliot 1t. George. A tHsuty eig
vars of sge be NJ ! splendld iyps :.
4 race that's gradualay stscesE7i'Ns EIls
old French creole. AVID while planting
the substantial and the practical, -
to surely covering over and potttns
ont OF sight that beautiful picturesque
ness, that blended with the rich tiu's Of
field aud sky. and made al Louisiana
4 State apart from the rest: a rare bit
in the mosaic OF the | MON that while
IN II was vet not Of 1t. The type
Of rae. conn founded OF Northern
strength AMI energy. with Southern
grace and rcpo>r; Northern activity
ana Southern smpulse: cool. Hclss'r
common sense. with quick, bsl:IaEt,
but sometimes blinded vision.
From = Maryland father lac inherit
ed his broad, square shoulders, five
feet eleven inches Of manly Leigh;,
his far complexion and sunny haIr;
but his creole mother-~ ho died at
his bIrth-looked ut Won ont of his
coffee brown eees. and smiled on YOU
from his sensitive, mobile lips. With
the strong, eager. active braIn-hls
Northern heritage -throbblng back OF
the we'll moulded temples, he fought
fights and won Intellectual
battles: commanded the respect of
the many, and compelled the aimlra-
RI j. d 90 H.
brown cycs-..llquid and drep-weIIs
that a man might iali into he won
frieHd<: and u warm, generous heart
his Southern heritnge-helptd him
to keep them.
How he and his father had lived
through all the long Years without
the wife aud mother can only be CUES,
sed. TO the son II was only "a some
thing missed ont Of his life; 10 the
father 1t was the life itself missing.
with no companionsmp but that OF
each other, they had lived in compare
tive seclusion in the midst of the hap,
py villagers, mixing little with them
in their sports, but sharing much IL
their sorrows. 10 the elder man thi:
was an outlet for strong and dcel
nature. To nurse the sick, help the
poor, and sorrow with the Borrowing
filled up some of the lonely hours 81
an uneventful life, and brought hin
nearer in spirit to the angel wife that
he still sincerely mourned. To rouse
and cultivate in his son mind those
motives and ambitions that had been
lacking in his own, aud to see him be
come the perfected image of his Owl
incomplete self, absorbed the rest o
his time and gave to II life, rendered
rather inactive by an accident received
in early manhood, motive power. IN eX
listing, aud desire for that existence
Living that thoughtful life IN The
shadow of the old church, the son had
grown up deeply religious. Protest
ant in his tendencies, he still ttit II
round him the arms of his mother
church (the Catholic, and could never
free himself, entirely Fl ON its influence
His fathers house keeper and his ole
nurse Gan old mulatto negrcsS, who
had raised his mother also), fosteret
this feeling in him, and by her faith
fulness and devotion did more to make
her religion dear and sacred in hi.
eyes than all the preaching of bishops
and priests.
His heart, full of enthusiastic reach
ing to devote itself to some grand ant
noble purpose, would, if left to itself
have made of him fanatic, but tn
cool, many sided brain came to tn