Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-04-27
An uriginal StOr9.
R II>A.
kNARF kFNW ARE.
kNARF RENWARE.


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All the morning the fiery July suu
had poured his fierce. Scorchiug rays
npon the painting earth. The green
leaves had hung limp and motIouless
from the tall trees. and the summer
flowers had languidiy bent their CANDY
heads in the noon day heat and dust.
Stretching far away IN its broad ex
pause Law the noble river: ITS placid
surface. unrutf'cd by the lightest
breeze. looking like some gigantic mir.
ror that caught aud threw back the
burning raw Of TIE almost tropical
sun. The painting cattle leaving the
parchel pastures, bad con2Tscate'l
..long the shores. standing Iar out IN
the river irving To cool themselves Ia
The lImpid waters; and men, gasping
almost for very breath. lay IN the
grateful shade trying 70 screen them
selves from the intense heat
But now the evening had come. and
Ear away Ia the southeast q dark iiny
might be seen stretching diagonally
acros. the river. Grateful eyes bsheId
1T with delight for they knew i, mark
"a the welcome sea bre. ~, which fan
nIng a~ay the almost u--a-s ara b &
noon -dAy heat, came rushing on with
the incoming tide from the ocean. The
tall trees. catching the ljrst impulse oi
he coming breeze, waved their grace.
ful branches, and the green leaves
which had hung So mOtIonlcss before
now danced and sported as # in yrry
glalness. The saudy flow -. imhib.
ing new life from the humid air from
the river. lifted again their smiling
heads. and the sunbrowued sons o!
toll hastened io their daily labor from
shlch thew hal been driven by the
tirrc. heat 81 the morning
Almost a II By magic the blue
waters, which had lain 50 calm and
.tll all morning, were tossed aud
lumbIed. the white caps breaking on
the crests Of the miniature blllows.
which rolling onward 10 the land.
chased each ether IN one unbrokcn
line along the white beach.
On the brow of the sloping banks
stool large franz dwelling which
looked As if II bad al one time pre-.
seuted quite an aristocratic appear
ance, that was now fast leaving II.
rhe double piazzas which had once
been handsomely finished. were now
fast falling 10 decay. The green
blinds which formerly formed such q
pretty contrast TO the white walls now
hung, some hy one hinge. some with.
out fastenings. 10 the faded aud wealth.
er- beaten walls.
The whole hou.e and its surround.
ings showing unmisiakable evidence
of poverty and neglect.
In ante bellUm DAYS those spaciou,
halls and airy apartments were
wont TO be filled with the beauty anG
Ichivalry of Southern Maryland, " hos,
gay jests and merry laughter echoed
throughout the hospitable old man
sion. Many happy young coupl,
had strolled along the white teach il
the cleaning, or seated on the velvet,
grass meath the spreading locustS. hat
plighted their troths some 10 b,
cemented by the more sacred vow a
the altar, others 10 be forgotten annie
the sterner realities Of life.
But war, with its desolating breath
swept over the land, leaving destruc
ton, ruin and poverty in Is wake.
Many of those 'houghtless youths
who had danced aud tested with tn,
bright eyed Maryland beauties in th'
old house by the river, hearkeniug t'
the call "come over and help us,
which came across the blue waters
from heroic old Virginia, barred thei
breasts to the storm of battle, in tn,
noble but fruirless struggle for South
ern rights and southern liberties.
Not few of them, ere the war wa
over, found unknown soldier graves
and the others, war, worn and weary
returned to their homes some oclain
the brides they had won in happie
days by the river, and all to bsgl
again the battle of life; reduced il
circumstances, Tut brave to cDnque
still.
Great was the change wrou-ht II
the the old house 10y the river. It.
former mistress who hid been wont tt
dispense its hos1tallries so qreenl,
was e al, and its master, old Squir
Jones, deprived Of the most vaiuabl
part # his pr perty, seemed conten
to si' i, his arm ch ir in the piazz
and talk to any whom he could Undue
to listen Of the era deur Of thos
days which had p ssed away Will
his buxom young wife of later date
| strOve 10 exc out IA precarlous hvin