Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-10-10
Grmmunlrateb.
"REMINISCENCES
OF THE
q AW KINS FAMILY,
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST

|
I the Sith birthday Of Mr.. Josias Henry
Hawkins was celebrs'ed at Oakley. his
country seat in Charles couLty-inher-
tied from remote ancestor of the same
prenomen and patronymic. The men,
bers OF his scattered family who were
not present, and his many friends, will
be interested in a notice Of the event
from one who had the happiness to
ioin in the honours to the venerable
gentleman so deeply endeared to the
whole large circle of his kinsfolk and
acquaintance. THE TINES goes to
some houses in Prince Georges where
the 26th Of September is red-letter
day that never passes unmarked.
The habit of Americans is proverbi-
ally nnmadic Ii is hence note worthy
that Mr.. Hawkins was born in the
house where he iyes-havIng never
had any other home. Oakley. like its
master, is an antique mansion; older in
Iced than himself, the current year
Nag it's centenary. In the Sts'e ar
I rJhives st Annapolis. is the original
Heed Of sale, dated November 1854. to
mste. and t6anaI.lh III asff 4kfsS fS:d
acre tract Of wild woodland which as
! vet had heard no echo OF a woodmans 8
axe. no voc. sounds save such AS cheer
the dark depths Of the forest solitude.
the minstr-lsv Of the knocking bird and
assistant choristers the bark Of foxes,
| the howl Of wolves. no huuI1H voice eX-
cept NAV hap the inarticu,ute war-cry
II the s.vagcs who rnamcd thlsrrgion.
Less than hundr i Yards from
~ie-e am sitting. is the family Gem
eterv, picturesque nhj~ct near the
Western approach To Oakley. catching
the vIsitors eve before the old mansion
is in view. Carefully enclosed, it is
ever scrupulously tended the grass
alleys regularly clipped AMI the myrtle
checked as il runs over the graves The
sroooi-H environment is more than half
hidden BY luxuriant growth OF the
evergreen hon"ysuckle. making It look
like an emerald wall.
Here, beneath grey granite slab.
weather stained and its inscription al
most ef,ced are the remains of Henry
Hawkins ref / to, the first known
of that name Near at hand is his son
and heir, Henry Holland Hawkins :;
then third. SIMPLY, Henry. The name.
Henrv, is cherished heir loom Of the
house. Once only, in the direct line.
Stmuer' seems to have suPPlanted
il, to be resumed bv his next successor
The father OF the present proprietor.
following the tradition of the elders.
named his first born son ''joSias Hen
ry" When his occupancy ceases, it
will presumably pass to ,josias Henry
| ir. Among the number that have
borne the name. not one can be accused
of dishonoring it. The next heir will
never do so. The good precedent he
will hold inviolably sacred. He is un-
der a triple bond, signed and twice
countersigned for his good conduct.
Shakspere's so oft repeated question
What's in name ?" implies fallacy,
falsity. There is much in name !;
Else all history is but a stupendous
lie A wiser word is that of Francis
Bacon; History is philosophy teoch-
ing by example"
Having incidentally named the
youngest Of Mr. Hawkins house hold
there is room barely TO name the rest.
The number is the same as that long
ago assembled at the bedside of the
dying Hebrew patriarch. They are
originally treire, nor seren, as seen by
the eye of sense.
lst. Samuel husbandman, middle
aged, dwelling in placid content with
his wife and growing family near Oak,
ley.
I'd. cor the sons) John Weems, a
physician Of some local celebrity in the
rural region where he formally prac-
ticed, but veil known in the metropo-
lis and highly esteemed I speak not
unad visedly) by some of the elder most
eminent of the medical savants in Bal
timOre.
Sd. Lizzie, at home, single.
4th. Mamie Mrs. Hunter.)
5th. and 9th. Alice and Julia (the
two Mrs. Clagetts' Of Prince Georges.
OF the above, one has been brought
unplessantly to the public eye, by the
reporters for the daily press. 1t would
be indelicate to speak freely Of that
scandal. All l allow myself to say
about it is that those who have longest
and most intimately known the man SO
inapthy implicated in it, continue firm
in their affection for him. They are
perfectly confident, that like the nobly
innocent Hebrew brothers in Babylon,