The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-10-10


closing large receptacle now filled to
the brim with my MSS. 1t is a plain
and unpretentious piece of furniture,
but in my eyes inestimably valuable for
its historic association. You shall know
its personal history more accurately at
some other time. My great-grandfather
on my mothers side was one n
S, lord Of the manor of Heicher-
hof, situated on the banks of the pic
turesque Rhine. His daughter, Eliza
beth, who became my mothers mother,
married one = A N, lord
of an adjoining manor. They shortly
after removed to this country, he be-
coming a successful and wealthy mer-
chant in the city of F., and she
famous far and wide for her philsn-
thropy. 1t is related that they were
married in the village church that stood
on the grounds of N SIS man.
or, and that as they passed from the
house to the church maidens of the
village strewed their pathway with flow
ers, SO much were they loved and es-
teemed by all. Elizabeth was a woman
of splendid ability, charity itself, sturdy
and determined, and quite fine musi-
clan. J A N possessed
what might be called ''good head"
He was wrapped up in his wife and lost
all fortune and ambition when she died.
Several years before this union, of
which you will remember my mother
was the result, the famous "Widow"
N became united to one "Major"
! P, direct descendant Of
who think you?-Daniel Defoe. My
fathers mother was the result of this
happy union. OF the p family
Major -, whose sword have, was
the honored and distinguished member.
Literary and military careers have
marked the lives of all these revered
ancestors of mine, though none reached
so high point as Defoe when he pub
llshed his world-famous book. 1t is
highly impossible that any of their
blood, through the long line of descent,
has been conveyed to nv veins STILL
substance, thin as it may be, of
their characteristics must have drifted
towards me for find my nature strong
ly turned in such paths as they trod.
To my own father and mother sup
pose, however, that | owe my main
characteristics, that is if l have indi-
viduality enough to claim such dis
tinguishing traits. Mymother | think
must be a gentle shadow of her la
mented parent recast upon this pres
ent period of time. have always
commended in my own mind that she
would have made noble mark in
the world of letters, if misfortunes
and household cares had not held
her down from the divine heights.
She would not have ranked extraor-
dinarily high; she might have writ
ten "The Songs Of Seven" but never
"Amora Leigh" but l doubt not
that some immortal thoughts would
have fallen from her pen. | am
sometimes led to hope that | have
been destined to redeem her lost
chances, if for nothing more than to
place our family in a position before
the world that respect for the gran
deur of those ancestral ties compels.
My father was an earnest, practical,
man. 1.-The world, inheriting the low
ly attributes of a merchant, not I'M
mixed, however, with much of the
vigorous spiritual fire of the old Ma
jor who took up arms in the grand
cause Of freedom and by his deeds
cast glorious halo of military re-
nown over the names of his humble
descendants. From such am | de-
rived; above such am | expected to
rise; and, with the same spirit of adj
venture and restlessness that urged
old Daniel Defoe to his desperate
work surging in my breast, hope
to recall the lingering remnants of
our race back to the glory that sur
rounded its first parents in their
lordly manor on the Rhine.