Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-04-26
Rockville in 1884.

The following letter, written fifty iy
years ago by one of the most talented
young men ever reared in Rockville, maj
prove of interest to the readers of the SEN
TINEL. 1t will enable the citizens of Rock
vile to contrast our town as it is to day
with what it was in 1884;
ROCKVILLE, Sept IS, 1884.
Dear Perry:-I plead guilty to the charge
of unkind neglect which you have, no doubt
brought against me, and throw myself fol
pardon into the arms of your tender mercy
Gratitude for your forgiveness of the pres.
ent delinquency will make it certain that
shall sin in like manner no more A want
of punctuality in literary correspondence is
one of my besetting infirmities, but will
not permit it to destroy the regularity OF an
epistolary intercourse with one whom re-
joice to rank among my friends.
In the kind letter from you which had
the happiness OF receiving sometime ago you
ask me to inform you Of everything worthy
of notice which transpires in the world OF
Rockville. Alas, for my native village! IT'S
Rockville but living Rockville no more.
Nothing interesting or worthy to be record
ed occurs within its precincts. The gloomy
spirit OF monotony overshadows it with her
motionless wings. No parties of pleasure
relieve the dreary sameness. The houses
are like 50 many nunneries, the lovely in.
mates OF which carefully conceal themselves
from the eye of admiration and the young
men, counting but little the animating So
clety OF the vestals, wander about half dead
with idleness and torpidity. Verify, Rock
vile may be called Ichabod, for its "glory
hath departedw
You ask me how Julius is That interest
ing gentleman enjoyeth good bodily health,
but is exceedingly diseased in mind. The
Demon of Love hath again assailed him !,
not, indeed, in the person OF the fascinating
-, but in that Of a lovely young lady
from Baltimore named Miss Hays, whom he
met short time since at Il camp meeting |
do not wonder at her triumph over his sus-
ceptible heart, as she is indeed an incarna,
ton of all the beauties and graces There
can be no doubt of her victory, for ever
since he saw her the i'll starred Julius has
been pouring the lugubrious winnings of an
anxious lover into my nauseated ears,
The health OF the people OF Rockville Is
very good, with the exception OF that OF
Robert Garter and his brother John, who
have been i'll, but are now recovering So
much tor our village aud its concerns.
| send yon two Of the illusions which |
have lately extorted from my muse. The
stanzas Immediately following are addressed
to Miss X -----, un the subject OF Il beau
tllul moss rose which she intended to bestow
on your humble servant; buta certain mid
shipman. who would il he could, steal away
her heart, ieloniously abstractei from her
the aforesaid rose Whereupon addressed
to her the following verses, which are sim
pie even To pnerllity, but which | will new
ertheess intlict upon yoa
Thy little, lovely, cherished flower,
So innocent and gay
Was from thee, in IL luckless hour,
Most rudely snatchei away.
Its leaves are shrunk aud witherc,l nuw,
liz fragrance is consumed
No more 1t decks the heaut,ons brow
Where once il proudly blu,,nei.
IL charms the gazer's eye no more
Its beauties all are lied;
Its pride and loneliness are o err
The iuckless flower is dead !
Oh from thy cheek may sorrow s hand
Its roses never tear,
But may they, by joys zephyrs famed,
Bloom ever sweetiy there!
The following is farewell 10 Miss Rachel
Tins, who lately - us with u visit;
Adieu The blush of evening SIX les,
That ravishes the view.
Not long remains to glad our eyes
Nor cans't Mou stay-Adieu
The dew that falls upon the flower
And gems its fairy beQ
Soon flies before the sunbeams power
Nor cans't thou stay Farewell
The vesper Orb that shines so bright
Upon tn ethereal blue
Too soon withholds her trembling light -
Nor canst h0u stay-Adieui
The vernal bird that in the bowers
Sings merrly and well
Departs when fade his favorte flowers
Nor canst thou stay-Farewell
All that is heavenly and bright
Is evanescent too,
And soon eludes tn enraptured sight
Adieu, dear girl, adieu
Yours,
JOSEPH BRADDoCK.
PERRY WoRrHINGToN, ESQ,
Cumberland, Md