The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-09-06
A LETTER FROM REV. j. W. KEEBLE.
VIENNA, DORCHESTER Co., MD.

children, and dogs, and well, and
everything else; all "Grand Army -
genuine "vcts"-iull to the brim with
loyalty and patriotism and "bIessed
mcmorirsr of hard fought battles, and
tender thoughts of old comrades who
eft nit Seigel," all yearning for. the
pleasure of grasping once more the
hands that once had graspcd the rife,
and the sword and the staff from which
had lloatcd amid the din of battle the
proud banner of our glorious country
The banner across whose ample folds
bad ever been inscribed these magic
and talismanic watch words, "UnOn
and Brotherly Love-" We just yearned
to meet the "Old boys" once mOre-we
had met them once before. The rail-
road magnaIcs saw our eager desire
written on every face, the face of eyen
our dog, and SO ST. Louis gave us a
grand send off mag niiiceptly upholster-
cd and appointed parlor coaches for the
modest sum of one dollar extra. And
so we Iourneyed on from the "Big
Muddy to the queen city of the west.
We journcycd on, all as happy as a
''marrlaSc bell,' and our dog the
merriest of the lot. Alasi alas the
brightest day must have its close, the
merrlcst heart it, hour of gloom. The
queen cltv gave ns no such reception.
No bands OF martial music greeted our
ears with strains of martial welcome mo
cannons roarcd their peals of gladness
at our coming; no rockets lit the SOM
brc skies, no jackson cracker her.
aided our near approach and we were
sad, and our dog shared our bitter
disappointment. Oh, the base ingrali-
tude OF nan! Well may it wiring tear.
even from the hearts of Scared vets
''vcts' but for whose yalor and self
sacrificing patriotism. even now that
fair city's battlements would be dis
graced by the waving of the stars and
bars. Even our dog wept-b because he
found no bone to gnaw. But this
ignominious silence, this unheard OF
reception, ,paled into utter insignificance
in contrast with our departure
Upholstered parlor coaches fitted In
the dim distance, and we, the scared
veterans OF an hundred batt,efields
with our wives and little ones, and Ou,
d0g, were crowded in.o common
coaches, (wcll ventilated by reason OF
broken windows) with scarce a place
to stand and "nair place to SIT" And
this, Brother Allen, was the contrast
and this the picnic. Through that long
gloomy night we stood and watched
and shivered, and shivercd and watch
ed and stood, listening to the wailings
OF our little oncs-End the weeping ol
our dog, and covetiDg the happy lot OF
some Sc6rcd "vcts," who still could lie
And this long night of woes, like all
other nights. had its close Not SO with
our eyes; they watched and scanned
the skies, and when day dawned, a.
dawn il did, our dog gave one true
| rebel roar. We saw the sunlit spires
| of old Baltimorc-andw we to the &. A
Il. gave one last adieu, nor sic he'd
again tor the "Boys in Bluc.''
The dear old gray, and the banner furled,
Stands justified IN that better world.
Ask Bill Hamlet il that isn't so.
We didn't 60 to "Bosting;" we didn't
join in the grand parade; we didn't
grasp the hands OF any "scared" vets
we didn't listen TO any strains OF
martial music; we didn't hear any can
mons roar, or loyal, loving brothers tell
ont their love for the "hunion" and
| their jealous hatred for the grandesl
portion OF Gods grand universe
We just resigned our hOnored
and honorable post in the &. A. IL
ami took our way and stopped south OF
Mason and DiXOn's line, and bought us
| n line and hired Dixon and went fish.
ing-now just call in Hamlet, Trigg
Lesucnr and lloathman and listen:
Well, we had plenty OF bait, and
plenty Of boat and "mnch water, good
old salt water, and such fishingi Don't
| you dare say "cat'- or '.bnffalo." No,
sir; we caught fish real, genuine fish
sometimes two at a time-trOut, grey
front, foot and a halt long; nullet, just
the gayest cit that ever grabbed a
bait-mullet weighing two and two and
half pOnnds,and then spot, the recOg-
niZcd beanty OF the "briney deep" as
big as Bill liamlet's nand and twice ~
| tender. And then Sleeps lleadl Why
Sir, when you strike one of these fel =
lows fair il the jaw yoH think for the
| moment that you have tack led All AL
derny yearliug. Such sportl Give and
iakc-you give strong pull and he
| takes about ten feet of your
line before you know il. But
he's sure to come, and when you
throw him INTO the boat its "staud
from under" lie is not dead by q
great majority Gas great a majority as
Cleveland will have in 92,) he makes
things rs lively for while as Silver
mans corner on Saturday night, but
after awhile he yields--and you have
about ten pounds OF the best fish meat
ever drawn from salt water. No,
Billy, we didn't catch any 1arpOn but
we did catch Tara pima real "dia-
mond back" worth $32 dozen. We'll
| wont say how many fish, nor how
many pounds; oh, no; tCo well know
your evil hearts, your bitter taunts -
"oncc fisherman always teetOtaller. ."
We all got tired, tired out. Sport is
sport, and work is work. Fishing in
these parts means work. 1t means
hauling, steady hauling until you ieal
paralysis of some nerve whose name
you caught from long DIR. h. or short
| DR.. e.. Now then, if yOu are hungry
draw up chair and help Yourself.
That fish in front of you Is gray trout
They are brOilcd AM covered in pars
| ley. Those covered dishes contain the
uhlliiy NDIloIh opus. we IdtlCn Oul
G.. n. Il. congressman on these. None
for Tarsmcy. Those monsters on trayt
at the foot Oi the table are Sleeps
Head. They are two feet long and
six inches wide, and baked in cream
That turecn contains clam chowder, a
dish for king or "Pork Trust man
| Those side dishes contain fried Mullets
| warranted TO cure the worse cases OF
indigestion. And what is that on the
| side table? Kansas City beef, put there
to remind you OF your iar.away home
And now you are tired. Well, this
rambling letter is written by All old
'vct, AN sold vet" whose home is
always has been and ever will bo, near
the salt sea wave, but whose adopted
home was proud old Missouri, one OF
the proudcst of the noble sisters; whose
home was for awhile in dear old Lexing
ton. Lexington, whose people, whose
sons and whose daughters, rs Il class,
can yield the palm To none for genuine
wholehcartcd hospitality; to none for
integrity OF purpose and fidelity in
action. May Gods richest blessings
ever rest upon Lexington and upon the
grand, noble old county that claims her
ior its capital, j. w. X.