The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-30
"reminiscences of Henry A. Wise.
To the Editor of tile Press:

VINO nau accepted, and was about to enter
upon. the pastorare of church in Drum
mondtown. Accomac County, Virginia.
This county is one of the two comprising
the noted Eastern Shore, the peninsula be-
tween Chesapeake bay and the ocean,-in
many respects an earthly paradise. It was
Henry A. Wise's congressional district.
Come" said Mr.. Storer as was bidding
him goodbye, ''go along with me.'' 1 had
completed my college course a few months
before, was as yet doing nothing, HAVING
seen no opening tc my predetermined way
OF life. was in no special haste to begin
and after short consultation with the
home and personal committee on ways and
means, gladly accepted the invitation.
Within a week we were on our way. going
directly through to-Philadeldhia where we
remained few days. at Heads, one of
the noted old time hostelries of the county,
whose register bore, among other notable
names, that of Macready, then on his first
starring tour OF the States. Thence we
went to Baltimore, the home fort of the
Eastern Shore steamers.
To those who knew Henry StoIer intimate
1y no apology for this itinerary is due.
None of them will mentally remark s'Who
cares how long you were in going or here
you tarried." Every day with him was
continual feast. The scenery, new, to both
of US. the interesting cities. and the quaint
wit and wisdom of my beloved friend. my
senior by several years, but in many ways
assmuch a.boy asa ,were good in the exper-
fence and in the Remembrance.
In due time we were on board the Eastern
Shore boat to leave at ten O'Clock evening.
I md eft ;,,@ i'll
after tea, tall. quick stepping man of mid
die age came in. and he walked past
glancedssat us. or rather at Mr.. Storer, then
turned. came and asked,''Is this Mr.. Stor-
er?' When assured on this point, he said
i am John S. Wise; my wife is member
of the church to which you are going: we
thought You might come by this boat. and
am glad to meet yeu.s. You must both
come to my house where you will be most
welcome" We had learned that the boat
landing was some miles short of Drum
mondtown, and had been thinking of where
We might bring up at the end of our journey
and wondering whether the ravens of the
present day were of the old time variety,
and here was a regular illumination where
we expected nothing but a season of
glimmer, if not of darkness. my brother
Henry is going over with u.s. continued
Mr.. Wise. land will be here soon."
Henry A. Wise. thought l; the idea of
anyone calling him ''my brother Henry He
was, as every one knows prominent in the
congressional doings of the day and so far
as I had heard was not favorably regarded
in New England. / had pictured him as
thick-set, ford and brusquely aggressive
and when the tall slender, gentie-mannered
soholarly-looking man came in and was in
tIoduced, still my brother Henry
while Mr.. Storer was saying just the right
thing to him l was rereviving preconceived
opinions. He had the infrequent peculiar
ity of very light hair and very dark eyes.
the hair long in the oldtime fashion, and
trained smoothly away behind the ears, the
eyes bright and sparkling as the conversa-
ton which ensued elected frequent smile
at Mr.. Storer's way of putting things. and
at his own bright words. He had recently
been confirmed minister to Brazil was
preparing to go thither and had laid aside
all other duties, and with them eur the pre-
sent at least all mentiGn of national
affairs. Christmas Was coming and he was
on his way to his temporary home at his
brothers and was in the mood of enjoy
ment of the present with brig test antic-
ipations of the future.
In due time we reached our landing, were
met there by carriage, and later were
made cordially at home by Mrs. Wise who
gladly welcomed her future pastor and his
friend and there we passed our Christmas.
10 those who knew the Eastern Shore
fifty years ago will come to mind many
recollactions of courteous hospitality, of
ct 0hSpTvancaS of ann off II.
old school, of the abundance of nature in
its game-bearing creeks of the bay, and of
it's old fields and woods. Of the. children
at Mr.. Wise's. if there were more than one,
I remember only Johnnie, eight years old
perhaps, SO there was nc trooping to the
house of the beaux and bellies of the eigh-
borhood for few days. visit, filing the
stables with saddle-horses, and every nook
and corner of the elastic house, never quite
filed, and then the fitting to the place of
anot her representative of the group, and
so on through the weeks of the holidays.
Friends of thesa family, however. We're
present, one a special political friend of
Mr.. Henry Wise.
When at last bedtime came l was shown
to large we'll lighted room in which a
bright fire was burning. and in which were
two beds, one of which l was hidden to
occupy, the other being for Mr.. Wise and
his friend While l was undressing they
came in. ''Can you sleep, Mr.. G. with
light in the room and people talking:"
asked Mr.. Wise as they sat down by the
fire. l assured him of my capacity for
sleep under any circumstances. I'VE have
a great deal to say,p continued he. and my
reply amounted to talk ahead, you wont
disturb me.'' though couched, Ham sure. in
fitting terms. had told him the truth and
was soon asleep, but by and by was
awakened by burst of laughter. ut was
an argument. Il heard Mr.. Wise say, an ar
gument deep and strong: an argument alb
lmo pectore; an argument alb umbilico.' and
L laughed aloud. "Oh, Mr.. c., you awake?
Well don't wonder but what kind of an
argument would you call an umbilical ar
gument:' The almost inevitable reply has