The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-12-27
s-yrA HE little hamlet known today as Cal
vert, but in days OF yorc all called
III il the Brick Meeting House, is lying

vert, but in days OF yorc all called
III il the Brick Meeting Hous", is lying
about II miles due north Of Elkton.
She nr-tlcs close NJ to the Imaginary lin"
which separates Chester county, Pa from
our own little darling Cecil Tn" surround
ing negbhorhood is inhabited by a people
who hal drunk in from their mothers breast
pure and indebted love for their God, and
fellowman and the glorious effect of that
mothcr-milk fingers With tn" musings up
to this day.
In the lar off days Of which / write, cdU-
cation was smothcred to fearful extent in
the rural parts of Maryland, and the old log
school houses were so very few ana far. far
between that the tots could not tottcr to
and from the far off novels whcr" the stern
B old Peda-oGuo with appraised hickory tried
ITO brighton a mere foretastc of an education
INTO the minds of the juveniles. The farm
RS OF sixty years back saw TO it that as
son as their children raised to little
1--WE the height of puddle duck they
Mt TO work and toilcd niue months out
Ne wear and went to school the three
est months Of the twelve. But many
led school in the winter only. clear up
,hood. And what a Xii Kinney time
i have at playing corner ball Dear
il pot bail, when no one would get
My a little singing sensation Just
y 4e belt where ones trousers fit Il
tlcr than at any other point, which
ceful rcminier to keep from be-
zen the next hot shot was fired.
b int out to tue reader the dingy
Wool house Of sixty years back and
proceeding from under yOn grove
tynk trees near the OLD Brick Meet
Sc. the Friends place of worship,
I'm which the hamlet derived its
and held it for over a century, we
lhat the school is out for recess and
tale portion of the scholars are engaged
iaying their favOrite game of old corner
The boys aud men range anywhere in
from 10 TO % years and are all sizes,
he towering up even above the six foot
ark, and beautifully proportioned from
Ee ground up. The girls, many of whom
Ire be tutiful one in particular. Viola Penn
5erton or Pretty vi as al! named her, who
ioved the fair brunette. are standing in
tgroups viewing the game and urging their
re- pective beauX on either side to snatch
4 victory from their opponents ere the stern
old master beats on the side of the old
hcrsp with the ten plate stove poker for the
reconveutiou of school
Pretty vi Is at this juucture swirl ging her
hood oft an laughing the ripping peals
of which sound live the sweet western
winds playing hide and eek with millions
of silvrry bells hanging nearby
Just her ! Will take the friendly reader
BY the hand and say Come, and | will in
troduce you to Pretty Vi Pemhcrtcn,' who
must be our heroine throughout this lite
story of long ago.
All fair brunette. can | forget
Your smile, o sweet, yet cruel,
Those roguish eyes, where conquest lies,
That sparkle like jeweR
Pretty Vi was IA graceful IA the young
palm tree. She was lightly above the ordi
nary in height Her age bordered at the
very threshold of 90 Her eyes Were pierre
ing black and hair ike ebony itself, aud her
beau fully arch"d brows We're rs black, oh.
yes, as let as ever were the wings of Pc IS
Raven
AMI now, dear reader. We have our hero
inc Def re u.s. the hcart.thrilling nighirg gale
of thu old Brick Meeting Hou-c OF We days
of yore. beautiful Viola Pcmbrrton. or
Pretty Vi as W. shall hereafter know her
Pretty vi was the swce est warbler known
to exist in her day, and sorg by Pretty vi
made the hottest day more sacred still
"Strika with the hand of fire, o wierd
musician. thy harp strung with Apoll =
halr.h fills the vast meadows with sym hon-
les sweet. Blow, buglrr, blow, until silvcry
on the romantic Elks and charm the lovers
wandering on their banks. But after all
your sweetest strains, they would be but
discords as compard to the sweet MARBLE of
Pretty vi Pemberton.
There were two hotels at the hamlet. one
East and the other West of the Friends
little brick meeting house. each about the
same distauce-a gun shot from the ediiice.
Both of the keepers were great sportsmen
and they We'd with each other a. to witch
could get OIL the most fun. If the Cross
Keys. the hotel West, would pull off grand
dance this week, look out for the Bee Hive
next. for Ito use a slang phrase) the fur
would fly. And Pretty vi was invariably
the center of attraction at every ball on
either side. But the greatest sport of all
INDUCED in Mt the old Brick in we olden
TYNE was the jolly fox hunt, and sly rey.
nard was kept on l1vo.y move from
November to March, Each of the proprie-
tors kept large pack of hounds, and, in
fact, nearly every farmer throughout the
entire neighborhood owned one or more fox
hounds And always when reynard was
''shook" from the bag our lovely heroine
led the glorious van No barrier was too
high for her magnificent sorrel steed to
bound over like flash Pretty vi was her
wealthy parents only child, and every
whimsical notion that entered her lovely
glossy black head was indulg by them to
It's fullest extent and hence she had attend.
ed school up to the very thre shold OF