The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-08-22
Cecil Wing
Fifty Years Ago.
p. c. RICKETTS,, Editor.
For the Cecil Wing"
"FRIDAN,"
A Tale of Superstition and Fact.
CHAPTER |.
Dec ember Al, 1850.

1t is Il sweet enjoyment Ia wander lorth
from the busy town in the calm summer
time. and drink in from the out-sprcad
beauties of Nature. inspiration 10 holy
thought and noble purpose; and away
in the deep wood. or by the riverside. TO
commune with unr'S own heart. where
the idle laugh and bahhlr of the crowd
cannot CRATE on the ear. and disturb the
sweet sadness that at such time comes
over the spirit.
And though in this winter weather,
when bright afternoon trmptS lis forth,
we miss the flowers from our path. the
Yerdurc from the fields and the birds
from the branches. there are still left
beauties enough To make Il stroll in the
fields and along the sunny edges of the
wood, delightful. So | found it when. a
few days ago. | walked forth with Il
couple of friends We ramhcd away.
reader. II mile from the town. To triipin
Ford.-Comc with mo II moment thithcr.
till | show You the scene. How beauti-
fully the Big Elk sweeps along ut the
foot of the hill. broken into thousand
ripplrS ami cddicS by the rocks that lie
scattered in its bed. On its edges. thin
sheets Of ice =limmrr like mirrors in the
sunbcams. See To the right those clus.
tiers of laurel and cedar. that crown the
brow of the hill forever in II wreath of
green The trHlim" arhutu$ that blooms
so Swrctly beneath that old beach in the
spring is missing HOW. hut creeping there
are seen little green vines spotted with
red berries. that defy the frost. Here
an old oak. and there Il huge chestnut
lift their great arms towards the sky.
Wonder is tn" pretty residence Of Miss
Gilpin. and see beyond that broad mca-
dow. the tall dark woods. that. bcrrft of
leaves. look 50 chilly and cold: ami be-
meath them the dozen arches of the rail
road hrd"" are seen. minglmg in the
view something of the beauty of Art with
the wintry hrauicS of Nature around.
See, IN the rdg"H If the irvine there.
that tall poplnr /! has brrn riNrH with
lightning ami It's top Is icai II leans
towards the opposite bank and directly
beyond ii, see the rough head and foot
Stones Of two graves. or the Slumhcring
tenant Of one of them, | have something
to tell. Oh vivid, Sudden. and fierce was
the lightning Hash by which that tall tree
was rivrn: and suddenly down ON the
heart Of dcfrncclrSS mortal. often
comes blow and Il blight more fatal to
it, alas than the lightning stroke to tn"
tree.
CHAPTER IL.
In the summer of 1880. the following
notice appeared in one of the Elkton
papers =
a stranger was found dead ON the
roadside. half mile north of Elkton,
on the morning of Friday last. He mp.
pcarcd to he about 80 years of agr-had
an intellectual appearance, and there was
nothing upon his person by which his
name could be aSccrtanrd. On his arm
i'll Indian ink. was imprinted the word
"F'riday.' An inquest was h"ld-thr YER
dict death from an unknown cause. He
was drccntly inferred on the top of the
hill by Gilpin's Ford
Tired and frcttcd with business. in
September ISIS. took Il trip away
among the hills along tn" SuSuu"hann0,
near its source in the State of New York.
to crafty Il Spnsitom--HlmoSt Il natural
instinct with mr-to seek among dark old
woods and gushing mountain streams. 4
short season of respite from tol--a few
days Of Il sweet rrpOsc that brings with
it strength. buoyancy of spirit. Il clearer
lpul and Il utnr. pNt,lul,J haunt
thn rIoso nf = Lnv srrut uortIy in trout
fshinr ,ud n,r-iv in ,liuliun tn hi.,h
hin fans to InnI; far over nut-strrtrIirn
yollirs fnuud myself somewhat ovnr.
como with f,tinnr Shine IN - ,ill,r,
+ovrru rn,r , cram of I,,r,,,r. ,,ho
were di>crssir,. tho 'rossiu nf thr nairh.
horhood The conversation nrnsn,,tIy
4urmnd imam ana NI,rtin IIar.,.i ,,.L,, !,
opurorrJ had Inu~ hnru mis.in,, rrnm
his friends. and ne nnr of th, .n,.,L,r.
nrncnnlnd "jIi. c,., ,,,,.,s' +, mn, tl,t
had mrk ,ttrnds nvor.y mann harm on
Friday" ,,rov intnrr.tnd- thiuI,i,,, r.
bnor Soma nr tbo Lot,ils and inniIort,
which k,nr ,Iiyo IN th., c,,,,t,,. +L,
sunnrstition th,t Er;lov !. an nmIucr,
d,v Al li.tnrod y,,inu, o,.n,+s l., En-,
life nf tho irdiriJu,I tb,r lad r,r,nJ
we,o rof,rrnJ -. sha,.in,. hi,, - hn,,
hean damned to = str.,r,,o ,or;n, ~ .,.inI,
and fran thoi,. to.tir,nn,. i .,o,,,oI tI,,
every Friday nf hi. liza had hoon f,.,r,,ht
with dis,.tor
..JI. l,ft hama i, tb,, .,,;,,, of 1000 "
soil ,,o - H.. ,,,, ..,I ,,. -,