Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-08-23
A CRUISE IN DIXIE
A Party OF Anne Arundelians Go
Summering Down The Bay
And Up The Kappa
hammock River
A Trip Whose Delights Are RecOmmen-
did To Allan Incident That Is
Suggestive To The
S. P. E. A.
(Contributed.)

tContributed.l
Some days ago, feeling the need of
little vocational change, some ladies
and gentlemen concluded to take a
short summer outing on the steamer
Lancaster, which plies between Balti-
more and Fredericksburg. The party
consisted of a minister of the Gospel
and his sister, pair Of young lovers.
two romantic rural SWANS and a
school official and his better half
We took along the minister so as to
be prepared for all eventualities,
whether these should come in the
form of death or marriage, the latter
possibility, under the circumstances.
being the more imminent, in spite of
the old adage that in the midst of life
we are in death. The trip down the
Bay was without incident worthy of
note. We passed the Ancient City
about sunset, shortly after having ir-
rigated and regaled the inner man at
profusely laden supper table.
Thereafter we sat on deck, drank in
the delightful sea air, every draught
adding new vigor to our beings, and
surveyed the mangificent expanse of
the heavens above, the silver moon in
all her beauteous glory sailing on in
her course through the blue ether.
studded with bright stars and brilliant
consultations.
AS a matter of prosy fact it is not
necessary to state that the young
lovers devoted most of their time and
thought to the moon and the man
L
singing to himself 81 Am Lonely To-
night, Love, Without Thee or, like
themselves, was happily paired. Long
before reaching the mouth of the river,
where we tied up for the night, we all
sought our staterooms. The purser
had generously assigned to the school
official and his wife the bridal cham
ber. This created no envy in the
hearts of the rest of the party as they
could not but acknowledge the appro-
priateness of the assignment. Early
next morning the boat resumed her
course, crossing and recrossing the
river to receive and deliver freight at
the various landings.
The Rappahannock is one of the
most beautiful and picturesque of all
American rivers, the Hudson not ex-
cepted, whose palisades surpass those
of the Virginia river only by their
more commanding height 1t is not
to be wondered at, therefore, that the
early settlers became enamored of its
many beauties and chose its banks for
their place of abode. There are nu-
merous handsome colonial residences
in full view on this beautiful stream.
surrounded by fine old trees and shrub
berry, often with grassy terraces lead
ing down to the river, which winds
and turns and narrows until in some
places there is but a few feet of water
on either side of the steamer. But
way opens, as if by magic, and we glide
out into secluded hooks, where the
white and blue cranes take flight at
our approach, or touch at some one of
the many rustic wharves, enlivened
always by bevy of pretty Virginia
girls, waiting to exchange glances
with admiring swains on the boat and
to wave adieu, as we continue on our
course up the river. 1t was amid
these romantic scenes that dwelt the
nabobs of the ancient slavery regime,
whose lives were one ceaseless round
of luxurious ease and pleasure.
On our way upstream the school Off
cial became much interested in a Vir-
ginia beauty with a mouth full of
glistening pearls, and, learning that
she was teacher, conceived the bold
project of trying to induce her to
come to Anne Arundel and join what
he calls the beauty squad of his
own corps of teachers. But to this
overture she replied, through her in
temediary, DR.. K, that she was al
ready engaged" she did not say it
in that way.
Early Saturday morning we arrived
at the historic town of Ffedericks-
burg, situated at the head of naviga-
tion, although the little muddy stream
at this point is said to be navigable
for light-draft ducks for several miles
further up. As, however, we had only
two ducks" in the party, and they
were drawing (attracting) pretty
heavily, we did not think it wise to
attempt to venture further.
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