The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-05-25
A Letter To A Friend
Elkton, Md, May II, 1912.


has given me much pleasure. Although
the plan for an Old hume Week appears
to be Suspended for the present, prep
arations for the Chautauqua are going
on. This project is guaranteed through
the generosity of eight public spirited
men of our town. l will send you cop
les of our three newspapers from time to
time, that you may as an old Elktonian,
keep in touch with us.
While you have in the last quarter of
a century been climbing the tree of
fame plucking of its fruits as you go,
another generation nere has passed
through the experiences common to hu-
mainly. AS of old we have our local
celebrities, our progressives and con-
servatives, our rivalries and jealousies,
comedies and tragedies, and our loves
and friendships listing to the third and
fourth generation. On the names OF
those who have gone from us through
the gate of Death, | will not dwell, this
is not intended to revive the pang OF
all the partings gone" Leave your
books and letters for few days and per-
haps you may find even here in your old
home town the STUFF for which you
authors continually search
Come back for Chautauqua Week, and
you will find from the old friends who
have stayed here hearty welcome. The
young folks, too, many of whom bear the
names your memory lacks on other por-
traits, will not be less cordial. There
are enough of the girls" and boys" to
and
peruse that deeply interesting book the
telephone directory, the list of names
would make you a boy again. Dr.. lamar
will tell you, as he shakes your hand,
how glad he is to see you, Mr. and Mrs.
j. E. Alexander will not fail to remind
you of your resemol lance 20 your father,
Miss Tabby will look you over kindly, as
once she did your faults, and if you feel
you MUST see a Dr. Mitchell, there is
one who will do his best to meet your,
requirements he is also the Mayor-canl
you imagine chubby little Arthur as
His Honor?" The Evans, Fra ers ANDY
Constables have formed new combina :
tions which, with your accustomed skip
you will have little difficulty in tracing
The Gilpins will greet you as 'twere but.
yesterday you left, and you'll have to
drop in at Giles'-yes it is still that
and ask Ollie if he remembers the day
we slipped off from school and wenu
down the river. But there! This mustl
not run into biographical nor autobio- 5
graphical sketches.
Our little town is still circled with its5
bow of water, and stretched like long
string from Little Elk TO Farr Creek,
k,,&
toward the town boundaries at Gilpin's
Bridge. | mention the Hospital only be-
cause there, should the necessity arise,
you can have your appendix removed,
and thus give Doc" Bratton the chance
to get back at you for some of your old
pranks. And there are the schools,
words fail me! We are nearing Com
mencement Week, which now rivals
those you remember in Old Delaware.
Each class in the High School gives
reception to the Seniors in turn, class
night exercises are held, where some fun
and old grudges are worked in together,
like the marble cake we used to have at
your house. There are trips down the
river for those same victorious Seniors,
who have safef weathered the Storms
and perils of school life. Then the
glorious Commencement where we all
go. to see the happy, youthful faces, and
listen to the fervid outpourings of these
richly stored minds on the important
topics of the time, of which we should
as good citi ems, learn as much as pos
sible. But remember Carlyles words
that change lies in the very essence of
our lot and life in this world You'll find
.
there a Four Hundred when you said
goodbye to the old town? If so, like
all else, it has been sub ect to the vicis-
STUDIES of time. Certain it is that if any
make open claim to membership in this
esoteric circle. 1t is sure proof of their
ineligibil.ty to the seats of the mighty
and some who fancy themselves firmly
intrenched therein, would fall short of
the requirements laid down by the orr
ginator of the phrase. The term must
have been in its ney-day about the time
you struck New York, but you did not
think that in dear little old Flkton the
milk of human Kindness would raise
such a cream as that.
You wrote of your longing for the
country, but in QUE little world that is
very questionable. Leave the TEEN
ing life of Elkton streets and the So
ciety of the elect in order to hear the
Sow pulsings of Natures heart. Yet
some noble souls among us recogni e
those who, whether in hroadcloth or
overalls do the worlds work, and greet
them lace to face with eyes level. Bu.
the general feeling on This subject brings
to our consideration a recent editorial on
the Chautauqua in one of our weekly
papers. Its intellectual value to those
living outside of the refining Influences
OF Elkton was not mentioned-evidently
the writer forgot the residences of his
fellow-editors. These four phases were
used: held in Elkton," The movement
in Elkton.' beneficial to Elkton,' urges
the people of Elkton'; this is not in
tended as a paraphrase o; Llnroins "Of
the people, etc ;" but simply exemplifies
the Elkton habit of appropriation; yet
the writer of that is man to whom
the "uplift' is more than mere phrase
as is shown by his generous attitude as