Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-03-10

/ The life OF the c01nnunitg IN which
lived. that may be Characterized rs
| the progressive quiesccnt period OF
life. 10 distinguish It from The stag
nant qGiescent period Of boyhood
days Ii WAS q period without an
mails. which means happiness, prog
ress. content and wholesome work
well done. by individual and COM
munity. and the history Of such a
period can be told in few words.
Dorothy was very quickly adopted
by the people with whom her lot was
cast as one Of themselves. just as she
had been immediately adopted by
Martha and Molly and Frank Famil-
tons wife title for which she had
ample revenge during our northern
visits, when ! ives always known as
Dorothy Welles' husband soon be-
came as well known and familiar in
her new surroundings as though she
had descended from generations Of
planters and rebels. while losing no
thing OF her own native charm, and
never quite freeing herself from the
influence of the Mayfiower," as had
been laugningly predicted by Evelyn,
We early began the carrying out Of
my long cherished plan of restoring
the old house of which had some
time since acquired the title-to its
pristine glory; and, by the end Of
three years. my great grandfather
might have ridden up to his old hona
without being in any way surprised at
its appearance. though he would have
wondered. on going through the in
terror. It my Improvements and con-
veniences introduced by my Northern
wife, though she eginccd rs much zeal
as / III retaining the exact outward
appearance Of the original house. as
we'll as the same gs4erai internal ar
rengcment Of rooms apd halls.
This work completed, Oak Hill was
once more open TO guest and friend
bGt the conditions were too much
changed from those Of the olden days
for the time ever again to be When
the new house will be the scene Of
the same open jovial hospitality as the
old: for the guests Of that time have
gone forever. Sill We are none the
less. happy in our own way, and the
veprs passed by in JOY and peace and
rsefnlhess
Meantime. the community as 3
whole adYanced and prospered, even
as did myself. Business throye. fac
tories and furnaces increased and
multiplied, anu an air OF prosperity
and content spread itself over the
tand. making itself seen in the
changed dress and manner of the
people, the Wcll-kept, trim appearance
OF houses and grounds, and, IN gen
eral, i'll all that indicates thriving
active and happy community. True,
there still remained few of my old
contemporaries who could not faG
into line, and still dreamed dreams Of
tho past But those were few, and hid
den away in some corner OF their old
ZONE places, bound in mesh OF
poverty and pride, from which they
had neither the power OF viii nor
training to free themselves. they were
rarely seen, and seldom marred the
pleasing prospect OF an active people
Working IN the present. Truly the
Below OF this time was glorious
sight to one who loved the soil. &
sight that would have seemed an Idle
dream a few short years before.
In all this happy period of five
Years Sit continued without check
until the universal depression Of '92
and '93 produced temporary halt
only one incisient occurred that need
be related here, as beyond the gem
@al mcnotony Of happiness.
1t was within few months from
the time & brought home my bride
that lost my two very dear and
valued old friends, Colonel Rivers and
Cononel Hawkins. simultaneously
They had both far exceeded the usual
span OF life, and with Col Hawkins
who, BY the way, retained his pecu-
| liar manner of dress up to the end :
it aas simply matter of sorrow owe.
losing one of the remaining few OF the
noble old generation. To this was
added in the case of Cod. Rivers a cir
cuInstance that caused me very sin
cere grief for one old friend while
reioiced for the happiness Of another
/ Jack Churchill and Arnold Camp
bell both came TO Below immediately
on learning or Col Rivers death.
was not much surprised At seein1
1 Jack at this time: for, while he Ia,
never spoken to me Of Bessie River.
since that day so many years before
4 when had taken him to see her fol
| the first time. felt sure that his lin
vcstments' during his subsequen
visits had much more to do with tiI'
capital of his heart than Of his bank
This surmise proved only too true
the poor fellow had invested IL,
whole wealth Of his heart and all hi
hopes of happiness. only TO meet VIII.
failure and disappointment.
AS soon as he had heard OF Bessie
being free from the tic that bound he