Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-02-19
/ EiunCly Hamilton
SoUTHERNER AND AMERICAN
Study From The Life OF Our Generaion-By The
Late Admiral John Hood, United States Navy
Rights Publication Specially Reserved BY
soUTHERNER AND AMERICAN

that there Vas 9 little additional shab-
ibiness ana decay visible III both.
There appeared to have been a steady
gradual decline. unchecked by any eff
tort from within: and no boom or
ware d. progress stimulated from
without had yet passed over the land
The whole situation, including people
en-. landscape alike. was the result OF
more than twenty sears Of stagnation
since the prosperous antobellum days.
Lrtoue led by any influence fron,
without; and my friend could have
.oaad no neter place in the whole
wide sunny South in which To study
our life and as uneer conditions more
purely Southern. or more free from
foreign influence
only four days / had allowed for
sesing family ard friends, before
Starung for my new field of work; bat
these four days I endeayored to make
as fruitful for my friend as possible,
ana had him meet as many of my town
and country friends as the time allow
"a. The first day he did moi know
what lie was up against 10 use a
modern slang and had great difficult
ty III controlling his surprise From
dress ana outside appearance, some OF
the men he met might have been al
most anything; AM he lnaryelled
INT eli Ut some / introduced him to. un-
III he had some conversation with
then and fouad them men of culture
and education and the older Gnes of
travel TOO. lie noticed al once,
though, with lis keen observation,
that the nen Of TIE yeunger genera
tinn were far from being the peers of
The older. either in education or
breadth of character which was true
and natural
After tile first day, however. and
after meeting several men like Col
.enel Hawkins VINO when introduced
TO Jack. wore a colorless cotton shirt
open al the neck, an ancient coat with
irayed tails, a pair OF badly discolored
teams trowsers, and two half-laced
shoes that did not match who met
him with tho ease and courtesy of a
prince talked literature. travel and
science with him in softly modu-
lated drawl hoped he would do him
the honor OF dining with him. that he
would remain with us some time. and
give the people Of the country an
opportunity for entertaining him, &c,
&C., Jack Ceased to exhibit any sur
prise, however much he may had felt
even to me.
as to the women he met. my old
rharsodies on their attractions ara
rerfecdons. had probably prepared
liissl for 4 disappointment; and this
made him the easier victim to their
charms when he found such eypectd-
Sons unfounded Though confined by
,t3o;r purses 70 the simplest ami
cheap materials of dress for ordin-
sry wear, they were daintily AMI
pre;tily gowned. and appeared III
strange contrast to. the careless Glove
Illness of the male members of their
families. For the size Of the COM
munity, there were an unusual NUM-
Der of very pretty girls, and all were
dainty and attractive, appearing in
their impoverished homes like lilies in
Z neglected garden. Their voices,
well, they have always been like
angels music to me; and my Yankee
friend seemed to so find Thorn also
Frank he said to me as We were
driving home from the Rivers place,
whore lad taken him to see Bessie
ard her grandfather. II think your
women have the sweetest voices in
the world | could listen with pleas
.nre TO tho music OF Miss Rivers voice
al day hey are nearly all sweet,
hut hers is perfection
told him that all the boys at home
had thought so in our day. and that
he had waged many battle for the
privilege OF listening TO IL Then be-
coming little more serious, added.
But lookout. old man: don't follow
orr hoyish example ana take the dis
ease now. II IS lnore. serious al our
age
Ard as / said this vision of an
other face came to my mind only e
he sternly hanished again.
Il will not be up TO schoolhos
tricks. answered Jack smiling Bui
after Il few moments silence, be asked
But why has a woman Of her beauti
and charm never married?