Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1921-02-03
CHAPTER XIV.
a FIRST Trip in the sssrsa and =
little Adventure

! aacHS&A lMEfc - A0 lAx1S II ttc
lie of man more pregnant with in
f1nsnces ON his future life than when
he leaves home as a hoy for the frst
time. He departs with load of good
advice large enough 10 form guiding
lights Tor the lives 81 u dozen repro
bates, ii properly edited and arrang
ed: and fOrgets all or the greater
part ol it, before he has passed the
nest station What he does moi for
get. aud The changing Of which il
eYer done IS matter vi Years and
education. are the feelings. thoughts
and prejudices. loves and hates, that
have gradually formed and grown
with his growth, and have become as
much part of his being as his blood
and bone
Thus il was that left home one
bright September morning with a
heavy load of most excellent advice,
and parenthetically, a very light
load of Indifferent baggage aud fill
ed with d passion for all things OF the
past. i steady dislike for all things
northern. and contempt for the
Union aud all ii represented.
AS TO the advice SO literally sup
piled me by nearly all my friends. it
all fell away before | had reached
Spartasyille, except the parting quo
tation OF my wise old friend the Doc
tor, who had IN no way contributed
10 the general supply And Andrew.
dear, believe me; Yell find mankind
an unco' squad. an muckle will they
grievc ye These words rang in my
car like d refrain. 10 the rattle OF the
car wheels. long after all familiar
scenes were left behind, and have al
ways remained with me- All the rest
disappeared from nay mind as quickly
as mist before the rising sun; and II
any OF it was ever remembered again,
II Vas only for ii to be speedily drop
red into oblivion once more.
With the feelings prejudices and
passions that had grown with my
growth. it was different. They We're a
part or my very self; and carried
fUNI5i NltN l1fC HI IAll B0WS9+2E iALu I'll
ter mary years OF association with
tho .unco squad md r.niuekle grief
only some few have been eradicated,
another few modified and the rest
we'll. they will probably be with me
at the last great call
But will leave MOI alizing and re-
turn to the story Of my trip. Anyone
who had occasion to make long trip
over southern road in the early
seventies or even at much later
period for that matter will remem-
Der its many Inconvenience and dis
comforts knowing nothing else. at
tha; time. | accepted everything that
came as a matter of course. thinking
such things must be common to all
trsvel
There were few passengers on the
train. and the stati9ns we're few AMI
sar between, ami generally uniform II
appearance. They usually consisted
Of a few struggling frame houses and
.tores i full half OF them having a
large sign with Saloon" on it hang
ing over the door scafiar red along an
equally struggling street. dusty or
MUDDY according 10 the weather
About the racks in front Of the 81 s.es
would he hitched evory known char
a.ler Of horse and mule. with divers
forms Of saddle gear or vehicle. but
al Of rusty appearance ana venerable
age.
About the ricketv wooden depot, as
the train drew in. would always be
found the same crowd Of men and
boys. of all colors and ages. sitting
90 the platform or boxes. or leaning
| againss anything that offered a sup
port. idly chewing tobacco. whiting
sticks. or simply with hands in poe
kets doing nothing They were most
II dressed in jeans trowsers stuck in
| boots. cotton shirts. with or withou;
coats. and wore either wide brimmed
| flapDy straw hats. or dark colored
soft felt ones that had once beer
black. but had long since lost theil
pristine lnstre and all ambition to,
wards iauntiness.
The black sections u the little
crowds presented a more picturesque
IL somewhat more ragged, appearance
/ In the matter of dress. They were
uniformly without coats. and theil
shirts and hats were anything tina
might be called essheF By the wiidest
stretch OF the imagination. But the pic
turesuueness TO the scene Was lent b,
/ their trowse-s-if one may dignif.
their neither garments by such +;
name which presented a most fane'
ful patchwork effect or many colors
After a while began to wondel
| fancifuIly il il wsge not the sam.
crowd all the time. transported b
some magic from station 70 station
they were so much alike. They seem
led To have no expectation OF anything
happening. or any interest in any
thing g0ing on about them: and wouI,
just stand or sit. looking on With
cam. serene indifference. without
trace of speculation in their locks. 81
far as one could Judge from expires
Il =