Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1931-05-15

| ing white man knows them"
Todkill was sinewy, broad-shoul-
dered, rudy man Of medium height
and keen blue eyes. His blond hair
and beard were streaked with gray.
His quick movements and rapid talk,
his prodigious hands and arms be-
trayed the lion-like vitality and en-.
ergy wrapped in his red skin. He
pointed out the houses on the hills
behind and characterized the men and
women who lived in them as follows:
america is partly rocks: reckon
they helped to hold the world down
pretty time while it were young and in
the green years. They have winds
here that would blow the top off o
hell. We need weight In the houses
to hold 'em down.
There's John Endicott! A big iron
cannon loaded with hard opinions
He is sure that God agrees with him
"There's winthrop. He's a lever
among iron men. He can move EN-
gallant, good man! Rich, learnt
Lives in that long house yonder
"Thomas Dudley, the governor, lives
next to Winthrop. Blue-bloodedi
Agent and kin o. the duke O. Northum.
berland and Sir Philip Sidneyl Iron
mani Cuts O. brassi Hates light
stuff. Beware o. light carriage and
light words when he's lookin'.
reckon he thinks that God is a Dudley
Nj t-c DIT al
hearts. It's buxom land. 1 want to
take We to wit and a scholar. Knew
VIII Shakespeare and Ben Jonson.
He's the hermit o. the promontory.'
He hired a birch-bark canoe and
padded the young men across a cove
to the little hut of Henry Blaxton-a
tall, lank, swarthy, hospitable Eng
lishman who loved to smoke and recall
his memories to men Of understanding.
He was near sixty years of age. In
deerskin half-boots and rough sad
cloth he was still gentleman-one
Of those restless sons of the old sod
who have seen much Of the world
and can be content with his own COM
pany. His head and beard were well
trimmed. The cheerful friend of John
Smith was smiling. There was
twinkle in the gray eyes of the hermit
when, after welcoming his guests, he
shook the ashes out Of his pipe and
said:
+ "Todkill, you have the judgment Of
malt horse or you would not be
bringing your friends to meet half
decayed, worm-eaten gentleman.
have a great fear of woodpeckers.
"WelI, if we light on you we shall do
no peckin'," Todkill answered.
"Sit down and loose your tongues.
I'll be milestone for your wit"
Todkill turned to the young men
and said: Here's a whale who needs
deep4r water to play in than my CAB
affords. Once one o. King James
men playin' at the Globe"
Then the hermit spoke: sand now
playing with many ghosts in comedy
called Solitude. This is my kingdom.
l am the king, the court, the church
and the parliament. The dog and the
cat are my people We have no dis
agreements. The other players enter.
Real folk, as now, or ghosts out Of my
memory. My friend VIII Shakespeare
comes in with a merry jest and sits
down with me as he was wont to do
of old. Big Ben Jonson busters on
with one of his old tales of the town.
full of intrigue and youthful deviltry,
adding at the end IF it be not so I'll
eat my spur feathers
"These boys were eager to meet
you," said Todkill.
Blaxton remarked with bow and a
SMILE 81 will now hear their lines.
hope that they are of sober and
peaceable conversation
They recognized this phrase from
one of the laws of the general court,
which Doctor Cotton had read to
them.
"Are you a member of the church?"
young Heydon asked.
"No, l am old and live in the
skies. The Lords brethren are like
the Lords bishops, but the brethren
are better men," Blaxton answered.
IT hate their tyranny as Jew hates
hogs flesh. Still when / think of
these stern men / set my wisdom at
work. The shores swarm with mere
adventures who expect to find rocks
of pure gold. Some are careless, i'm
proyident, merry time-killers. Their
receding backs were joy and relief to
their friends in England. Some are
Missionaries content with nothing but
war and loot and liberty that kills it.
self. Some are bull beef, ready to go as
they are driven. None Of these louis
care a straw for law and order. They
would be glad to see them put away.
These evil, lax and thoughtless men out
number the church folk. But remember
the church makes the only law we
have and maintains respect for 1t.
Weakness would open the way to chaos
and anarchy. The magistrates are
sturdy old Englishmen struggling with
the ancient law of dead and moldering
ages to bend it to their common sense"
(To BE CoNTINUED)