The Poets & Poetry of Cecil County, Maryland
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Library of Congress The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. THE POETS AND POETRY OF CECIL COUNTY, MARYLAND. COLLECTED AND EDITED BY GEORGE JOHNSTON, AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF CECIL COUNTY. A verse may finde him whom a sermon flies, And turn delight into a sacrifice. —Herbert LC LIBRARY OF CONGRESS JUNE 17, 1887 15673 CITY OF WASHINGTON ELKTON, MD: PUBLISHED BY THE EDITOR. 1887 PS558 .M3J6 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by GEORGE JOHNSTON, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. “THE APPEAL” POWER PRESS PRINT, ELKTON, MARYLAND. PREFACE. This volume owes its existence to the desire of some of the teachers and pupils of the public schools in the northeastern part of Cecil county, to do honor to the memory of the late School Commissioner David Scott. Shortly after Mr. Scott's death, some of the The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress parties referred to, proposed to collect enough money by voluntary contributions to erect a monument over his grave, in order to perpetuate his memory, and also to show the high regard in which he was held by them. This project being brought to the knowledge of the editor, he ventured to express the opinion that the best monument Mr. Scott could have, would be the collection and publication of his poems in book form. This suggestion met the approbation of the originators of the project, who asked the writer to undertake the work of collecting the poems and editing the book. Subsequent investigation showed that Mr. Scott had not left enough poems to justify their publication in a volume by themselves; and the original plan of the work was changed, so as to include, so far as it has been practicable to do so, the writings of all the native poets of the county, and those who though not natives, have resided and written in it. Owing to causes not necessary to state it was impracticable, in some cases, to make as creditable a selection as could have been made had it been possible to have had access to all the poetry of the different writers. In a few instances the book contains all the poetry of the different writers that it has been practicable to obtain. Herein, it is hoped, will be found sufficient apology, if any apology is needed, for the character of some of the matter in the book. If any apology is needed for the prominence given to the poems of David Scott (of John.) it may be found in the foregoing statement concerning the origin of the book; and in the fact, that, for more than a quarter of a century, the editor was probably his most intimate friend. So intimate indeed were the relations between Mr. Scott and the writer, that the latter had the pleasure of reading many of his friend's poems before they were published. The same may be said in a more extended sense, of the poems of David Scott (of James) to whose example and teaching, as well as to that of the other Mr. Scott—for he was a pupil of each of them—the writer owes much of whatever literary ability be may possess. The editor is also on terms of intimacy with many of the other contemporary writers whose poetry appears in the book, and has striven to do justice to their literary ability, by the The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress selection of such of their poems as are best calculated, in his opinion, to do credit to them, without offending the taste of the most fastidious readers of the book. From the foregoing statement it will be apparent that the object of the editor was not to produce a book of poetical jems, but only to select the poems best adapted to the exemplification of the diversified talents of their authors. The work has been a labor of love; and though conscious that it has been imperfectly performed, the compiler ventures to express the hope that it will be received by a generous and discriminating public, in the same spirit in which it was done. EDITORIAL NOTES It is a remarkable fact that all the native poets of Cecil county except one or two were born in the northern part of it, and within about eight miles of the boundary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania. What effect, if any, the pure atmosphere and picturesque scenery of the country along the banks and romantic hills of the Susquehanna and Octoraro may have had to do with producing or developing poetical genius, cannot be told; but nevertheless it is a fact, that William P., and Edwin E. Ewing, Emma Alice Browne, Alice Coale Simpers, John M. Cooley and Rachel E. Patterson were born and wrote much of their poetry, as did also Mrs. Caroline Hall, in that beautifully diversified and lovely section of the county. It is also worthy of note that Tobias and Zebulon Rudulph were brothers, as are also William P. and Edwin E. Ewing; and that Mrs Caroline Hall was of the same family; and that Folger McKinsey and William J. Jones are cousins, as are also Mrs. James McCormick and Mrs. Frank J. Darlington, and Emma Alice Browne and George Johnston. Owing to the fact that the size of the book was necessarily limited by the price of it; and to the fact that the poems of three of the writers were not obtained until after a large part of the book had been printed, it was impossible to give some of the writers, whose proper places were in the latter part of the book, as much space as was desirable. For the reason The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress just stated, the editor was compelled to omit a large number of excellent poems, written by David Scott (of James,) and others. CONTENTS. DAVID SCOTT (of John.) PAGE. Biography 17 Lines Suggested by the Singing of a Bird 19 An Eastern Tale 20 The Market-Man's License 24 Lines on the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Scott 25 My Schoolboy Days 26 The Donation Visit 29 Lines on the death of Miss Mary Hayes 31 Lines on the death of Miss Eleanora Henderson 32 Lines on the death of Mrs. Burnite 34 Stanzas read at the Seventy-second Anniversary of the birthday of Joseph Steele 35 To Mary 38 Impromptu to Mrs. Anna C. Baker 39 The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress Lament for the year 1877 39 Verses presented to my Daughter 41 Lines on the death of a young lady of Wilmington 42 Youthful Reminiscences 42 Stanzas to a little girl on her birthday 45 To Miss Mary Bain 46 Stanzas addressed to Mr. and Mrs. T. Jefferson Scott 48 Birthday Verses written for a little girl on her ninth birthday 50 Roll Call 51 In Memoriam Rensellaer Biddle 52 Stanzas written on the fly leaf of a child's Bible 53 Christmas Greeting, 1877 53 Anniversary Poem read at the anniversary of the Seventieth birthday of Mrs. Ann Peterson 54 Lines on the death of Jane Flounders 56 What is Matter? 57 Anniversary Hymn 59 The Intellectual Telegraph 61 The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress Lines on an Indian Arrow-Head 62 Acrostic to Miss Annie Eliza McNamee 63 Minutes of the Jackson Hall Debating Society, Dec. 5, 1877 63 Retrospection 66 Acrostic to Miss Florence Wilson McNamee 67 The Book of Books 68 The Lesson of the Seasons 69 John A. Calhoun, My Joe John 72 EMMA ALICE BROWNE. Biography 75 My Brother 77 My Father. In Memoriam, 1857 78 At the Nightfall 81 The Midnight Chime 82 May-Thalia 83 Memories 85 The Old Homestead 87 The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress Curtha 88 In Memoriam. John B. Abrahams 90 Missive to — 92 Chick-A-Dee's Song 94 To My Sister 95 Measuring the Baby 96 The Light of Dreams 98 Ben Hafed's Meed 99 Winter Bound 102 Misled 102 At Milking time 103 The Singer's Song 105 Aunt Betty's Thanksgiving 106 In Hoc Signo Vinces 109 How Katie Saved the Train 111 Off the Skidloe 114 Life's Crosses 115 The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress NATHAN COVINGTON BROOKS. Biography 118 The Mother to her dead boy 120 To a Dove 121 Fall of Superstition 123 The Infant St. John the Baptist 125 Shelley's Obsequies 126 The Fountain Revisited 127 Death of Samson 128 An Infant's prayer 130 JOHN MARCHBORN COOLEY. Biography 131 A Story with a Moral 132 Forty Years After 134 The Past 136 Loved and Lost 137 Death of Henry Clay, Jr 138 The Poets & poetry of Cecil county, Maryland. Collected and ed. By George Johnston. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.00835 Library of Congress A Valentine 140 Lines suggested on visiting the grave of a dear Friend 140 GEORGE WASHINGTON CRUIKSHANK.