The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-21

Have y'ou ever been v pa Spginia, feace'
VIZ mean dat portion Il b known as Eastern.
Many day have We spsl1 there. Many day
In boyhoed times, have we fingered about the
obi places. snd roamed ava the old fields, gun
In hand. upon ground which our ancestors had
,rod. And We dreamed -shcn=eniy Of the pre-
sent
Another hour came. Manhood had arrived,
and in that soberer period, when responsibility
weighed upon us, and we had duties TO perform,
and cares to meet, we again wandered over the
we,Isnown spot. How dear on appeared How
worn the fields. and 6esolate looked the old
homestead. They had once been cultivated by
many a laborer, and that once had been noted
for its hospitality. Beauty had been in that Dat
tered house, and by its spell, won many brave
heart. Manhood had show ed itself there, and
could have told Of honors won In bloody battle
fields Of the revolution. All-all had passed !
AWAY, Woman in her loneliness, and men in |
their strength, and slaves toiiing for both, and
loving both, all--all had gone. And waste was
now over az, and steriity upon all.and itseemed
| no, as though human energy could rcvive the
grape where once it grew, or make the earth look
green again. as in years when tho planter stood
forth its proud vet hospitable possessor, and
slaves looked up. prouder yet, that the. were
owned By good master. . \
Years again passed, and, with changed views,
We looked once more upon the ancient home OF
kindred, now no more. 1t was new place;
new hands had IT, We remembered well the big
oak above the spring, and the stone spring.
house half broken down, wher. in sunshine We
loved 10 seek the shade, and there Stake our
thirst and the glorious old park OF forest trees
that hid the family mansion, where we used to
roam, free as air, and happy as the birds and
we sought them out TO call back boyhood feel
ling, and become young again but in vain -
Modern Improvement had reached that spot IL
had renovated il. Not a tree, not blade OF
grass, not n fence, that did not speak II. We
we're provoked. We sorrowed for the moment
lover the change which intelligent industry had
wrought. We longed for the hours AZ they had
been TO us. and for the look which nature wore
when We were too happy to think. and too young
TO enquire why We were happy.
Has, ever visited an old ruin, reader, Dds.
ever return TO the home, where ancestors whom
yon had been taught to honor, had lived , IL
so. YOU can imagine our feelings-the gloom al
most that shaded our brow, and darkensd our
spirit, as we fingered, affectionstely. on past
so full of sweet remembrances to US! Bat We
were quickly reused from this dreamy revery.-
A hearty voice, as we lay upon the grass, babe
us welcome and before stood bluff, honest,
farmer, the new owner Of the place; one evil
IDENTIFY who knew how TO work, and was not
ashamed of it, and "a man for a that - ''When
I'D YOU settle here ~ we asked. ''s'ome six
wears ago" "Wbat did you give for this
7 land ," we continued, hardly knowing what We
said. Fifty cents acre" And looking
around US, and seeing every mark Of prosperity,
tha, sort of thriving which tells us that the own
er is rich and cannot be otherwise, we enquired,
: "And what is il worth now ~ To which our
{ host with hem, and an emphasis which said
!, Ibid IL, replied; Il would not take thirty dol
lars an acre for ali 1 own" sand pray"
we asked, show did you make this land so val
liable ?" by labor, sir by FREE labor sir; 1
own no slaves: lam northern man and with
my boys, and hired help. have made this worn
out and waste place what you see" We could
not forget the past. We could not help think
ing of the brave, generous men who had held
hospitable reyel on the spot, and rendered the
neighborhood glad by their kindness. and gene
rosity We could not, for moment. chase cut
of our mind the proud bearing of ancestors who
held sway there over the multitude. and did il
with SO noble bearing to make them for
get the homs ge they exac,ed. But soon other
thoughts came into our mind, and. il we could
not keep down sad rsmcmbrances. we felt that
the man. the free laborer. who stood before US
was the truer representative Of his kind, and des-
tined to make it better and happier, and the
whole land richer and wiser.
We referred. some weeks ago, to letters pub
Iished in the Richmond Wing, under the title
THE Yankees in Fairfax. BY Virginian,' -
and promised TO refer TO them. Reading them
= over, we are reminded of our own experience,
u which we have given above, and We DO not
know that we can do better than give now a
portion of the views of this intelligent, slave
> owner. He had Just visited farm in London
county, renovated by northern indusiry-a farm
whose soil was poor, and difficult to improve,
and keep in order, and yet which looked the
IS very pattern of place. lie remarks:
vi ..Gcod management and industry will, how :
y ever, work wonders, in improving even the most
| arid wastes and causing the desert to rejoice
! and blossom as the rose
y On leaving the residence Of this intelligent
u and hospitable firmer. | could not bat reflect
/, upon the contrast exhibited by the system OF in
dustry and economy here pursued, and the
course Of ideness and extravaganza which has
d impoverished so large portion Of Eastern Vir-
|. ginis. ..t .... l.
Here are fields which few years ago were
" thrown out a. commons. the surface being oppa-
!. rcntiy exhausted by incessant and injudicious
cultivation now they present cheering evil
denee of what may he done by industry and
% skill Instead Of the air of desoation that once
y prevailed, every thing here is fresh and impro.
. wing, the soil covered with iuxuriaut vegetation
e the barn yard supplied with handsome and well
IL fed s,ock,--the dairy productive OF milk, butter
If and cheese, and the neat and tasteful dwelling
. ! furnished with all the comforts Of life.
Here a few frec-aborrrs, prompted by the
u hope of reward, and aided By the best nipple
: n,ents of husbandry, perform all the work that
!. is required and by doing il promptly and skill
| fully, the land IL improved and brings forth an
abundance Of the choicest productions. By
this judcious sy stem, labor is rendered respec-
!. table, because 1t Is performed by willing hands
nj hxr x,,,l,