Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-04
Literary.


tho past and the present, contemplate only the fa
ture and are forever building their airy castles in
the realms of imagination. There arc Others
whose short-sighted vision looks scarcely beyond
the present-content to be amused alone with the
constantly shifting scenes as they recur in the
great panorama Of life. And there are others
again whose pleasure il is to cast retrospective
Chances at the past-to lingcr, in imagination, up
on the scenes and associations Of by-gone days
10 review, under the mellowng influence Of time.
the recollcctions Of that happy period when every
thing was co.ieur de rose, and when We knew not
how often and how sadly the practical struggles OF
existence upset all the glowing anticipations OF
our Lies Young Dream" Happy are those
whose pleasure it is to cherish none but fond and
affectionate remcmbrances Of the past--happy nrc
those who can at any period Of their lives, truth
fully feel the sentiment. "Ifaec olim meminisse Ju
ra6if!"
| Such, however, We account the author of the
pleasant and genial Sketches" now lying before
us. We say this, not out of compliment to the
fair Sex, to which, If rumor be true, the author
belongs In truth. we must canddy confess to n
very strong prejudice. in the general. against fe-
male book makcrs--and tho greatest tribute we
could pay, perhaps, to the Sketches" before US,
is to acknowledge that We found those prejudces
melting rapidly away like the morning cloud or
the early dew" in tho pcrusal Of these entertain
ing 'Recollections of Lynchburg"
Ordinarily, 1.-The oldest inhabitant" has been
considered a myth--a standing joke for face,ous
newspaper paragraphists, scarcely less often en-
ployed than that other chronic witticsm in respect
of that invisible individual. tho clerk of the
weather We are assured, however, that our au-
thoress, though by no means deserving Tho title Of
the "oidest inhabitant, has yet lived long enough
to have witnessed with her own eyes many of the
scenes she has skctched-to have recalled 10 her
own memory many Of the rccolections with which
we are favored. If she cannot truthfully employ
the words of virgirs hero. "Omnia que rid,, quo
rum magma pdrs FIJI" there is at least amply
enough Of personal "reminiscences in the volume.
to give it all the interest aud zest OF autobiog
raphv The sketches" evidently. arc from life
and it is difficult to say whether We are the
more pcased with the fidelity Of the portraits. or
the graceful handling Of the pencil with which
they are executed.
| If such be our verdict---if such be the opinion
Of us who arc not "natiye and to the manner born"
of Lynchburg. with how much more of pleasure
BILE interest will this volume be read by those
whose ancestors are tho subjects of these Sketch
esq If entertaining to ono whose genealogical
tree has boomed in far distant portion Of our
common Commonwealth will they not prove doub-
ly interesting to those whose local attachments arc
strengthened by the perdurable ties of ancestry
and birth?
| The volume opens, very appropriately, with II
sketch of the "LYNcn amily"--the founders Of
Lynchburg, This is followed by an interesting
memoir of CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY distinguish
cd lawyer. whose memory is doubtless fresh in the
minds Of many Of our readers. Then follows u
chapter devoted to "Reminiscences Of the Court
md Bar of Lynchburg," containing, besides many
entertaining anecdotes, portraitures of CnAScRL-
LoR TAYLOR, PEAcny GllMrR GEORGE W. NELSON,
JAMES W. PEoRAn, SAMrEL BnAysroRp. aud Major
JAMES Is. RIsouE, with incidental illusions tn
Judge WM. DANIEL. ST., DANIEL SmErrEY, Judge
LEIGH, CALLowHILL MINIS JonN W. WILLS, and
THos L. BouLpiN. Next comes, in regular sue.
cession sketches of Mrs. D,slEL. of the IRVINE
family tho II,RRIsoNs tho OwENs, the LANG
noRNEs. the CABELIs, the WiNsroNs, the NoRvELLs,
tho WARwicKs, the D,BNEYs the lloLcoAnEs, the
ROYALS, the MuRRELLs, and others which our
limited space will not allow us to mention In
tersperscd through the book are other chapters
devoted to special subiects-such as Publ,
Amuscments of Lynchburg," Encyclopaedia oi
Lynchburg Literature" in which is developed the
fact, which we never knew before that those beau
tful lines commencing with I'D offer thco hi,
hand Of mine were written by citizen of Lynch
burg,) History Of the Methodist Church.
SCHOOLS on Church Street." Episcopal Churcl
in Lynchburg," Masonry in Lynchburg,' with
very interesting sketch of Irish John Robertson.
famous Mason in old times, miscellaneous char
acters." including James Moselev, Ballard Kidd
Capt. Ep,s Spain. aud Blind Billy, the Flutist
1.-The Reformed Methodist Church." THE Water
ing Places of Lynchburg." "The Baptist Church,
"A Hauted House." and many other remini.
cences of people and localities. In short there
scarcely anything of interest about the town tina
seems to have escaped the vigilant eyes of 9Th
Oldest inhabitant"
The reader may form some idea from this "bil
of fare" of the feast that awaits him in the peru
sal Of the book itself. Not alone to the antigua
rian whose own "reminiscences arereproduced, an,
whose memory Of things in the dim distance o
the past are revived-but to the young generation
now following in the footsteps of their fathers
will this volume possess peculiar and extraordi
nary attraction.
We might, were we not afraid Of the suspicion
of hyperbolcal praise, allude to the excellent mo
raj tone which pervados tho entire work-to tn,
fervent spirit of Christianity, which is not onl,
betrayed by the writer. but is inculcated in tn,