The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-10-19
ALEX ANDRIA, VA.
Manuscripts of an Old Eachelor.-No l.
"REMINISCENCES OF ALEXANDRIA.

About eight or nine months ago, an Ole
citizen of Alexandria, native of the place,
returned on short visit, to look again upon
the home Of his youth. For a day or two, he
was cheerful enough but soon became sad
and generally remained in his room, at the
house of afriend, engaged in writing. When
he was about leaving, he handed to the wife
of his friend bundle of manuscripts, the
preparation of which, he said, had served to
beguile some heavy hours, and telling her
she might use them as she saw fit, babe
an affectionate farewell, and departed, never
again to tread the streets of the old town.
The following is one of the manuscripts
several of which are left in an imperfect and
unfinished state:
:" Ozim meminisse ucabH"-V1RG.
After an absence of thirty years, | have
returned to the place of my nativity-only
to look around, to sigh over the past--to
press the hands of few old friends-and
depart again The recollections excited by
my visit are like Ossian's music, pleasant
but mournful to the SOUL" | found much
change-but, to one at my time of life, net
changed for the better The familiar faces"
were almost all gone. l went to what was
in my time the heatre-one Of the most APP
propriately constructed edifces of the kind
in the United States, where | had seen the
highest tragedians and comedians in the
country perform to crowded houses-the elite
of Washington Aocking down to unite with
our people, to witness the triumphs of Cooper,
and Warren, and Jefferson, and Caldwell.
1t was changed. Stores occupied the base
such like, filled the places where beauty, and
youth, and genius had once collected to ap-
plaud the finest plays in the English language
performed by the best actors. | went to the
old oall room-where mad seen the most
elegant and accomplished girls of their day,
accompanied by their fathers and mothers,
and the young men of their day, decorous
and honorable, enjoying pleasant evenings,
in the most innocent and healthful of all
amusements-It was changed - converted
into lecture room-Perhaps this may be all
right do not aoW object. I looked around
for the old signs over the stores-changed-
with but rare exceptions. But few even
of the sons of my old acquaintance are left
and they seemed as if they had been
pushed from their Stools" in degree, by
others who had come for profit and adventure
and, however much OF the latter had been
encountered, but little Of the former could be
boosted of. | saw railroads coming into town
i hear you call it city now-a-days-alas
and alack and | saw passengers hurrying
ont of it by other railroads and by steam
boats-but saw no rows Of wagons lining
King street-no wagon yards filled with the
canvassed wains and fat horses of the Valley
and OF Western Virginia, as used to be the
case in my day" Why, when was boy,
from Col. Peyton's residence down nearly to
Alfred street there was continuous line of
country wagons, backed up before the doors
of the flour and other merchants, delivering
their loads, and receiving in return, to carry
and mechanics could supply. (Have, in
truth, your railroads been worth what they
have cost you "a delicate question, and you
may whisper the answer) Fingered on the
pavement Of the City Hotel-that used to be of
marble slabs--now dead brick have stood
on the steps there, and seen the ''old time gen
men with their little tables before them,
taking glass of iced wine in the summer
afternoon, and "none to make them afraid .
Now saw FIVE or six fast young men
lounging at the corner, putting horrid cigars
and suggesting brandy julepw I went
M to look at " Washington's ballroom y
in which the Father Of his Country had often
met the young people doing honor to his
birth day. | saw it filed with beds for the
passing travelling A stroll on the wharves,
gave me no pleasure. When | was young,
many a time have I counted over the ships