The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-07-03
[rRoN OUR SPECIAL coRREsPoNDEST.
Lexington, Its People, Professors, etc
STAuNToN, June %, 1868.


STAuNToN, June %, 1868.
1t has been charged that the people
of Lexington are not merely, nice, but
too nice-that is, they are strait-laced,
and carry their Presbytcrianism to an
extent almost Puritanical. The hard
aud sinful world was ever thus disposed
to accuse the sober and godly-mnded,
who love to keep the narrow path OF
piety; but, whether the charge be true
or false, can aver that, so far as my
own experience goes, l saw nothing
Puritanical about the people. Perhaps
j was not permitted to penetrate be-
hind the veil. There may be iirc to ac-
count for the smoke of such slanderous
reports as that there are now living in
Lexington persons who would rather
see Washington College remandcd toits
former insignificance than to admit a
mong its board of Trustees any man
who is not a presbyterian and particu-
larly a Presbyterian preacher. The
evil ones who take pleasure in original
Ing reports SO silly and unfounded,
will be rewarded in due time for their
pains; but meanwhile, their mendacious
mouths might easily be stopped by adj
hitting to the Board laymen of all de-
domination sand especiallya few clergy
men of churches not Presbyterian. -
The time has passed when any hope can
be entertained even by the most sangu-
inc Of keeping up the sectarian charac-
ter of Washington College, nor Is there
IN the State u single clcar-headed and
true-hearted Prcsby terrain who desires
such a thing
The great charm about the society in
Lexington--so much of it at least as is
nearly connected with the College and
1nstitutc--is certain elevated simplic-
Ity and na:uralness, which must be seen
to DO understood and appreciated. |
cannot better describe it than In the
few words just used. My misfortune
was to have been educated at the North,
and my recollection OF ,thc social at.
mosphere which surrounded the Profess
sors and their families, is by no means
pleasing. A stiff, formal, angular,
starchy, quite chilly, somewhat bony,
and almost gritty recollection ii is, us it
now looms up before me, enlarged and
made more rcpulsive than it really was
by the mists OF many years. Due al
lowance being made for angles of re-
fraction, am still constrained to think
that the Northern Professor holds him
self at an awful distance from the stu
dent, and plays the pedantic pedagogie
as much to his own disadvantage as
to the students injury.
Another rule obtains in Lexington,
Mt the University OF Virginia and at
Williamsburg. without lowering their
dignity one particle, the Professors at
these places have adopted wisely the
plan of putting the student upon the
footing of a gentleman and man OF
honor, whose chief safeguard must be
his own love of principle; and the inter-
course DcbNCCii JilC wv 10 vi uidtSu "
this tacit understanding. How happy
the result has been need not be told, for
we in Virginia arc familiar whit. But
Icannot forbcar telling here little story
about Judge BROcKENBoRoUGH and JOB
McV. which illustrates very perfectly
what have stated quite im3erfcctly.
The Judge always gives supper to
his law class at the close of the session,
and, whatever the other LeXingtonians
may be, the Judge is certainly no Put
Titan. at the supper which was given
when Mr.. Nov. graduated. and just be-
fore the supper was served, the Judge
called Mr.. McV. to him and said, with
ponderous gravity.
-"Our relations heretofore, Mr.. McN.
have been, to me at least, exceedingly
pleasant. You have won my confidence
and esteem, aud hope that have Sc
cured your respect. Is it not so, sir!'
"Yes, sir" said JOB, not without tre-
pcdation as to what might be the mean
ing of this exordium.
"Our relations" continued the Judge,
with increasing ponderousness," are
now changed, wholly and irreyocaiiy
changed, SIR"
JoB turned pale.
The Judge concluded, almost with
severity. "Heretofore, sir, have call
cd YOU Mr.. Nov. Hereafter, sir, shall
call you Jon. jon, let's take drink"
There is about all these grave Profess
sors genial naturalness and absence
of pretence-what l should call, not
donhomie, but a plain, old-fashioned
Virginianism, which is to me more at
tractive than all their learning. II oc-
casion require, they can be as erudite as
Person or Agassiz, but being thorough
men and not masses of verbs ald self
conceit, they arc always in active SYM
pathy with the people of Virginia and
the south, are interested heartily in the
pressing questions ofthe hour and keen
" alive to everything that pertains to
the welfare of their State and section
working, indeed, with hopeful earnest
l.. 4.