Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-07-05
ICOMMUNICATED.

A RIDE TO R1NawooD. Thursday las
found myself one of o company OF some NINETY
ladies and gentlemen, threading their way
thu ough the woods of Fauquier to this retreat
equally an hours ride from Catlett's Station or
the Orange and Alexandria railroad, or Gaines
vile on the Manassas road. Here we tounc
the accomplished sisters, the Misses Mlllgar
and Mrs. Fitzhugh, who have, these twenty
years gone. been engaged in forming the char
actcrs of the young ladies of the neighbouring
counties As | reached the Usage orange
enclosure and saw these honorable women sur
rounded by their pupils, | could not help
recalling the scene of Hannah More and her
sisters at Kew, and their first strange inter
view with the third George, when his majesty,
self introduced, broke in upon them at their
globes and books with his blunt quick,
"What2 What? What? Teaching school,
teaching school ! Honorable, Honorable, Hon:
orable "And the good natured, pig headed mon
garden wicket on his return from hunting-tho
first TO recognize the merit afterwards bowed
down to by that famous GALAXY, johnson,
Burke, Garrck and Goldsmith. 1t was from
this circle Hannah wrote her letter Boosting OF
the conquest she had made in drawing to her
feet the noble Oglcthorpe, then at a hundred
years old, over six feet high, straight as lance.
courtly rs Prince, vino used to sit by her
side and cnthral her for hours with tales of his
beloved colony OF Georgia, its broad sivannas.
its fauna, its fora, its red men. But / dlgIcss ::
The occasion Of the gathering at Ringwood was
the annual concert" prior to the midsummer
recess, and in the study room the company was
received to hear the rotations and the music.
The exercises were opened with prayer by
tho Rev. DIR. White of the nclghborlng church
of Greenwich, where the young ladies' are car
rjed to worship, and may remark, en- PEASANT,
the only church in all the surrounding counties
where Divine service is held every Sunday the
year round, besides evening lecture or Wed
ncs,la2s; the advantage of the interest this
learned Divine takes III the schooI, and the
simplicity OF his scripture teachings, being not
one of its least attractions.
The TRANSACTIONS made by the pupils from
English to German, German to French, French
to Latin and back again, were Of tho very first
order Of merit; 80 were the competitions, es
pecialIy one of an ideal trip from Ringwood to
Rome, cvidencing not only exact geography
but very fair knowledge Of the manners of the
people among whom the young lady imagined
herself.
MIR. Bartensteip, the professor of music, from
Warrenton, conducted tho musical examina
tons, which were hight creditablc to him and
lis pupils. | have seldom heard tho exquisite
overture to Trancredi rendered trucr.
The exercises over, the pupils and guests
adjourned to the shade Ct the oaks, among
which the house stands. under the boughs oil
which bountiiul collation. was served. There
was no want Of cultivated people to talk to, but
I confess pre-. occupation; those ten maidens,
just at the age
When human:bliss stands still,
Enjoys the good without the tear OF i'll,
attracted. Unused to so large company ii
was an ordeal, and watched how they bore
themselves. l tried to engage each by turn,
and it was beautiful to see what the Swiss
felicitously call the ''house modesty' mantle
in the cheek when addressed by the stranger;
their eyes, l noticed, being seldom raised
when SPOKEN to thus, and thought, as l look:
cd at them walking about with srms twined
fondly around brothers and fathers to whom
the day had restored them-such az these are
to be the future tone and pride of the Old
Dom nion-clothed upon with purity, the
comely christian mothers Of the land.
I have seen many fashionable boarding
schools ut home and abroad, but none to- com.
pore in the security of the heart-that price
less pearl-to the training | thought l saw
the fruit of on that day at RINawooD.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, June %, 1870.