Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-09-19
From the New Orleans Picayune.
LIFE IN A TRUNK.
NUMBER vi.
STRIBLING SPRINGS,
Augusta County, Va. August 1871

Augusta County, Va, August, iS7I. {
Tell me, dear friend, did you ever take
straw ride? No? Then may the future hay
in store for you the jolly experience. For hin
who can ride In his carriage every day it ha
all the charm of novelty; for him who keep
his horses in his own two shoes, and rarely
drives any other pair, it also has its attractions
A camp meeting is being held about two miles
from this place, by sect called The United
Brethren, and party of US begged the priv
llege OF being sent to it in the farm wagon. A
door, its base filed with fresh sweet hay. 8
single board lying across it in front for the dri
ver's accommodation. Our numbers here have
recently been augmented by the arrival from
New York of the first President of your first
city railroad with his wife and two young
daughters, both Of the latter noted bellies oi
Gotham. Into the wagon we gathered them
all, with the exception of the 4. F., to whom
was assigned a seat in another carriage, The
senior partner took the base and assumed the
whip, and reins. A dignifed gentleman from
Washington, after a moments hesitation,
| sprung up to the seat at his side; into the
spare spots we tucked some little girls and
boys while q we'll known member of an E. b.
'. swung himself up on the end-board behind,
and away we went. How many feet long that
wagon was on the outside | have not heard !;
but that there were at least twenty-four feet in
side | know by numeral measurement The
rattle OF the sprlngless wagon, which the driver
took pains to carry over all the stones, the mer-
ry laughter of the gay girls and the shouts of
the children awakened the echoes as we joted
away. The member of the T. T. Y. pelted
the children with Erench-bonbons, or tossed to
the girls gayly colored sugar apples, which nev-
er proved to be apples of discord. Whenever
we came to particularly bad bit of road, our
impromptu driver took particular pains to
"whip. up" when, with our chighons dancing
regular Virginia breakdown" and amid
from speaking lest we should bite our precious
tongues, we would rush down hill and bounce
over the inevitable ''chuck-hole" at the bot
tom, only to go laughing and talking more gay
ly than ever up the next ascent. We passed
an old log school-house, its broken windows
begging for glazier, and its ill-hung door
clinglng to post In manner which seemed to
indicate it had been dining out. During the
days of secession it had been the scene of many
warm political debate; and could its rough
hewn walls but speak, what items of interest
might they not add to the history of the lost
cause
We reached fine grove of oak and chestnut
trees, and knew by sundry sights and sounds
cents a yard p Here's your live, rattlesnake !:
walk up, gentlemen and ladies, and take look
at him !" ''Melons here, almost given away |"
were some of the cries that saluted our ears
while gay booths, displaying the fimsiest and
gaudiest decorated fronts, and nearly every
popular and familiar advertisement, except
''Buy your shirts at S. N. Moodys,' met our
eyes, On one tree was nailed a flaming circus
poster on another blacksmith stated he was
prepared to shoe all beasts at the rate of one
dollar and twenty-five cents full set. The odor
of strong cheese and stewed chicken, of ham
and onions, of pastry and perspiration pervaded
the place. Upon horse sat young country
girl, eating what is known as hunk of gin
gerbread," while behind her, on the same ami
NAL, her freckle-faced lover regaled himself
upon watermelon. The girls decided to pur-
chase some candy, and the young man in the
booth at which they stopped offered as an ex-
cuse for the awkwardness he displayed in tying
it up in an old newspaper, that his partner,
who usually attended to this part of the busi-
ness, happened to be absent. A partner and
really the whole stock in trade could not have
been worth more than two dollars and half
Passing the last booth, we came upon plot
Of ground enclosed on three sides by rude
wooden tents; the row fronting US as we ap-
preached intersected by the pulpit, rough,
wooden platform with rough covering over
head Under the trees rows of wooden bench
es were prepared for the congregation, and the
altar was fenced in by unhewn rails resting up
on stakes and bound together by strips of bark
at the corners. Near the front the ground was
strewn with straw for the benefit of the
"mourners" those moved with the spirit OF
the revival, who go forward to be prayed for.
| The people were just getting settled in their
tents, and old and young, little babies and
feeble invalids had left their homes and gath
cred here in the most earnest and cheerful
| spirit to enjoy the annual meeting. We were
invited into the tent of Widow Whitmer, a
| thorough specimen of an old country lady, her
head covered with clean white cap, the broad
ruffle of which shaded her aged face he1
breast covered with snowy handkerchief
pinned neatly across the front Of her plain cal
leo dress, and clay pipe, which she smoked
slowly, held between her lips, | asked her how
many occupied her tent "We are eleven, =
this year, she said. Eleven" [ repeated
looking around the ten by twelve cabin. "HoV
10 the world do you all sleep?" "Oh, very
nicely the young women sleep up stairs ano
we old women down stairs" The up stairs
was sort of shelf swung up just under the
ridge-pole, something like the upper berth ii
sleeping car, and the "down stairs" wa:
another bed directly under the upper one anG
of the same kind The ''men folks" she sale
all slept in the wagons. We were Hospitality
urged to 'sit by and take bite" at her vel
filled tea table, spread just outside of the ten
door, but not being hungry were forced to de
cline The very perfection of neatness was Wis
ible in tent and table, and indeed, the snug
ness and order in all the cabins reminded nj
of house keeping have witnessed among off
GERS and men aboard ships.
A horn Justify blowed near by startled us all
but our friend, the widow, told US it was 'th
bell for evenin' meeting" and we at once pro
ceeded to the altar and took seats. Hug
boxes of earth placed upon tripods Of rough
wood stood at regular distances through th
grounds, and upon these immense fires Of pin
wood were kindled,. lighting up the scene witt
a weird and wonderful brilliancy, converting
the chestnuts and oaks into tall corinthan cap
itals, which seemed to support the dome o
heaven with its frescoes of shining stars. Th
service opened with prayer and the singing o
simple hymns by the whole congregation
prayer again, and sermon plain and direct
and admirably adapted to the understanding G
the hearers. At the close of the services W
found our way once more to our wagon, sa'
the +. Z. and the ladies he had escorted safel
in their carriage, and then discovered it was s
dark we could scarcely see the road. The Sc
nior partner, for once not daring to trust hi
own eyes, tried to hire driver, but could fin
no one willing to forego the commercial end Q
the camp meeting, therefore he was obliged t
mount the box again himself while the repre-
, sentative of the E. E. VS., with his usual ga
{ lantry and good nature, secured lantern an
walked ahead until he had led us safe
, through the tall timber" and out of th
| how ho I l.. ~