Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-11-14
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Life in 9. Trunk.
NUMBER TWELVE.

SEPTEMBER, 1871.
The porch at Stribling resembled railroad
depot On the departure OF train. There we
all were assembled for trip to Weyer's Cave
the ladies gloved and wrapped and lugubrious,
the gentlemen all knights of the Rueful Coun-
teuance. 1t ralned-oIe of those drIzzing
soaking, disreputable rains which finds its way
into the country late In the season and takes
possession OF the land. 10 front of the door
stood dozen or so OF vehicles. curtains down
and aprons up, and horses hanging their heads
as if ashamed to come In contact with such a
mean storm, which never once clustered up In
to brave, honest, tempest, with all It's splendid
auxiiaries of thunder, wind and lightning, but
crept along slyly, like thief, and laid itself
down On the sleek coats of the poor steeds and
made them shiver, and sneaked behind their
ears and ticked them, and dribhled into their
eyes and blinded them, aud stole the dry
ground from under their feet and left them
standing in miserable little pools of dirty water
To 60 or moi 10 go, that was the question,
which, put to vote was finally settled in the af-
irmative. At once. ensued merry confusion,
and umbrellas rose with voluptuous swell,
and there was mounting In hot haste, and
everybody;s ''spack" got into everybody elSe's
carriage, and ev rybody was mistaken for
somebody else and everybody was good-natured
went, Cousin George and the young doctor
leading off, each with pretty girl at his side,
aud carriages. phptons, buggies and hacks,
containing in all about thirty-fve persons, in
quick succession went splashing and dashing
out of the gates through Moffat's Gap and
down the couutry road. Who cared that it was
''misty, moisty morning p as Mother Goose
has it, Was it not novel and delightful to ride
in the rain, to laugh in its face, to combat it,
and DEFY it 10 cast damper on our pleasure?
Through the queer little town Of Parnassus,
where not so much as a village pump stood to
recall the tabled iount of the fabIed Nine !;
suspected of being a village had he not been
told of it; through the beautiful hamlet of
Messy Creek through the burnt district, y
where for some Confederate success, or failure,
the Federal General commanding ordered every
barn for five miles around to be burned !;
through Mount Crawford, where the young
minister Joined US; through Bridgewater,
which we found pleasant looking, solid little
town, inviting even on a rainy day. Up steep
hills down dripping valleys, past the wet
woods under shivering willows, the landscape
scowliDg, the roads getting heavier, the rate OF
speed getting slower. Ever and anon "Y ork S :,
carriage, his eyes laughing and bis hair weep
ing grea' drops of rain-water. Useless to say
to him, Shake not thy CORY locks at me. =
He will shake them, and he will fling back at
us some witty bon mot as we round sharp spurs
of mountains or splash across the plains. Sud-
denly the clouds break-there is panic-they
fly The sun shines out, but 10 +! there is a
strange shout greets his coming. There is con-
fusion in our ranks. york" has come to
grief A horse has dropped In the harness
the Senior Partner rubs him with rider from
the nearest fence, and while he thus rails at
him York s. flask is demanded. He yields
it with rue face The horse imbibes, but he
does not speedily revive. His driver leads him
IN and down the road. mo use-can't trav-
el-bad case of thumps A Encouragement
of passengers is made. The empty coach and
the sick horse and mate are lett at the roadside.
"York" looks at his empty flask, at the dull
eye and open mouth of the poor horse, and
goes off resiguedy humming, Thy sweet
smile haunts ne still.
By the time we had reached Moher Hotel
the sun was shining and the weather had be-
come decidedly Child like and bland. -
shown to our rooms. and assisted by charm
ing little lasse. who called herself Fannie,
| the grand child of mine host, we made the
change of dress necessary for all cave visitors
and appeared at the dinner table merry cali
| co brigade They have peculiar way OF cook
| ing chicken and making biscuit. at Mohler. s.
which has the singular effect of making the
partaker more and more hungry the longer he
eats. There surely was never anything more
delicious Like Oliver Twist, everybody wanted
more, and unlike the said 0. l., everybody got
it. The supply was mex xhanstible and ther
the rich cream for the coffee had special sor
of fascination about it, which was constantly
leading US into temptation. Appetite, at last
however demanded an armlstlce. and witt
light shawls, and wells tied over the heads O
the ladies, We started for the cave. The patti
led down a rocky road which lay along Draw
lag, turbulent beautiful stream, the south
fork of the Shenandoah From this road ;
ziezae path leads up steep hill, where, in th'
midst OF rocks, and ferns and overhanginl
bonehs we found Mr. s., who had preceded US
quietly seated Oh stone aud smoking his cigar
The cath ended at bis resting place, thougl
the summit of the bill was still some distanc
above US. Near the door OF rude, woode
hut, which covers the mouth OF the cave an
which is always kept locked save when opene
to visitors, | beheld with CONSERVATION yello'
dog! | would not mention 1t, save to say tha
this sort of beast has joined me on every ez
cursion have made in Virginia. lie has bt
come, in fact, species OF ubiquitous tamilia
| trust you will not accuse me OF an lrishism
| laal..o - 80, nj course in strict COnfidepc,