Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-03
OLD VIRGINIA AFTER ALL.


But after all, that saying is but partial and
unjust statem.nt of the fact that, though our
condition is not actually bettered by our neigh
bor's worse condition, and though in his pains
it were uugeuerous and impsh, as we'll as uu
wise TO rejoice, yet undoubtedly We may legltl-
matey compare our cares or burdens with those
which some have 10 bear and thus learn with
the more patience to carry our OVID.
We, here 10 Virginia, still suffer general
poverty, we cannot yet get immigration to dow
TO US and the most sangulne amongst us Is at
last content to resign eXtravagant hopes or
speedy wealth and power aud to rely tor them,
not upon the Influx of population, nor upon our
situation in the geography OF the country, nor
upon any sudden change ln poltics, but upon
steady, dull labor and the humble but sure re-
suit of saving instead of spending 10 work
daily, and to save daily; 1t is an unloVely task,
Enlightened by no chance of speculation, dlgni-
fed by no public rewards, surrounded by no
halo of romance, consecrated by no charms OF
poetry, aud commended to US solely by hard
necessity. and primal curse We hear of the
easy roads to wealth 10 the great cities OF East
and Centre, aud West; We hear of the rapid
fortunes found in the mines OF the new
States and wide extended territories; OF
the vast products of the Western farms, and
the lucky wealth that flows from petroleum
wells; aud we hear again. as we used to hear Of
the quick profits of the Southern plantations.
For generations "Od Virginia has hearken-
ed to one or the other of these things aud send
ipg many of her children to seek them, while
she, at home, has epvicd them, has called her
self derisively "old short grass, and has con-
seuted to the reason given that she never
tried" because she never goes fast Yet II
We consider it, as We all of US do at odd times
we see and know that to wealth as to learning,
there lies no royal road The children of men
are sons of Aulaus STILL aud as In that wise
old story, draw all their strength from the
touch of earth From labor, and labor hrst 10
the ground, comes all value, and when we hear
of these marvels OF the wealth OF the street,
the mine, the we'll, we kuow that to every one
such noisy marvel there goes thousand or ten
thousand silent failures. TO Offset too, the
quick return of some Western wheat farm or
Southern plantation must be counted number
less, but unknown instances OF bare living gain
ed by laborious years, and many that end IN
illness debt and death.
The frontier is ravaged by Indians or fever.
ish with the fear of them; the Western plains
are visited now by drouth OF years; DOW by
fights of locusts darkeniDg the sun and sweep
iDg bare whole counties and States; the far
West is shaken by earthquake, and parched
again and again by cloudle>s skies; the far
South is swept by deluges and whipped by the
scourge OF pestilence.
From all these things in their severer forms
Virginia is free Our skies are fair, our
breezes are euuable, our soil is kind, our CHI
mate avoids the noxious extremes, and 1t we
have TO labor for our daily bread, tbs but what
all men must do; If we must, to grow rich and
strong again, sacrifice present pleasure to fu-
ture wealth and lay up pennies that we may
possess pounds. tbs the same the world over,
and our task we perform where climate, soil,
past history, present social life aud future pos.
sbilities do all alike and together encourage
our toll and point to certain future OF wealth,
power freedom and content.-NOytoh pr-
9lnaan.
The Speaker of the House OF Commons, in
Eugand, has one peculiar mode Of bringing re-
tractory members to order, which has never
been resorted to- The very threat Is enough.
Somebody has said that there is no telling
what would happen to the British Empire
should the speaker name an offender. Ihe
mere statement that he may be under the ne
cessity of doing so, is oil on troubled waters.
1t is more eficacious than platoon of soldiers.
In France it is a little different, and 1t would
not do for Quaker to preside over the dehb-
erations of the National Assembly. For the
threat there consists 10 the Speaker putting on
his hat; and what would be do, ii the hat-as
in Quaker consistency it must be-were on al
reauy. Samson would be shorn OF bis strength.
The potency of this capillary ornament has
like the Engish regulation--never been tired,
but we read, that in noisy discussion, recent
ly, "the Speaker rang and rang bis bell, and
the tumult got worse; and while the voices
were raised to the highest pitch, he looked
about for his hat, and said that he should
surely put it on, uoess the Deputies returned
at once to their seats. This terrible threa,
brought the tunuituous house to order, and
in few moments the deputies were as sl!eot as
scared mice
AID TO THE CARLiSrs. The Madrid I'm
parca makes the following specifications OF
complaint against France: Arms bearing the
royal initials of Don Carlos have been publicly
sold in Bayoune; mauutactory at Bordeaux
has been allowed to undertake contracts foI
supplying the Carhst army with boots and
shoes; the Duchess Of Madrid, wife OF Don
Carlos has been suffered to reside at Pau with
out being Dterued; the demand tor the extradl-
ton of the Chief, SavaIes, on account OF various
criminalities, was refused by the French Gov
erumeDt, aud his return into Spain was not
prevented; the Prefect of the Department OF
Lower Pyrcnces, who permitted public entry
OF Carlists toto Spain, is still retained in office;
thousands of armed recruits for the Carlists
have crossed the frontier; finally, two corgoes
ofarms from France have been landed Tor Car
lists.
A THING OF BEAUTY Sunday, not
long since, one of our most stylish young ladies
waltzed into church with that iolmltable grace
that is at once the peculiarly and the charm OF
the female denomination. As she took her
seat, by little behind hand movement she ar,
ranged her overskirt and then settled herself
to mediate how she looked, and what the
other girls had on. The services concluded,
81 she arose to 60 out Alas, for human hopes
That last touch ou the overskirt was too much;
she threw it loo high, and there it rested on
an an old muf which was serving as hustle. So
.ae Tretched girl wiggled away, unconscious Of
the JOY that filled the hearts of the other girls
Who saw it. -.