The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-09-23

| l.
t,,mnal equinox occurs, and for the next hal
year night holds the vantage ground. AS the
acc ustomed evenings glide stealthiy into tht
wilight, and the twilight deepens into dark
| ess. the day is scarce half long enough for the
discharge of its duties, and the hours O
night seems to clog the wheels OF time as WIFI
weight. After the summer season, the fal
mer and business men outside OF the cities, be-
gin to count I'D the fruits OF the harvest, te
firm DER and DER the leaves OF the ledger, ano
to wonder why it is their expectations nave mol
been realized and their labors rewarded
with the returns they had promised. In
every case each will parsuade himself that nc
las done all he can but he can readily point
out the flaws in his neighbours management,
whilst at the same time he is surprised at that
neiglbor's luck. He is forced to see that his
fellow-tradesman over the way has made two
pennies to his one, and in a mysterious man
ner he will tell friend, sab rosa, that he dom
| understand it exactly, an6that there must be
something behind the scenes which the rest OF
mankind know nothing OF. And the women
too, many of them have been blocked in their
little summer game, and return from the
mountains with heavy hearts, an omlnous
crow foot under each weary eye, and the same
number of marriagable daughters ON their
hands. All of the attractions of nature and art
(the druggists could solemnly swear that some
of the coloring shipped was never intended for
landscape painting) have not sufficiently con-
cealed the boards of the hook, and the matrimoni-
III suckers still bask in the glittering waters Of
cclbacy, while fresh supply OF cosmetics must
be added TO The list of necessary household ex-
penses. Nor is this all-there is the everlasting
worry about servants; selecting and arranging
the fall carpets; putting in new CRATES, and
thousand domestic trbulations which no one
but she who stands as chief director, and the
holder of an indefinite number of shares OF
trouble, can appreciate or even approximate,
until finally she almost wishes that the next
journey she takes will be to the retired shades
of Thornrosc, or some other nice quiet place,
except that those girls would be certain to get
the long mourning veil on crooked, il she wasn't
just there to arrange it, and then they acould
look ridiculous. Poor mother, the equinox will
take the sunshine out of your. life in more ways
than one, and if some fellow don't shortly take
that eldest girl out of your sight, so that tie
younger ones can be placed on exhibition, the
long winter nights will bring bat little rest to
your anxious pillow.
There are some, however, who will welcome
the shortened days with smile. In fact they
seem to greet the whole world with smiles, and
the world turns it's darker side from them.
Come what may, they are always prepared for
the change. If the anticipated fruit has prov
en- shriveed and bitter, they will throw fresh
energy into the winter business and try to
make up the'defciency. And that philosophical
mamma, as she wheels the tete-a-tete where the
light from the chandelier will scarce reach it,
thinks that just there will end the reign OF
bachelordom, and the happiness of one house
hold will be complete for a time, while the
vexations of another will soon commence.
Whatever people may dream or think of, the
equinox will teach one thing--that it is time
the winter supply of coal should be laid in, and
this was about what we were going to say at
| first, but then we didn't.