Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-05-20
,harlestown, Jefferson Co., W. Va
Saturday, May 20, 1870.
Tor he Virginia Free Pres'.
SUMMER REVERIES.
No. /.
The Village Curate.
CHAPTER !.
HYAcINTH, AND ITS PEOPLE.

II certainly was beautiful little spot, beau
~ in its very quaiutncss There was nothing
within It's rural precincts lnOr, for any matter,
Immediately without them, either to denote
the inuovatlng path Of Modern ldeas-strange-
" miscalled Progress The tiny hamlet nest
led among a range of totreriUg, purple hills
like some fair aud simple child Of Nature,
whose mission in this earthly vale is TO render
its tenantry more humble, and contented in
their sphere The village was peopled, most
ly, Iy farmers not the rude, boorIsh class
with whom poverty aud low manners seem in
separable cympanionS, but refined, yet Indus
trious tillers OF the soil vel educated men
whose minds, at the proper time, could rise
superior TO mere farming TOPICS, and discuss,
iutelligeutly, the merits OF authors aud their
works: men. we'll to-do, Is regards THIS world 5
goods, aud yet not precisely milionaircs: men,
in fine, who pursued their farming ayocationS
through genuine love for the life, and its
healthy aud pleasant asSoclations-not because
of necessity, though Of conrse, their labor was
made TO yield them its fruit. Among these
farmers were a few bachelors-some four or
five, perhaps-but the majority had their fam
lilies. And right here, again, (although, as a
corollary. tie fac: might be UNDERSTOOD re-
garding thes same families: no careless hab-
its. no slovrnly dressing, 10 rude and loud be-
havior. no daily interchange Of gossip across
the garden ieuces-nCthing Of this sort was TO
be seen but. in its stead cleanly appare led
aud thrifty wives; neatly haUited aud obedl-
eut children domici!S wherein scarcely a
speck of dust could he found: whose floors
ever proved the wholesome effect, upon them
of SOAP. water aud brush; establishments, in-
deed on whose exterior and interior might
plainly be noticed certain air Of quiet iudus-
try. educated ,irtuc ant true refinement Per
haps tlis goSsipiuc. above cenSured, did hud
eudursers among even these well ordered house
holds. for it is become a well-nigh settled fact
that where women cOGgregate Gossip must, OF
its necessity. find It's home This is truth,
though as yet an unexplained one. The dear
creatures icW talk: aye, from my lady OF the
peerage away down to Bidly, the boarding
house iactntum. But then, there is refined
way Of doing everything. Even as regards
life-takiug. tie steel witt which one Of the
superior people wounds or slays his oppo-
nent is po!ished. keen, deGdly if you will, but
not coarse or brutal. And so Of woman : second
nature gossip; she will indulge 1t, but,
where an innate courtesy anu poIIsHSH ui"n
ners are hers the evil is something vastly diff
ferent, in It's prosecution from the proyeTbial
talking" % the common classes.
In addition to the agricultural element men
toned above land which numbered some two
dozen families there dwelt 10 Hyacinth a few
representatives Of the lHerdti not mind you !,
the arraut scribblers Of the present day-con-
tributors to the worse than trashy weeklies
which issue from Gotham's teeming presses +;
but w+lerT of Simon-pure stamp: men.
whose brains were the home of high and
mighty thoughts: men. whose deep researches
aud deeper knowledge were known to only
few
Consolidated lamps Of learning
Everlasting witnesses Of mind
Just in purpose. and selfpossessed in soul, lords
Of many talents.
And to the presence of these gentlemen Of
the pen, perhaps, was due much Of that high,
ennoblng influence which rendered so pleas
ing tie social atmosphere Of the smiling vii