The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-11
flor The D B
OuYHIFFLE, LOUISA. COUNTY, .YA.,s2}
4 c.. 49, - notofscr ..S1S77. 80

-ss., f 81 October - 1871. ~
sThnya again, retired, like Cihcinnatus, to
the sacred soil. live apf the road, uand
have consequently no news to tell, and
never hear, any. Having i"read1 usted
myself, I am not greatly concerned about re-
adjusting the public debtnef anything else.
II the creditors OF the State can stand the
existing arrangements think can also.
don't wish the taxes on, realty to be raised,
however, for they are already too heavy Tor
me-being at least t,eice the amount usually
stated in the discussion OF the states
finances. Ipay the county treasurer an
nually not merely 30 cents on the SlOO OF the
assessed value OF my land, but at least loo
county tax, the district-school tax, &c,
as well rs the State tax. IL, how
ever, I calculate these aggregated taxes 4. as
imposed upon that portion OF my hnd
which affords me any income or profit, then
I am paying eight per cent. per dnn'lm
in taxes believe, too, that this enormous
impost is practically in operation an
over Virginia, and that but few countles
can be claimed as exceptions. l know that
fou tell me to sell. But can only answer
by asking YOU to buy-for there is no other
purchaser in the market. [ must hold the
land or throw it away. prefer to keep IL,
in hope Of better day.
| Rnt did not start out to say even SO
much about public affairs. having "doffed
Che world aside and bid it pass" Long
believer in the following lines, have
come here to test their truth:
...Happy the man whose wish and care .'s
| A few paternal acres bound; .'...l .
Content to breathe his native air ...
| ... g., In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk. whose fields with bread
| Whose focks supply him Win ATTIRE 80.
Whose trees In summer yield MIN shaae, .., q.
| In winter, fire.
. So far nv experiment has met with many
unexpected difficulties. L find that LOOMS
and spinning-wheels have gone out OF use,
and that the knitting OF socks would be
lost art but for here and there surviving
| grandmother who still plies the needles OF
her long-gone youth. In fact, lind all
ruraIdom cockneyized to a painful extent,
insomuch that all idyllic pictures OF wood
land life begin to appear rs base lmposltlons
upon my too-contiding nature. The rurai
rooster apes the city cock, disdalns the
plough, and aspires to counter-hopplnS.
Dame Partlet and all her pullets are alike
infected with the same disorder, ana scorn
homespun as badge OF degradation. Ill
fact, homespun is obsolete, il there ne any
in the land at all. &c Store-clotheS are
now the usual wear throughout the coun-
try. and city ways and manners IA Nttle
rawly put on often) now prevail IN even
the most secluded quarters. The railroads
have demoraIZed our whole yeomanry ana
peasantry by bringing them INTO 100 easy
and too frequent contact with the cues
and towns. Even the rosy-cheeks tnat
once marked the boys and girls OF our
farms III we may believe tradltlon) are now
t,,, ot.-nn r.
sistent efforts to live in the country as peo-
nile are understood to do in the city. The
freshness and bloom, the Innocence and
simplicity, formerly ascribed to the rustic
popuiation have vanished, to be csumslly
and tawdily replaced by fashionable aftrcta-
tions. papcr-collars, shoddy, and cosmetics.
Fnugh! The rural rooster abhorS his ma
tive dunghill, and longs for the coop OF the
city cock If he cannot get place in town.
then let him be a brakeman on railroad,
for then be will at least have opportunities,
to taste of urban life. And thus the cities
and towns are crowded with an idle class OF
Young men who should be filling the soil,
while the neglected soil is becoming q
desert or Wilderness; and hence the marc
times that now Cypress us all: why, goa
bless us, Virginia alone has enough uncut
tivated land to. afford employment and
decent and independent support to all the
tramps OF the United States, and to all the
strikers into the bargain.
However, gave up the project Of reform.
ing the world year or so since, and Will
let it 60 on now cen as it will. After all,
the rural rooster still has virtues OF his own.
He is hospitable yet, although not so pro-
fuseiy liberal as his father; he is not so sus-
picious asf the city cock, and retains some
confidence" in his fellows; he does not
crow so much nor so loud rs his city bro
ther, and he "goes to meetin'" whenever
he can. He gets up later and lies down
later than of yore, but is still behind the
city cock in these particulars and although
he works harder, he does not work go rap
idly nor so steadily as the city cock. In
fine, notwithstanding the railroads, the ru-
raj rooster is slow, while the city cock Is
fast The city chicken is always i'll a hurry;
the rural one, never.
But hear the mait-train coming, and l
must close. CECIL.