Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-09-07
FOURTEEN DAYS OUT.
Correspondence of Staunton "Vindicator.D
GOSHEN, Aug. 31st.

we are all working men) looks forward 10
MS trip on the sea of Vacation, and he
looks to 1t whether through the hot sun OF
July or the mellow haze of the cooler
autumn, with an eagerness that can't be
put into words. Youth comes back IN
very small measure it Is true'
but yet it comes, and with it the same
feeling with which he packed up his book
strap the last day of the session, subscribed
ten cents to the annual gold-headed cane
to the teacher, and scrambled for the big
gest slice of the parting watermelon feast.
There is just enough of this youth comes
back to give his nature touch OF the
freshness Of new milk; just enough to make
him want to see everybody happy, and very
sorry for those people who are not going 10
have any holiday, if there are any such
unlucky people In the world, which he
does not readily believe. For you will per-
celve when a man has holiday himself he
has the idea that everybody else ought to
have it, just It's when man is very good it
surprises him to see anybody else sinner.
And so strongly does this feeling take pos
session of us that we begin to think if aper-
son isn't going to have holiday, or hasn't
already had it, that that person must have
some defect in his character which prevents
it. He must be a very mean person who
won't afford it, or very trifiing person
who don't deserve it, or person who does
not like his fellow creatures, and WON'T
join them in any amusement.
There are very few brighter days or
brighter nights, whether the moon is out
or not, then when we come to the shore of
Vacation, and the load that drops from
ones shoulders as he boards the ship to
carry him away from Work, let's mind and
body pop up like cork. This year I
boarded the good ship Goshen, which lay
moored in Rockbridge county. It is COM
manded by Capt. Hartman, and is good
ship to sail in. L send you some extracts
from my log book:
Aug II. First night out, and the moon
as bright as day. Spent hours in deep
thought about those happy people who
don't have to go to work next day.
Thought OF Adams great mistake-put
into a good situation, with nothing to do
and plenty to get, and yet pulled the whole
thing about his ears for-Ill say for few
apples, though don't believe the number
is anywhere stated. l say nothing about
Eve, for the poor woman got herself more
''talked about" than any woman that ever
lived, and that ought to satisfy he- dearest
enemies. But perhaps it was all for the
best, for if things had gone on well, and
the family had kept the property, to-day
they would have been worried by the Rus
slams, or the Turks would have been knock
ing down the fences of the Garden of
Eden. You know the war is going on
right over the old plantation.
Aug. 20. A number of the lovliest girls
came aboard to-day. There is no way fe.
male society can be enjoyed so much as in
complete idleness. Sitting down and know
ing that you have three meals day sure
with no trouble toget 'em, and alta safe dis
lance away from the crowded cities. where
you can be yanked off to buggy rides OF
treats to ice cream, you can just lounge
and hear five or six girls talk (all at once
with the calmness of philosopher. You
dom know crochet work? Well, you should
Spend your next holiday with six young
girls, and you will know all the stitches
herringbone, bias, and all that sort Of
thing. A new passenger that comes aboard
is invaluable if she brings new stitch.
Aug. 21. Heard considerable rumbling
in the cabin next to mine. 1t was a gen
tleman who was bringing in some Indian
relics from two mounds he had opened i1
the neighborhood. One mound had con
tanned a great chief and his ornaments
were in the grave with his remains, an(
another was battle mound in which the
remains Of over fifty Indians were inferred
Tie passengers gathered and laughed, anG
chartered gaily over what was left of the
defunct WARRIORS Shall it be so with this
generation in the future This isa mat
ter for serious reflection. Will still
more civilized people a century or two
from now disinter the bones of the
WdIIlU1S VI Uuio COLIlllCll
on them? Will the skull of The-man-not-
afraid-to-g o-to-the- legislature be carelessly
handled or The-young- -that-leads the
German have his bones matched by
thoughtless spectators with the heartle IS
remark that he must have been bow legged!
How tieeting is life and how annihilating is
death. Two hundred years ago had one OF
these skulls only so much as gritted its
teeth the whole population Of Goshen
would have got up got, and yet to-day they
were cracking jokes over it.
AuQ' o. This was the married women S
day on the shady side of the deck. They
talked about all the servants they had had
in their lives. The subject of dress being
up said thought children ought to be
dressed plainly. l went back to my berth
and staid all day.
Aug. 23. This was single women's day
on the shady side of the deck. remarked
to the party that thought if young wo-
men dressedeplainer, more of them would
be married.. I went back to my berth
and staid all day. 1 had made two mis-
takes in two days.
Auq. "a. The whole ship was aroused
this morning with the cry that Isabel
had TOOTH All the female passengers
insisted upon examining itand Isabel beng
a young lady of only six months was pow
erless to resist. 1t is supposed that this
helpless and unoffending young person had
more fingers plunged into her mouth to
locate the new tooth than she is ever like
ly to have again in this world. AT six bells
the passengers were assemblies on the quar-
ter deck and thanks were rendered for the
new tooth. To be the favorite baby
aboard a ship may be good thing, but it
has its raWbackS,