The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-11-02

49,
medicinal character Of these ~far-away waters.
Two features are never w~antng-that is, an
ample dining room, and q pleasant, o~aTacious
ball room st Orkney these are exceptionally
large. welI-lighted, and airy. The bail room,
which Is the smaller room, is one hundred by
fifty feet. or course there was the regular even
ing dance, 1T which tie band, with the exception
Of one evening in each week, played " Home,
Sweet Home" with painful o-zactless Z. 10
O'Clock; and the pretty girls, not uumindiul Of
their roses, went obediently to their rooms; no
doubt often resisting invitations to meet upon
the corridors, which, by the way, one may walk
4 good mile without retraciug Z step.
There is during the season sure to be q Tour
nament, where the young men assume for the
day higb-souIding, knightly names, and not ex-
actly freak a lance. but bear AVA upon e lance
a ring from some point suspended, which re-
quires address, c~oolness, and craftsmanship
The victor in this graceful contest then chooses
among the fair the maiden whom he esteems to
be . Queen of Love and Beauty, , and each con-
testant claims 4 Maid Of Honor to Her Majesty;
thus 4 complete court circle is established i'm
promptu; all Of which Is followed by a Court
Ball, and presentation to the fair sovereign Of an
hour. Much speech-making, health-drinking,
and gallantry is the order of the evening.
Though this is but mock, there is one thing
pleasingly real. C., the rare beauty of the girls.
Not even the Court Of Charles the II, with the
childish beauty of Nell Gwynne, which Sir Peter
Lely has go wonderfully painted. can surpass the
extremely delicate P%rettiness OF the Virginia girls.
Among other amusements this summer or
earlier in the season there was generally the Lee
Memorial Ball, which is given for the benefit OF
an Association which proposes to build a monu-
ment to Robert E. Lee, one of the best-beloved
of all the old States cherished sons. Some peo-
pie doubt the taste of dancing for a memorial, or
to relie7e the distress of the fever stricken; yet it
seems to suit the fancy Of some who could not be
reached in any other way.
SHEEP SALE.
was rather surprised at an invitation while
at the Springs to 60 to a sheep sale; adding, sit is
just like you have in Kentucky" Though full of
doubt as to that, l accepted-for one does not
know how to refuse a drive over these lonely
mountain roads-and this ride was to be over
what IS known as the SIS, a perfect marvel of
engineering. We drove fifteen miles to Gen.
hteEuS INC SeullSuldu WLlOSG enterprise WIS
a%ffording the Virginia farmers their first oppor-
tunity CT seeing a Kentucky sale; and the sur
prise was very great to find one of the finest col
lectioEs of sheep ever offered in this county
Southdowns, Cotswold, etc. Two hundred and
twelve of these fine animals were sold; and the
people, of whom about eight hundred were
present, bought eagerly, so that the gentleman
inaugurating this new feature of trade Will not
only benefit his neighbors, but need not lose
himself, as nearly all people who take a step for
ward to educate the people seem fated to do.
The blue grass Indigenous to this region grows
closely to the limestone which crops out rather
more than desirable, so that a sleeps nose can
get the tender, sweet grass where possibly other
animals might not reach; and these farmers see
that it is wise to introduce the finest breeds.
One cannot be here without wishing that all sue
cess attend their efforts to sustain their families
and reinstate the prosperity of this part of the
Old Dominion. At the close of the war there
was not a fence standing for fifty miles in the
path Of Sheridan desolation-often nothing left
save the bare stone chimney stacks; but in the
course of one generation the houses have been re-
built, many pubic and private improvements
perfected, and the sons and daughters educated.
This is generally done by some relative whose
classic course taken at Harvard, Yale or the Uni
versity of Virginia came into practical use. Leav-
ing Orkney (Which, by the way, was named by
a party OF Scotch nOblemen said to be guests of
Lord Fairfax when out on a hunting excursion),
| came over into Clark county, or near the Blue
Ridge, about twenty miles from Harper's Ferry.
1t is probably the richest and most beautiful part
of the celebrated Shenandoah. L should have
added, l am now only ten miles from Win
Court the sea: of Lord Fairfax, 1 found an
artist had just been sent down there to sketch the
old ruin and other matters of interest in this part
of the country, by Scri6ner's Magazine. So to
his pen and pencil L commend all who would like
to know more ABOUT Shenandoah. E. b j.