The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-01-22

ing tldG luty are sUIutClmes diioSohV'
If people PROSTATE themselves before them
why may not the people expect to be tram
pied on 1t is not the fault OF the lord, but
of the people.
Much to be regretted is the fact that in-
stead of worshipping rank, class or caste as
do the Hindoos and Brahmins, they do not
confine their reverence to purity Of charac-
ter, great thoughts and noble deeds. Here
all the world could unite with them. The
popular reception or value set upon title
by the lower orders gives the title its value
-ifpeople ceased to worship it,no one would
desire it,. But no sooner is man invested
with title, got handle to his name, than
be finds himself invested with new power
power that does not reside in himself, but
in the hearts OF those who fawn upon him.
1t is the aristocratic spirit and sympathy
which pervades the entire mass Of society
which gives the aristocracy their power
The English are at heart aristocratic and
never cause struggling after its honors.
They spend their lives, giving up comfort
and happiness. to reach its ranks, or that
their children may DO so. The growth OF
centuries, this spirit is supposed to have had
its origin in the Norman conquest and the
feudal system. However this may be, ages
must pass before it can be eradicated. The
feudal system still exists in modified form
in England. The law of primogeniture-
| the accumulation of vast landed estates in a
few hands, the laws of entail, &C., which
have been thrown off by all Europe, by
America, and by the English colonies
throughout the world, still continue in force
in the sea-giIt island. The laws are still
made by the aristocratic few, for the benefit
| of the patrcian classes. The privileges and
immunities of this class being found in an
cient usage and the customs ofbygone ages,
they cultivate reverence for the past, dis
parage everything new or modern, and thus
seek to strengthen their position by en-
couraging the growth in the minds and
hearts of the people, of sentiments OF re.
spect for the law-givers Of semi-barbaric
age in which these privileges had their ''ori-
gin. This well known sentiment, we may
add, is turned to amusing effect in the new
opeletta, styled "The Pirates Of Penzance,"
by the author Of Pinafore, and which is now
being performed with great success at the
Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York. In an
encounter between the pirates and the po-
lice, the latter are conquered. The condi-
ton of the police seems hopeless, but the
sergeant is not without resource.
SERGIO gain brief advantage you've con-
But your proud triumph will not be long
KING-Dont say you're orphans, for we know
sERe.-on your allegiance we've stronger claim:
This is an appeal that no Englsman, not
even pirate, can resist. The King and his
crew at once surrender.
KNG.-We yield at once, with humbled mein.
Queen.
The General orders them to be marched
off in custody, when Ruth enters
RUTH-One moment; let me tell you who they
They are no members OF the common
They are al noblsmen who have gone
wrong
This announcement has an electrical effect
on the General and the police, who at once
kneel in homage at the feet of their late
foes.
GENERAL-No Englishmen unmoved that state |
ment hears,
Because, with all our faults we love our |
House OF Peers.
This is no overdrawn picture, yet we find |
a certain class of British tourists in this
country, with true Cockney audacity, ridi.
culing what they style the Americans love |
for titles. These carping fault-fnders are !
offended with the existence Of military and |
naval titles in a country uncurst with |
standing army and an invinciDle armament.
They forget that we have bellicose militia.
We are willing to admit that the average |
American is not altogether without some
thing of the ''Britisher's" love Of gewgaws,
nor are ''his sisters, his cousins or his |
the slightest Importance to these militia or |
breret titles. They do not enhance the cred |
it or consequence OF the persons WHO bear |
them, and are often conferred under no |
known law in merrlment by boon compan
ions. But if we are to take as true the NOR
al of the operetta, SO recently and admirably |
represented by amateurs on the stage in |
Staunton, we could hardly be charged with |
an ill-regulated and false ambition, if we
ranked the Admiral of one of our yacht club |
squadrons with the ''ruler of the Queens |
navee."
But whittier are we wandering and what |
has become of Kew? Revenons nous nos
mouton.
The pleasure gardens of Kew constitute |
it's chief attraction, though many of the dis
ciples OF Isaac Walton frequent the Thames |
hereabouts, pursuing their favorite pass
time. These famous gardens have been i'm
proved with much taste, and show, notwith- |
standing the level surface originally, con.
siderable variety of scenery. The botanic |
gardens are noted for their exotic treasures |
collected from every part Of the world,
which flourish in the Palm house, the larg- |
est glass structure we have seen aave the |
Crystal Palace, unconscious of less pro-
pitious cline"
On entering the gardens from the village,
one of the first objects which attracts the |
attention is the willow, an offspring from |
that which overshadows the tomb Of Napo-
leon at St. Helena. We were surprised to |
find at this early season, in full bloom in the |
open air, many flowers of vivid hue: scarlet |
geranlums, crocuses, yellow callecolaries,
hyacinths and heliotropes.
Among the rare trees pointed out to us
were 1000 Chinconas, from which the sui
phate ofquinine is manufactured. For some
years prior to 1860, the British government
was successfully engaged in the task of sup
plying these trees to the East Indies. They
are produced at Kew from seed brought from
South America. Much fear was felt of the
entire destruction Of the tree in South
America, when the British government has
tened to fit out an expedition under one of
its ablest admirals, with G. r. Markham as
botanist, to proceed to Chilli and Peru to
collect trees and the seed Of tho tree, as q