The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-12-23

| Rev. o. w. Hammond. now of Baltimore,
has been in Staunton several days, and will
spend the Christmas with his friends here.
Hon. John Paul was in Staunton yesterday,
en- route to Richmond Also Maj B. T. Hoxey,
OF Richmond-both of whom favored us with
call.
The young ladies and gentlemen of Mozart
will give the Hop OF the season tonight.
Elaborate preparations are being made and So
cieiy is on the tip toe of excitement.
At meeting of the Virginia Dental Associ-
alton, held in Richmond last week, DR.. S. 81
HenkIe of this city, read paper on dental
Pathology" which was discussed and unani-
mously adopted.
Mr.. Donald Allen, formerly of this city, but
now a resident of Dallas, Texas, is now on a
visit to Stanton He will return to Texas in
a short time, taking with him Mrs. Allen and
Mrs. Charlotte Taylor.
Mr. John H. Armentrout of Rockingham
county, died suddenly at his home on Smiths
Greek OF the 4th. Whilst in the act ofstep-
ping out of his barn. after unloading some hay,
he fell to the ground dead.
Capt E W. Bayley has been quite i'll for
some days with acute phlegmatic erysipelas of
the face, head and neck He is attended by
DR.. A. NJ Henkel and yesterday was little
better thought quite delirious.
The Posi- OFFICE will be opened Saturday,
December 25th, for the delivery of mail from
9 to 10 o'clock a. M, and from to a o'clock
D. M No money order or registered letter bu-
siness will be transacted on that day.
The Rev Dr. Landstreet delivered an in
structive and entertaining lecture last Thurs
day night, to the Lee and jackson Literary
Society of the Wesleyan Female Institute. 1t
was an enjoyable treat and was appreciated
by an attentive and capable audience.
The Council al its last meeting authorized
the committee to expend 500 on Main Street,
| between Lewis and st. Clair An ordinance
was adopted authorizing the issuance OF
| $4,000 in per cent coupon b nds, in payment
of the water right purchased from the Bald
win Augusta Fair
| The alarm of fire on Monday last, was caus-
ed by the interior of the house of DR.. krebs
catching fire whilst the chimney was being
burned out Notwithstanding the heavy snow
on the ground, the reel companies were out,
but fortunately, their services were not re-
uuired, as the fire was extinguished before
much harm was done.
The Amateur vocalists of Staunton, who SO
| f,lI,- f,,ra b.u be.on
requested to present The Pirates of Pen
zantes" for the benefit of the Augusta Memo
rial Association. Should they conclude to
undertake it, a rare musical treat can safely
be assured. The Operetta has had wonder
full run in the cities, and is pronounced by
many who have heard it as even superior 10
the famous Pinafore. By all means lets have
the Pirates"
The charm of Christmas is that it levels al
the barriers the years build, and brings the
gray-haired sire down, down the scale of by
gone days until on equal ground he stands and
greets the child At other seasons the distance
| twixt the two may be distinct and little SYM
pathy spring up between them, but when the
Christmas comes its subtle influence blots out
the calendar ard brings all ages to a common
plane. 1t strikes on all the chords of human
feeling and blends their music into perfect har-
mony. 1t wakes forgotten notes-brings back
the echoes ola dim remembered past and tunes
them to melody we fain would think were
new, but every sound that issues is an old ia
miliar strain. No matter what the interven-
ing days record; no matter how, at times, the
worlds fierce blows have smote the strings
until wall was all they answered; no matter
if the cadence poured in ceaseless song of joy
\ with now and then touch of soflening sorrow
that served like pebbles in the bed of streams,
to mingle gentle murmur with the ripping
onward flow. Whatever fate betldes or infu-
ence sways, few lives there be whose currents
do not leave their wonted channels on Christ
mas day. Few households do not feel that
children hold dominion and half believe that al
are children. This is their term and royalty
they reign.
We have received the annual report of the
Eastern Lunatic Asylum, located at Williams
burg, Va. From it we learn that there were
40S patients treated there during the past
year-forty-eight discharged. of whom forty
five were restored, two improved and two I'M
improved. There was one elopement, the per
son having been admitted by order of Court
as kleptomaniac. He had been once con.
victed of theft and served term in the peni
Tertiary and twice acquitted upon the plea o.
insanity. The Superintendent concludes that
it will require the exercise of severe charity
to regard him as truly kleptomaniac." We
have no doubt he is a thief, and this convenient
plea put up because of his respectable OF
wealthy relatives. That is usually the case
when such plea is entered. New buildings
have been completed, with capacity for sixty
additional patients. There were eighty five
admitted during the past year-sixty-two
males and twenty-three females, and of the
former an unusually large proportion of them
old and feeble, worn down by chronic nsan-
ity or being the subjects of senile dementia.
1tseems to us this simple fact ought to call
for the establishment of an asylum for ncura-
bles exclusively. 1t is not in the interest OF
humanity that the institutions devoted osten-
sibly to the cure of the insane, should have
their capacities monopoized by those who
cannot be cured Every available space in
these institutions should be appropriated to the
treatment of those who may be restored and
when it is evident patients are incurable they
should be assigned to hospital for their es-
pecial care.
AccIDENTs.-Mrs. Eliza Sheets was thrown
from her horse, near Mt. Sidney, on Sunday
last and rendered insensible by the fall. Sic
is quite an old lady, and the accident was
severe one, but it is hoped no serious results
| will follow.
THE OLD RELIABLE ADAMS EXPRESS Con-
PANY is prepared to forward Christmas goods
with the greatest expedition and least cost
Their facilities for carrying are unsurpassed by
any similar concern in the world, and being the
only company that has two daily cars running