The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-12-23
Waynesboro Items.
(Reported for the VIRGINIAN.

! forward to by the eager little ones with bright
expectations. We fancy there are few adults
who escape altogether from gloomy thoughts
in the hustle of preparation for Christmas. we
know we ought to feel glad, but our joyous
anticipations do not come up to our precon-
ceived ideas of what they ought to be, and
still less to our memory of what they used to
be when we were younger In reality the
waiting for Santa Claus is not without pain
full character even to the lightest- hearted
child, and the desire to possess all the pretty
things so temptingly displayed subjects him
or her to a severe cross that the parents sell
dom understand and but rarely appreciate.
But as we look back upon our childhood we
do not remember the crosses but only remem-
| Der the eager delight with which we welcom-
ed Christmas day, and it is depressing to find
that we no longer feel the same enthusiasm.
And then to many there is another and pro-
founder source Of gloom. At no other season
is poverty SO oppressive. One can get through
the rest of the year with moderate degree of
cheerfulness and learn to do without the
things they cannot afford, but there are 50
mas, so many gifts to make, SO much good you
| might do if you only had the money. Every
body ought to be rich at such time, and pre-
cisely for that reason everybody feels so mis-
erably poor. And yet after all this desire TO
give, the wish that comes to even selfish men
to make some one else happy, is one of the
most precious of gifts that Christmas brings,
and those who feel this may believe that the
spirit of Christmas has not yet deid in their
hearts. For it is not the interchange of gifts
nor even the open-handed bounty ofthose who
look for nothing in return that makes this so
which these things typify, the good will
which seeks to find expressi on in some way
from the full heart even though the purse be
empty. And so the sense Of poverty that we
here speak of may only be a discipline that
brings out the deeper impulses Of the heart,
and prepares us with an humber and more
grateful love to hear the glad tidngs which
the Angels brought when they told of Gods
Great gift to mankind. -. The Presbyterian
congregation of this place has announced that
they will give supper on the night of the
Oath inst. in the basement of their church, also
dinner and supper at the same place on Christ
mas day, the proceeds of which will be used in
purchasing blinds for the church.. 80. The
Elastic Wheel Co is now in full working or
der and have good many orders ON hand
$3.50. The snow of last Monday was the deep
est that we have had here for several years
it measuring on Tuesday morning IS inches
Oh a level. 80. Mr.. Shackleford, our carnage
builder,has been kept busy supplying the de-
mand for sleighs, and our citizens have been
greeted with the merry tinkle of the sleigh
bells. go. MIR. John W. East of this county
and Miss Laura D. Miller of Albemarle were
married in the NJ E. church in this place on
last Thursday night, the 18th inst, by the
Rev. Mr.. Van Horn. $50. The East Augusta
Band Of this place intend giving concert and
oyster supper during the holidays, the pro-
ceeds to be applied to meeting some necessary
expenses of that organization. H. L. U.
Judge Shelley on the Debt Question.
The Washington correspondent oftht Lynch
burg Adua,ace of the Goth furnishes the follow
ing:
Judge Hugh W. Sheffey, of Virginia, was at
| the Capitol this morning. The Judge is by no
means hopeful OF the political condition of his
State, and says that the present increase in the
value of her securities will be serious hind
drance to the settlement of her debt, inasmuch
as her Northern and European creditors are
realizing more from them than from their in
vestments in o. S. bonds or British consols,
and that while they would have accepted Soc
on the dollar willingly in 1867 and less re-
| duction since then, they would refuse now to
accept a cent less when the proposition is
made to them in one hand with pistol in the
other. The Judge is induced to think that the
| republicans, in their next State platform, will
include plan for the honorable settlement of
| the debt, and believes that the best policy for
the democrats to pursue would be to hold a
| conference of the a5lest men of both wings of
their party, which conference should formu-
| late plan for the settlement of the debt upon
terms fair to the creditors and honorable to
the State, and for their State convention, to
| be composed OF representatives of democratic
| re-adjusters as well as funders, to adopt or
| amend this plan as it may think fit The Judge
! does not think the recent election proved that
the McCulloch bill has the support of a plural
| ity of the people of the State nor that the
State should pay the full amount OF her debt,
nor that so cents ON the 800 of her reduced
assessment will pay the interest on her bonds,
but he does think the one great fault she made
was the declaration that she cannot stand a hig
er rate Of taxation, and says that while an in
crease would bear heavily on few small por-
| tons of the State, all the rest could stand it
| without trouble, and he mentioned counties in
| the Valley, in which the taxes were as high as
81 and So on the 500 by reason of subscrip-
tons to railroads. but which had fewer delin-
quents than those in which the tax was only
SO cts. With regard to that part of the debt
apportioned toWestVirginia, he thinks it is not
legally binding upon that State; that the hold
ers OF the certificates can only say, Il will
assist you to collect from West Virginia to
the best of my DOOR and insufficient ability"