Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-04-02
Views Of a Retired Veteran.
Editors indicator:

Editors indicator:
The uniform courtesy of the press to !
I'D men in the way of admission to its
the general interest telt by the
world in the views Of the old, which is as
universal as its disregard of them after
icing uttered, and the natural garrulity
If age is my plea for addressing you some
emarks founded on my observations from
The side window at which I daily sit.
z outh sits at the front window from which
t admires and is admired; Age is content
with a side window through the dim panes
IF which it may placidly watch the even
ing rays Of life. Possibly these slanting
rays may give too sober tinge to the
views of this writer, but if so am COM
forted by the reflection that world that
for wisdom pins its faith to the solemnity
of the owl will not have discernment
enough to detect the cause of the hue.
[ am not too old, mark you, to hear the
gossip of the town nor, indeed. too old to
repeat it. So the less solid of your readers
shall not have the excuse of profundity for
failure to read my letters. This evening
as I was drawing in my head from my side
window, was approached by the Right
Worshipful Grand Master and Thrice
Puissant Potentate Of the Ballot Box, &C
companied by the Right Honorable Grand
Steward and Most Eminent Keeper of the
Cupboard, with information that the COM
ing election for Commemorative Attor
ney in Staunten presented the most extra
ordinary phases. 1t appeared to me from
his statement that the field stands IS fol-
lows: That each candidate is reduced to
the most abject poverty, so great that
he has at various times been warned to
leave the city or become charge on the
corporation; that each is a member OF the
seven white congregations of the place.
and their applications are now on file for
admission to the colored on probatiOn-the
nrobation to last until the 25th of May;
that the ladies of the city have gone into
the canvass with great vigor and the main
stay of feminine parlor conversation now
is that ssMr. - is such nice man,
that envy of this praise has maddened the
few remaining members of the bar to the
extent that only the strongest effort OF
their friends restraints them from an
nounclng themselves as candidates atfonce;
that the female sewing and missionary So
cieties will hold primaries during the next
few days, the constitution and bylaws OF
those societies providing that the candl-
late who receives the majority shall be so
| announced and tnen each woman shall
| support whom she pleases thereafter: that
| 30 far $50 the Grand Keeper of the Cup
board remarked) the canvass has been con
iucted by the ladies on the most approved
style in which she denounces every candl'
date but hers as an idiot or bloated bond
holder. / was going to reply that l had
known some campaigns run on this plan
by people who weren't women, but an OLD
mans memory is not reliable and just hert
the Grand Keeper said, II know how al
this started. I have read it III the Great
Bouk of Records and here it is"
at came to pass in that day that thu
enemies of the Chief Law Giver said untt
themselves, we will cut off his head ant
out another in his place. And they callet
forth as their leader one who was wise il
the law and who worked among the PEG
| ole in their tents night and day. And thu
chef Law Giver called together HI
friend ana saith unto them, 'Lo, am in
tight place, but I will circumvent tn
| wicked. and their plans against the Cor
| ooration's Amounted shall not prevail 5
| 1t befell that the next morning when tn
people assembled at the Temple of Justlc
| to vote there appeared among them ayout
clad in raiment like untothe Prodigal Son
| And the wicked enemies smote thel
breasts and cried aloud, Behold it is tn
irst born son of the Chief Law Giver. II
, | nath gotten us where the hair is short
I And the Chief Law Giver standing in tt
shadow of the temple laughed and SOFT
saith unto himself, Keno And the bal
lie lasted unto the going down of the su
and when the Chief Scribe counted I'll
votes the Chief Law Oliver was chosel
o | And the wicked enemies tore their hal
And unto this day 1t is a law unto the pc
f ole that if boy doth approach the temp
ina hat of straw which is also rent,
J. shall be put to DEATH"
1 have just put down 1t. Palandel
b | narrative of the successful voyage OF tt
Vega through the long sought North-Ea
| Arctic passage. I learned something tn
n will interest your lady readers; it is t.
: | origin of ssbangs.'' Among the never b
re fore seen natives along the shore, Paland
), found tribe in which the women wo
q their hair parted in the middle and plate
u while the men wear it ''combed down ar
II cut across which covers the forehead
g What Of that? Why this! 1t confirr
g me in the opinion that women never
f. | vented this fashion and that it originate
in the weak brain of man.
Speaking of reading. If you have n
is read 'sThe Light of Asia" by Edwin A
N mold, get it from the library. No poet
a. this age has produced work that can
a named in the same hour with it.
You may not credit it, that Retir
i Veteran can be something also of wizal
E. But he is. Was it last week it showed
v. No matter; it was the day it showed tt
from my side window saw the home
1T Gle of score of school boys. Ii l 81
a bow bolt right over the snow throu
d. the door into the school, which l can +
" from my window. knew exactly VIII
ill sort of people he had left at home. Ii