Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-06-11
VIRGINIA.

IFrem the st. Louis PresDyterian.I
MY DEAR BRoTHER:-I write you a
word from Stanton, one OF the beauG-
ful cities in the valley of Virginia. 10
one who has never seen the mountains,
or whose home is amidst the prairies OF
onr beloved west, 1t is almost beWitch-
inp to be placed in the midst OF the seem
erV which surrounds US here. 1t Is the
home tor the poet, the artist, the patriot;
for here that .smountain nymph, SWEEP
liberty." must love to dwell. Our apPre-
citation of the landscape, q lively mosaic
of hill and vale aud stream, hi been
heightened by the freshness Of the air
and the transparency OF the atmosphere.
The mornings and evenings are delight
fully cool, while the MONDAY sun We
can see is fastening forward the devel-
opment of vegetation.
Staunton is the home Of the Justly ia
nous Augusta Female Seminary. under
the wonderful management OF MISS Ma
nv Julia Baldwin. and regarded 6y Its
friends as the leading institution in the
south for the education Of girls: Inc
buildings are located upon the side OF a
small mountain, and are extensive Win.
out being elegant. Good judgment a
been shown by spreading them oVer the
| surface instead OF lifting them in success
| sive stories toward the clouds. The
grounds are most deliberately and beau
| tifully decorated, containing cveral OF
the most beautiful fountains that l have
ever seen. The plan OF the school. IKE
| that of the E.. A. S.. of our own state, ID
modelled after the University OF virginia
and by this plan maintains a very nlgn
| standard of scholarship. With about 2eo
pupils enrolled the present year, 1t nds
out but two graduates. L attended the
| closing exercises. They were to the
| highest degree attractive. l have never
looked upon such a magnificent collec'
ton OF girls gathered as they were from
| eighteen states of he country. Ihey
were respondent with silks, satins, laces
| and diamonds, the most costly and eie-
giant wardrobes that my western eyes
have ever beheld. A brother at my side
heathenishly remarked that he was
afraid that the raiment was more than
the body. The exercises on the closing
night we're almost exclusively spectacu-
liar, and, as l thought, unworthy. beau
titul as they we're, OF the great institu-
ton of whose work they were meant to
be the exhibition.
There are four other female schools
here, under the auspices OF the Metho-
dists, Lutherans,. Episcopalians and Ro-
manists respectively. The Methodist
school is almost as i%ourishing as the Al
gusta Female Seminary.
l had the pleasure. before the Assem-
bly, convened, of visiting for a few days
nv relatives in eastern, Virginia.
This portion OF the state is quite dill
ferent in soil from the valley or the ives
tern district. The land is thin and re-
aufres the most careful ~husbandry. In
deed, l found in this fact the explanation
of Virginia's production OF so many
great men. 1t requires a great man tt
make q living there.
1t swelled my heart with pride for thiI
land of my fathers when l saU, amids
their poverty, that all of its r mel
were insisting that every dollar OF thu
honest debt Of the old dominion shoult
be faithfully paid.
visited Petersburg and the sad mem
cries which the place evoked were deep
ened as I stood amidst the. ruins OF tn,
old Blandford church, a relic OF colonla
days, and read upon its moss coveret
slabs dates as Tar back as 1902.
The Assembly is delightfully."- enter
tanned by the h%ospitable people o
Staunton. I feel that the lines hav'
fallen to me in a decidedly pleasan
place, being the guest Of a newly mar
ried couple. whose kind attentions l cal
never forget. -.
The Assembly is an able body, and it
discussions nave been interesting an
instructive. l acknowledge that I an
proud OF our church, and have seen AS
have not before. the grand mission en-
trusted to her as the conservator OF
pure theology and the developer OF
mature and unmixed Presbyterian eccle
slasticism. May the King. by His era
cious, sovereign Spirit, keep her true
the trust which He has confided to bel
, CURRENTE CALAMO.