The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-08-02
VIRGINIA LETTER.

WINCHESTER, VA, July " -[Speclal cor
respondence 1.-The deep repose that broods
over the historical village OF Winchester
renders it infinitely attractive TO dWelers
n great cities. Excellent boarding houses
outriyal ole another in cleanliness ana
cookery, and an air of delicious domesticlty
| broods over the venerable war-worn village.
| Pallld, listless clerks that crowd saTcopha-
ri; sometimes called offices in the capital,
| sinking slowly as they do beneath the pres
| sure of an unique consumption that preys
alike upon body and intellect, discover
health and the recuperation OF impaired
physical and mental forces in the fresh cool
winds from the blue hills and shining wheat
| and cornfields about Winchester. How
quaint are the bow-windowed old homes,
reared In the days of Washington. There is
| a peculiar charm in the grass grown streets
that tell OF the listlesness and idleness or
those who look backward into the past TOR
| brightest dreams substituted ior oeiuslYe
hopes of the rushing, restless, outside pro-
gressive world. A Virginian looks back
ward into glorious past. never to be re-
produced; a Texan forward into paradise.
whose charms are none the less fascinating
because underlined and unreal.
DALLAS AND WINCHESTER.
Two places and Two populations could
not be more unlike. Here everything
smacks Of boar antiquity; there, or yester-
dey or to-day. Here the graveled or stony
streets are fautless in Dallas, bottomless
But the pressure of exterior populations
and rivalries IN trade are
slowly affecting energies and dispelling
the listlessness of these ancient Virglnians
The tradesmen's district of the old town
gives evidence of these facts. Here the
houses are richly painted and the side
walks are clean, and grass does not obtrude
itself into the sunlight through the lnster-
tices in the brick sidewalks. Wandering
on into the outskirts of the dreamful place
along highways smooth and firm, beauti-
full homes, beneath great old trees and en-
vironed by grassy meadows, the Clearly
yards decked with roses and evergreens,
| line the roadside. Most OF these suburban
residences enjoy ''greeu old age"
wide halls and spacious verandabs and vine
| and rose clad summer houses and the great
| trees, spared meroiiully by soldierly. saw
| agerv. render Winchester delightful abid
| ing place, Here natures worshippers feast
ewes aud fancy on distant blue mountains,
SO old in countless years, SO young In
matches freshness and beauty. They rise
in majestic solemnity, sphynx-like in
silence, against the pure sky, as II they too,
ike the quiet, watchiul stars, were con-
templating this restless, revolving earth
fleeing by, with its seas and continents and
lamp.liko volcanoes even as the great
moral sense of the universe countsl It's grieis
and sins and desolation.
| watched the mountains from the car
window until they were lost 70 the eye IN
the gloamiug''-unIil the stars appeared,
and fields and plains became another hrma-
ment, illumed by myriads Of star-ilke hre-
flies.
Of course. are places of interest-there lies
the remains of many VINO wore the Dlue
or the grey" In the Confederate cemetery
the most beautiful monument is Ine snale
erected by the won en- of Virginia In honor
of those who fell. apparently, "unwept,
unhonored and unknown" Here rest 60
southern soldiers. A Confederate soldier
carved out of marble, leaning on his rlne,
surmounts the shaft. On tie pediment Is
carved Theodore o. Hara's immortal stanza'
ION flames eternal camping ground
Their silen, tents are spread,
Whilst glory guards in solemn round
(: This bivouac Of the d ad."
PITITUL.
The most touching sight are the graves
Of the poor priyates, each with a wooden
| head and foot board, marked with his
name. Now and then only the number oil
company or regiment is given or the sim
nile word Unknown" " the "chary
tribute 20 defeated worth and valor. "
Poor heroesl the world knows
not Of their sufferings, nor the bleeding
hearts, however lowly, they left behind.
Who they were, none know what they
are. ali know. The mountains, when one
turns away from these modest graves, greet
i Tie eve more graDdly and impreesively, as
II they engirdled their sacred dead with
unvsarying vigilance.
LOCAL FACTS.
Winchester numbers almost 5OVO lnnao'
ftants. Its antiquity is illustrated IN the
anti-revolutionsry names Of its streets-
BraddockePic York, London, keni
aud other Old English names. As nttlt
school girl exclaimed in q piping voice,
aOb. YES: Winchester is real. awful old
You can real all about II In book called
Border Warfare how they used to tight
with the IndiaTsi"
GOD SUGGESTIONS FOR PRKTTr GIRLS.
The town boasts OF three hourishinR sem.
insries for girls-an Episcopal, METHODIST
and q Presbyterian. The Shenandoah
scademy's commencement has been goinl
on with vigor for some days.
Why viii school girls slvays write tuner
Al orafions for these grand occssions7 There
might be thorough reform, too. IN the
musical part Of most Of these exhibitions
I Ttmsv be evidence Of the pupils skill and
I Industry and q good advertisement OF hel
Il re.chsris ability 70 give . long and
firrsorDs theme on the piano In i
fat or O sharp, But Il is great deal mors
pleasing 10 the natural ear 10 have shorter
I simpler pieces Of which there are VARIETY
and bv good composers; or sweet and
y fswilisr ballad or song than too ambitiou.
sfIo-fs 10 reach C, - I'd" or "e' IN tbs
sou-rno or v1cs-verss 10 the alto. VIII
I o.-rs 70 III in . bot sitting atmosphere d
= SUMMER evening listening 20 apretty gir
Ti-fr-linr her countenaDos 70 piriOutte on
a hirh note. o. 70 vst-h hfr sience- h1rers
bower skiIifully. dsnne % eno down o.
the pinno on come endless son.io o. - =.