Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-03-23

Ssslas '-i s ltA t-A+ r.
- " esa @9,a4s s3i s4i sI2 ssl
- 49, = :. - n -l - g ].
DAY, MARCH %, 1883.
| = THE oLD-r1ME vIRG1N1AN. .
81 gs {sk
APsn Photograph Of Genial and Leva
ss4s,4 Bile Character. 4sa
Sd ~ 4a Va gag
Major Willis Wormley belonged to the
oid school of Virginians. Nothing could
pave torn him from the Virginia he loved,
as Jacob Foscsri. Venice. but the marry :
ipg OF his eldest daughter. Mary. to .
gentleman Of Alabama. The major was
something between or made of about equal
parts OF, Uncle Toby and Mr.. Pickwick,
with slight favor OF Mr.. Micawber. He
was the soul of kindness, disinterestedness,
aad hospitality. Love to syerything that
bad 5fa in it burned like q fame in his
targS and benignant soul; 1t flowed over
10 his countenance and glowed through
every feature and moved every muscle In the
frame it animated. The major lived freely
was rather c0rpulent, and had not q lean
thing on his plantations. The negroes,
the dogs. the horses. the cattle, the very
chickens wore an air of corpulent compla-
cency, and hustled about with good
humored rotundity. There was more
laughing and singing at Hollywood than
would have set up dozen Irish fairs. The
majors wife had, from long life of af-
lection and the practice of the same pur-
suits and the indulgence of the same feel
ings and tastes, got so much like him that
she seemed feminine and modest edition
Of himself. Four daughters were all that
remained in the family-two had been
married of-and they had no son. The
girls ranged from 16 to %, ine,. hearty,
whole-souled, whole some, cheerful lasses,
with constitutions to last, and flow of
spirits like mountain springs; not beauties
but good housewife girls, whose open
countenances and neat figures and rosy
cheeks and laughing eyes and frank and cor
dial manners made them at home, abroad,
on horseback, on foot, at the piano or dis
coursing on the old English books, or
Washington Irving's 'sSketch- Book''-a
favorite in the family ever since it was
written-as entertaining and as we'll cal
cnlated to fix solid Impressions on the
heart as any four girls in the country. The
only difficulty was, they were SO much
alike that you were put to fault which to
fall in love with. They were all good
housewives, women, rather. But Mrs.
Wormley, or Aunt Wormley, as we called
her, was as far ahead of any other woman
in that way as could be found this side of
the Virginia border. If there was anything
in the culinary line that size COULDN'T make,
l should like to know it.
The major lived on the main stage road
and if any decently dressed man ever pass
ed the house after shutdown he escaped by
sheer accident. The house was greatly
visited. The major knew everybody. and
everybody near him knew the major. The
stage coach couldn't stop long, but in the
hot summer days about noon as the driver
footed his horn at the top of the red hill.
two negro boys stood opposite the door
with trays of the finest fruit and pitch
er of cider for the refreshment of the way
farers; the major himself. being on the
lookout, with his hands over his eyes, bow
ing-as he only could bow-vaguely into
the coach. and looking wistfully to find
among the passengers an acquaintance
whom be could prevail upon to get out and
stay week with him. There wasn't
poor neighbor to whom the major had OF
been as good as an insurer. without pre-
MUM, for his stock, or for his crop; and
from the way he rendered the service you
would think he was the party obliged. as
he was. This is not in any country have
ever been in. money making business
and the major, though he always made
good crops, must have broke at 1t long ago,
but for the fortunate death Of few aunts,
after whom the girls we're named, who,
paying their several debts of nature, left
the major The means to pay his less seri-
Gus but still weighty obligations.
The major for wonder, being Vir-
gilman, had no parts politics. He could
not have. His heart could not hold any
thing that implied a warfare upon the
thoughts or feeling Vt others. He voted
all the time for his friend. that is the Can
didate living nearest to him regretting.
generally, that he did not have another
vote for the other man. 1t would have
done Comanche Indians heart good to
see all the family together, grandchildren
and all, of IA winters evening, with guest
or two to excite sociabilty little; not
company enough to embarrass tbs mani
fessations of affection. Such concordance,
as if all hearts we're attuned to the same
feeling; the old lady knitting in the cor
ner, the old man smoking his pipe oppo-
site; both of their fine faces radiatlng, in
the pauses of the laugh. the jest or the
caress, the Infinite satisfaction within. 1t
was enough to convert an abol,tionist to
see the old major, when he came home from
a long journey of two days to the country
town-the negroes running in string to
the buggy, this one to hold the horse, that
one to help the old man out. and the others
to inquire how he was; and to observe the
benignity with which-the kissing of the
girls and the old lady hardly over-he dis
trlbuted a piece of calico here, plug of
tobacco there, or a card of town ginger
bread to the little snowballs that grinned
around him; what was given being but
small part of the gift, Invested of the
kind, cheerful, rollicking way the old fel-
low had of giving it.