Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-29
THE VIRGINIA NIAN-woMAN.
\ Talk with the Man Who Has Always
Reen q Norman.

ItE lItOiNlA 4AN-A OMAN.
4 Talk With the Man Who Has Always
Been a Woman.
The mysterious parsonage known as
Elizabeth Rebecca Payne, in this COM
munity, but VINO now claims to be man.
reached the village of Rest near here Fri
day afternoon with his bride, nee Annie
Hinton, SAYS a Winchester special to the
build. and does not look unlike man
until he attempts to walk or move. Then
his lack Of familiarity with male habili-
ments becomes apparent. He wore a
plain gray pepper-and-salt coat, a black
vest and black trousers. The latter fitted
closely to his neither limbs, which are of
fine mould, and as delicately constructed
and shapely as those of female.
Il really did not suspect my true sex" /"
he said. ''until three or four weeks ago.
when some casual remark made by lady
friend aroused my suspicious. l then de
termined to 90 to DR.. Mcguire, but did not
inform him of my perpleXity. After pro-
fessiOnalinquiry he at once, but with much
hesitancy, made known my true sex.
suppose it was the force of nature which
impelled me to fall in love with Miss
Hinton, although | never could under
stand the feeling which my passion for
HeE llsnlEGQ when 1 HISb met lef as a
servant in our family, and was struck
with her beauty ana ladylike bearing,
and soon found that l thought a great
deal more of her than any one else l
knew"
..Wnl YOU wear mans clothing hence
forth, Mr.. Payne" asked the correspOn-
dent.
"Of course I will, = he responded, with
an expression which would have been
mistaken for a blush had he been a wo-
man. Il wish ] could continue in the
dress have worn all my life, but people
would look ut me so that / would be an
noyed"
Glow did you manage about getting
your boots Onr'
"Well, now, do you know" he eremarked,
with womanly giggle, Il had an awful
time? We men have to get used to these
things, however"
Mrs. Payne, who is pleasant faced, re-
fined lady of about - years. at first re-
fused to talk, but her husband told her she
had better have the trouble over and done
with it. She said that she had looked on
Mr.. Payne as a woman until he had in
formed her otherwise. Then she ceased
TO regard him as a woman, and they be-
came lovers as they had been friends.
She was not at all ashamed Of the new ax-
perience Of her husband, and her love for
him was such that she did not care what
the world said about him. She knew he
was man, and that was enough for her.
Payne. through his counsel, will apply
to the court to have his name changed to
John Calhoun PAYNE at the next sitting
of the court. He intimated that be viii
then remarry his wife in Virginia.
His sisters accept the situation philO-
sOphically, and do not hold any ill-feelings
against their new sister-in-law. Friday
Payne rode on horseback into Winches-
ter. For the first time the residents saw
him sitting astride the beast instead of on
a lady's side-saddle. He appears to be
perfectly Indifferent to public curiosity,
and nOnchalantly replies to any question
of a humorous character that is asked
him, and such questions have been fairly
numerous.
A NINE DAYS WONDER IN THE VALLEY.
Previous to the application for license
Payne, it is said, informed two or three Of
his male friends in the neghbOrhOOd that
ne intended to marry Miss Hinton, ac-
cOmpanying the information with the fur
ther revelation Of his true sex.
The astonishing news had spread
around the neighbOrhOOd of the Paynes'
home, situated some seven miles south of
Winchester, before the marriage license
was asked for, and some cautious WhiS-
pers of it had reached Winchester itself.
As Miss Payne" the mysterious person.
age, had been known for many years in
this vicinity, the unseXing came upon the
community like a clap of thunder from
clear sky. 1t spread throughout the val
ley, pervaded all classes of society and
was soon upon the lips of every one.
Nothing since the great battles of the late
war has created so decided a sensation in
this interesting and historic little city,
and up and down the Shenandoah Valley.
The Payne family were Of uRdOubted re-
spectability and prominence. Therefore
society took up the matter and discussed
il, in a daZed sort OF way at first, and
then became amused at the humorous
features. The people marveled and
laughed almost in the same breath. 1t
was all so strange, and yet so irresistibly
funny.
Miss or Mr.. Payne's mother was left a
widow, in comfortable circumstances.
some years since and married again, but
subsequently, separated from her second
husband, and she now lives on one of the
best farms i'll Frederick county. She
brought up seven children successfully.
four OF whom married prosperous farm
ers in the neighbOrhOOd. Another lives
at this time with her mother. Still an
other conducts a fiOurishing school for
young women near her mothers home.
becca, who from childhood eYinced re-
markable business talents, has, from the
time of her attaining years of maturity,
been engaged in commercial pursuits.
No one ia that vicinity was more favor
ably known than the last mentioned, the
woman living quietly and attending
closely to business, so that her neighbors
gradually came to look upon the pro-
prietresS of the little store as an old maid.
born to blush unseen and waste her sweet
ness on the desert air. Judge, therefore,
of their astOnishment when she appeared
in MartinsbuTg, boldly announced her
conversion from the gentler to the sterner
sex, purchased and arrayed herself in a
SUIT of masculine habiliments, including
a silk hat and red-tOpped boots, and fol-
lowed up the performance by stating her
intention to marry Miss hinton.
AMONG HER OLD BEAUX.
Rebecca was well known among large
number of stock dealers. She was so sue,
cessful in all her business ventures that
she amassed quite snug fortune. She
did not mingle freely with either sex, but
gave her principal attention to business.
Her eyes are brown, and her complexion
sliShtly brOnzed like one who had been
exposed to the sun. The supposed woman
never had any sign of a beard, and her
voice is not unfeminine,
As Miss Payne's business often led her
to Winchester while she was a woman.
her tall, commanding person was a famil-
lar one Oh the Baltimore and Ohio trains
and all the conductors enjoyed her ac-
quaintance. These gentlemen, among
whom are Conductor Clarence c. New.
port, of the Harper's Ferry and Valley
branch, and Conductor John Doll, on the
Winchester accommodation. from Balti-
more, have been objects of special atten-
ton among their passengers for the past
three or four days. They are asked all
about the strange being who was once a
woman but is now a man, and many sly
allusiOns are made to the Difference they
used to display in Offering courtesles to
the lady when she was travelling.
4 Rniirnad 1T pr,I,Ifc nn4rr..