Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-02-23

Of culture. of the sweetest and purest
nature, thoughtful, an enthusiast in
her art, serene, self-cultured, with the
discipline of serious life upon her. |
can understand how she should have
charmed" your correspondent, but the
alleged goucherte in her interview is a
marvel to me
Eighteen years ago this coming June
/ had the pleasure Of delivering an adj
dress to the graduating class Of Miss
Payne's seminary, among whom was
this Miss Lydia Bebecca Papne, and
whom / then saw TOR the first time. Ger
tainly, as she stood there, in spotless
white, with the complexion and voice
Of girl, reading her thesis, the con-
lecture Of this recent episode Of her life
LIN which, at the age of thirty-six she
discovers that she is man, and cele-
brates the discovery bymarrying a wo-
man of over forty--would have seemed
alto gether absurd and improbable.
This school of which speak has fine
reputation in Virginia, SEINE of her no.
ted men being sponsors for it, and Ran
dolph Tucker, if mistake not, coming
from his home in Lexington to grace its
commencement with the charm of his
eloquence.
Old soldiers who saw service in the
Valley will remember doubtless, a fine
stone mansion to the west of the pike
about half-mile distant from it., and
about three miles south of Bunker Hill.
This was the residence Of the late Jesse
Payne, an uncle OF Miss Lydia Rebeeca
Payne, and whose two youngest daugh-
tiers were better know than even the
daughters OF Joseph Payne, the father
of Lydia ReDecca. They We're the
youngest OF a family of seventeen child
rem, all of whom reached maturity,
believe. Left fatherless at an early age
they lived alone with their mother in
the homestead through all the trying
scenes of the war. They were both re-
markable woman. Courageous, high
spirited, self-reliant, with fine business
instincts-which seemed, indeed, a COM
mon heritage of the Paynes-they man
aged large farm and We're prosperous
and happy. They were pronounced
Uni0nists, were superb and daring
equestriennes, and no trooper who rode
with Sheridan or Stuart could take a
fence in finer style. Many soldier
has turned with astonishment and adj
miration as Miss Emma, the younger,
on her fine roadster dashed by as the
wind over those Virginia highways.
Sitting her horse perfectly, her eleg ant
| figure swinging as some graceful reed
W every H1OllOll VI tIlt tTdlUtU
her complexion rivaling the bloom of
the wild rose by the wayside, her mag
nificent hair, the color of gold, floating
free and unconfined in the wind of
heaven, she was the incident of dark
and troublous time not likely soon to
| be forgotten. She married Hon. Marion
Henshaw, who rode with Gen. Fitz-
hugh Lee throughout the Virginia cam
| paigns, is the mother of seven children,
and two years ago looked as fresh and
| charming as when we rode together in
| the abandon of that old time before the
cares Of life had fallen.
Miss Napnie married George North,
my lifelong friend and intimate; a CO.'S
mopolite; man who,while quarantine
ed hy the yellow fever, felled timber in
| the swamps around Galveston; who was
prosperous merchant in Mississippi be-
| fore the war. and who is pros porous
merchant in EiiEinia now; who was a
gallant soldier under Longstreet; who
| was in that terrible charge ON Gene
| terry Heights ~ Gettysburg, and who
was CAPTURED n ,l,at battle; who en-
dnrfd thc hsitlsa'ps ~ twenfy-thre
mouths iWpl ispnlnert: who VAS al
| wa~s,e unt.ef Il" cnTp instances. the
sane .en;Al ann ..~'ps e. witty, pleas
ant eentem ~, .r,ci ng and fascina-
| ting al CLASSES ana conditions of peo-
rla with which he came IN contact, and
| whnse only sster bio sat TO few fleet
in Years Of my life the charm of her
prese ace ard cnpi a,ionship.
| JOHN MORGAN MCKowN.