Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-02-08
Miss R.b. cca l.. Payne.

zone Win IL
Miss Ri b. cca l.. Payne.
HER OLD TEACHER GIVES INTERESTING
"REMINISCENCES OF HER SCHOOL DAYS.
Especial to Baltimore American ]
STAUNToN, VA, January 30.-The re-
cent marriage of two girls in Martinsburg
has attracted such wide attention that |,
an old friend of the family and teacher
of the groom. am constrained to send the
American few "reminiscences connected
with the days she bore the name of Re-
bpcca l.. Payne and before she became q
fill fl dyed bridegroom. Mrs. Payne tie
mother. lives nn her fine farm in Fred
erick county. Va. called Locust Level -
about six miles from Winchester ard quite
near BrucetOwn 1t Is classic ground
he scenes of almost daily Skirmishes be-
tween the Federal and Confederate forces,
when the tough old town Of Winche ster
was battered between the fires of the con-
tending armies. She was a widow with
a ah4hghhSafG5s c Sh2 Nsrf Kafed an the
and morals, all of them being either mem
brrs or regular attendants of the Meth
nd'st Church. A Virginia poet called
these girls
THE PLEIADEs OF LOCUST LEVEL"
Four of them were we'll married 20 in
dustrious and well-to-dO farmers, and now
a fifth steps to the front, and makes Miss
Annie Hinton, her Did and true friend a
happy wife cannot speak ton highly OF
the character aud appearance of Rebpcc
oh nh..Oi l.at not
Female Institute. at Staunton. Va. some
ten years ago. IG was here that | first met
her in the capacity of her teacher. Sht
made friends everywhere by her gentle
Pss of manners and openbess of heart
She was true Christian, and circumspeci
IN all her actinns-rPspectful and atten-
tive to her instructors. and always ambi
ious to excel; and that landable amb'
ton carried her up tothe highest round OF
the ladder of knowledge. leaving her class
mates in nearly every branch of education
b.hind her. She never. or scarcely ever.
Joined in the rompIng games of the girl.
Sometimes. if a ball was to be thrown or
heavy weight to be lifted, she would
proudly exhibit
HER POWER OF MUSCLE.
She was brave and fearless, and at one
ime. when there was thief scare among
the inn ates of the large building, she led
band of searchers through every room
IN the house to find out the hiding place
of the intruder. At another time num-
her of young ladies formed a party fI
the purpose of ascendinga m runtain in
he neighDorhood of Stanton named
BETSY Ball." Miss Payne WAS the only
| one of the party to reach the lofty peak
which she did with the shout,
ssEXCELSIOR-NO MOREI"
Her tall and queenly form stood erec'
in bold relief. with cloudless sky and
mountain range stretching far to the
| south. There she stood, like a stat ua, fer
4 while. and then she waved her handker-
chief and kissed her hand to the pigmies
in the valley below.
I frequently took he liberty of taunt.
| ing her ON the masc Unity of her actions,
| such as shaking h .nds with a firm grip
or walking with too long "a stride: and
when limited at the probab iIty of her
| one day marrying, sh- would remark.
ST WOULDN'T MARRY THE BEST MAN
LIVING
She was rarely knO vn to laugh, and her
/ features were usually fixed, but not stern;
for FER melancholy ulle always gave as.
surance of kindly disposition. The
! light hearts that beaJ around her and the
bright eyes of youth and beauty thai
shone upon her from every quarter failed
10 drive from her fixed features the shad-
NV of sadness that rested there. All
knew that there was some hidden secret
that marred the happiness of her youth.
The young ladies of the school all loved
her, but felt kind IF awe when in her
presence.
After graduating with many honors
she returned TO the farm, had the over
seer employed by her mother discharged
and took the management of the estate
in her own hands. Everything thrived
She specialized largely in stock, raising
he fuest horses cattle and swine in that
section, and laying up money in the bank
prosperous youig farmer
FELL IN LOVE WITH HER AND PROPOSED
N this way: BECKY. have farm Wortf
$50 900 and would like to marry you; bu
don't want to marry All of your sisters.
they can't live with us -
She replied: John, l have as good a
farm AS yours, but don It want you nor
your SEQ, 0OU. L am already married to my
mother and sisters We all nave enough
10 Fat without my marrying"
John went and got married to another
girl, and after awhile Becky bought his
farm for about half its value and added
it 10 the family estate.
Miss Rebecca Payne is now happ,
man and benedict-John Calhoun Payne
Ii.
The above should, doubtless, lie datef
AZ Baltimore, instead oil Stanton, as ,h'
writer is probably the venerable Prot
dewitt who resides there, but was at tn
me of which he writes an esteemed
member of the faculty Of the college here !