Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-02-02
Correspondence Of the ENQUIRER.

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WINCHESTER, VA, jap. 18th, 1884,
Not since the contending armies surg
ed back and forth in the Valley of the
Shenandoah, strewing its fertile fields
with the dead, wounded and dying, have
the people of that garden spot been so
worked up to pitch of mental excite
ment as they are now over the marvel
Gus develobements of the Payne case;
and while instances of effeminate men
and masculine women are common oc-
currence, not soul ever dreamed of
brought to light.
The Paynes are among the oldest Vir-
ginia families, and none in the State
are prouder of their lineage. They new
er have been anything but well-to-do,
and, possessed of abundance of worldly
means, they have used them with gem
erous hand in acquiring for the children
as they grew up every mental and So
cial qualification that money could per-
chase and which came naturally to
them through their social rank. The
land owned by Joseph Payne embraced
over two hundred acres of the choic-
est land in the heart of the blossoming
Shenandoah, and is situated almost
midway between Winchester and Mar
tinsburg, on the Martinsburg turn
pike.
A FAMILY OF SEVEN GIRLS.
At the close of the war Mr.. Payne
died, leaving seven children, all pre-
sumably girls. His lands, in common
with other of this highway between the
North and South, were laid waste by
the rival armed hosts which alternated
in holding this key to the possession of
Virginia. With and indomitable spirit
of independence, these girls and their
widowed mother went actively to work
in an effort to restore the land TO prof.
table use. Lydia Rebecca, the fourth
child displayed strong masculine quail
tiles, and by tacit consent became the
acknowledged business person OF the
family, and, while called Becky by the
sisters, was more generally known as
.sBoss" by the neighbors. Before as
Stunning control of the place, and while
yet Il child, Becky, who for the present
must be referred to as of the feminine
gender, was sent to the Wesleyan and
Methodist Female College in stanton,
Na.,and there educated with other girls.
Her stronger physique and Will made
her a leader in her class and of her war;
ious roOm-mates, las she passed with RAJ
pidity from one class to another. Stu
dies with her We're mere tribes, and
were so quickly mastered as to leave
abundant time for recreation and dar-
ing mischief.
ONE DEVELOPS TRAITS OF MAsCU-
Unity.
Her many scrapes revealed such
traits of good nature as to make the
preceptors laugh even when angered,
and her punishments We're ALWAYS
light. With such natural gifts for learn
ing she graduated with honor at an I'M
usually early age and gladly returned
to the farm, where she would be unre-
strained and free in the exercise of her
inclinations. Discarding the more con-
filming of girls apparel she wore only
that which allowed the greatest liberty
of movement and surmounted it all
with SLOUGH hat, and thus she roamed
about the farm, giving most of her at
tention to the live stock, for which she
had strange fondness. No work SEEM
ed too heavy for her to perform, and she
relieved her mother and sister of all
labor. requiring an eXertion of strength.
She could swing an AK with the skill of
q wOodman, and no farmer was DETER
than she in throwing sheep when they
had to be washed. The stock farm be-
ing of the common kind, was under her
direction carefully weeded out and i'm
proved by blooded additions and intel
ligent cross-breeding. A second Rosa
Bonheur, her delight was in domestic
animals, and she studied their habits
and needs with all the energy that dis
tinguished her at college.
A QUEEN AMONG HER FLOCK.
They came to know her, too, and would
follow at word of command. 1t did not
take her long to ascertain that she could
make trades, and she entered upon the
market as trader, and there are many
in the county who confess ruefully to
having been worsted in the swop. Hav-
ing attained a sufficiently high stand
ard in the excellence of the animals, she
next turned her attention to county
fairs, and entered them for competition
taking many premiums in the shape of |
silver cups, diplomas, ribbons and many |
other prizes. When her time was not |
taken up with the stock, she supervised |
the sale of the crops of corn and wheat,