Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-27
Trae Story of a Virginia Idyl.

L
lglish gentleman who has been max
ing quiet tour throughout the United
States, and as there is little romance
Herewith I think it will interest you.
"What most impressed you?" asked him,
after comfortable dinner, and as we sat
with cigar. s'Well," he replied, after a
thoughtful pause, "not the greatness OF
your country, though I was surprised
enough to find prosperous cities 1000 miles
away from your seaboard, and the hand
soonest little theatre have ever seen any
where was in Denver. The most astonish-
ing feature of the United States to me Is its
young women-young ladies you call them
here, notice. From Newport and Lenox
to the little watering places all over your
country they are the same-bright, auda-
cious, sweetly bewildering. They need no
chaperones, for they are strong in their own
innocence. Their wit, their esprit, is rev.
elation to us from the older civilization.
They think no evil, and their brightness,
cleverness, and quick sense of the ludicrous
is unlike anything ever imagined in fem
inine character. Why, in their knowledge
of political matters alone they almost take
ones breath away. I can now understand
how it is that they are so fascinating to
people outside of their own country, and
aIe taking the best matrimonial catches
away from our girls at home. In dress
they have the taste of Partisan dame with
a cult of their own
"But it was not at the great watering
places like Newport Long Branch, or Sara
toga that saw the best and truest types Of
the American GIRL" he continued. '1n
in certain sets to affect the manners and
customs Of our women in England. This
takes from them their chief attraction, theil
distinctiveness, their charming individuals
ty." (Hear this, oh ye feminine English
imitatorsD swell, we Englishmen don't
like it at all. We come here to see the
Americans in their own proper character
and person, and not as imitators of us in
doubtful matters of form at home. Let me
tell you,' said this scion Of a noble house,
something about the most beautiful and
charming woman l have ever met, barnone
| saw her at a little spa-watering place,
you would call it-in the Virginia noun
tains. She was the daughter of gentle
man who lived not very far from the place
we were staying at. She had never seen a
great city, nor indeed town larger thar
Richmond, but once in her life, and that
was when she came with her father to
Washington when your President was in.
stalled d-inaugurated, think you call it,
don't you?
s'But. my dear boy" said he rising anG
walking the floor in his earnest excitement
Sin gentle breeding, perfect manners, rea
culture, and everything else that makes a
woman fascinating, she was simply the
loveliest creature l ever met! She had the
most perfect figure, and such walk!
never imagined it could be seen outside o
Andalusia or beyond the perfume of the
orange groves of Seville. Added to this
were her personal attractions, the sweetest
gray-b eyes and hair of the tawny au
burn brown, that shade beloved of the
gods! When got to know her little,
asked her where she was educated, and how
she had gathered in the wonderful store o.
knowledge she was possessed of. 4 was
not educated anywhere she answered; s
never went to school day in my life
afterwards learned that she had been very
carefully trained at home, and that wha
she had said about being educated nowhere
in particular was perfectly true.
"But fancy" he continued, fascinated
with his theme, ''fancy, say, such a thing
in England! Why it couldn't be, you know
And the most perfectly innocent creature
! too. We rode miles upon miles together,
OIL very good horses too--clever hacks they
have in those Virginia hills-without q
chaperone Or anything? By Jove, it wa
bewildering to me, don't you know?'
''Well,'' said I, as his enthusiastic state
ment ended abruptly and in little sigh
''there isn't much more to tell you," he fl
nally answered with sort of gush. "He
father (fine old fellow he was too, had beer
famous Lighthouse man during your war
asked me to his place for a fortnight.
never had such time. More charming
perfect hospitality one could not imagine
My daughter will show you all that il
worth seeing in the country said her faith
er the morning after my arrival and SO sh
did. l had such a good time, but l wa
living in fools paradise, though, after all
You see, in England if girl had givel
her society so exclusively to any man
would have meant but one thing, and tina
marriage. But all things come to an end
Two days before I left, there arrived
straight backed, tall, handsome young fel
3 low alert and ready in manner, with an ey
: like hawks. She called him Cousin Tom
, Well, somehow, though Cousin Tom wa
perfectly frank in his manner toward ME
:, and her courtesy was the same, still l fel
I deuced uneasy ard uncomfortable, dom
you see. Though had been rather spoon
I had never actually proposed, l don't know
why. / had wondered what my mothe
would say when / wrote her that | wa
. about to marry young lady from Virginia
: who had never been educated anywhere
: and all that. l had told her father all abOu
myself and my prospects, to which he lis
> tened with courteous attention, but aske
) no questions. But 1 soon began to be aW
fully worried and unhappy. L suppose
y showed it, for one morning the Colonel, he
father you know, asked me to go with hir
|. to look at promising two-year-old filly b
:, = had bred and was very proud OF, and on th
way he said: 4 think l ought to tell you
j, Mr.. -, that Mary is to be married th
fall (autumn, we would have said at home
= = don't you know to the gentleman who al
y y rived yesterday He is a lieutenant in I'll
. Infantry of our army, and has bee
:, !" waiting for his promotion to captain, whic
Il u is very near, before he married. He is m
. halfbrother's eldest son, and graduated &
= West Pointsome years ago. Do you kno
# upon honor now, I was almost tumblir
- over in faint, was so startled. l ha
: not asked her to marry me, as you see, b'
y she had gone with me everywhere, and
!, thought it was understood and all righ
q and all that sort of thing" Are you goir
= to the wedding?" asked, seeing the stol
NJ was 0udtu. 74NO, Cstu uo IL. buu3
:, Jove, | was never so knocked up before
- Dear, patient reader, this is the trl
:. - story of Virginia idyl. I would like
y tell you who the sweet girl is. But suffi
q a it to say that she is the daughter Of ge
y tleman in the Valley, who was well-knov
=, :, as a rough rider when Jeb Stuart and Tur
m ,s er Ashby were to the fore, and but too WI
40 40 known to the cavalry of McClellan's arm
y. VI The gentleman she is to marry is an ofic
- in one of the best regiments of the arm
u u And the sweet Virginia girl!-she, who
~ soon to be a happy bride, and her sisterho'
|; ~ as well-lovely as the wild roses that bloc
&c &c ON your hillsldes, loving, graceful, brav
% % with sweet heroism, tender and true
a 10 ways, fairest rose in the rosebud garden
.. girls. Je Uous salone!- Washington 81
~ day paper.
be CLAY AND BUcHANAN.-Henry Clay us
e- to take especial delight in annoying \
a Buchanan, who had, lie believed, start
so the report that he had made a bargain wi
A IL, hxy~ ho