Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-09-15
SPRINGS SOCIETY.
REFLECTIONS AFTER THE SEASON BY
LEFTY FLOYD FREDERICK.
A Picture of the Swcet-Springs Valley
The Vandalism OF Fashion
A Little Advice.
For the pispatch.l
TrsMonr CoTrAoE. OLD SWEET SPn1vGs, !
September IS, 1880.

SUNLIGHT Of mn early autumn. In the far
distance the Alleghanies have changed
their misty. shimmcrng beauty Tor the
golden glory of Indian summer. inc rIch
upland meadows CLEAN IN their wealth OF
golden red and purple astors. The ar IS
heavy with the perfume Of ripening fruit,
and tho long, glad summer Is at an end;
The season Of "good-bys" is here, and
the hotels, which have been " full to over
flowing" are giving up their visions OF !
youth and beauty. Like the June roses,
they are passing from US, and only tne
memory of q sweet and happy time Is leit
10 cheer the dTeaTy, taSt-apprOachlnG
winter months. The days of pic-nics,
rides. drives. tennis. and germans are over
and the time for "nutting" and aimlesS
rambles IS here. At night instead OF
dancing 10 the rythm Of fuu, sweet
music" we 90 ont in "Jally-Ho" coaches
10 some fairy dell and dance 10y the hght
Of the moon" Out among the l9oolllc
fields, where the night is soft and dreamy
with the breath of sleeping flowers, merry,
singing crowds can be heard until the
wee sma' hours.n All say the mountain
call is echoed from peak TO peak as parties
OF daring and untiring tourists scale their
rugged pinc-clad SUBMITS. LIVER ana anon
the crack of a rife and the bay OF the Cecr-
hound are heard, and from the shadows
that lie among the beech woods comes tho
cry Of the Bob White" as he sings his
death song TO his mate. Out under some
spreading oak on occasional artist Is sun
! seen Skctching he matcnleSs beauty OF tDe
surrounding landscapes, the feeding herds
of brown-faccd S0uthdOwns and the cat
tie standing 6nce-dcep IN the broad, clear
pool beneath the willows. Gut along inc
! lone. tree-frinCcd turnpike pass N twos and
threes the picturesque little "mlll-boys,'
who on their stOlid, heavy-llmbed horses
arc carving their "grists" to the old
| fashioned mountain mill that nestles under
the slope Of the PARKWAY Ben Iodden -
| bright-cyed, sun-brOwned little IadS, WIN
cheeks like Devon roses and quaint IN thelr
old-tme suits OF blue Jeans and the lea
thor "eallouses that Pop" made drawn
over their square. muscular little shout
| ders-with n smile and "howdy lor
| every one whom they meet.
nFIIc-HUNrEBs.
Girls in their many-hued outing suits and
| olupn stocks start out on their " rehc
hunts" and alas often. too often, return
/ the cOnQucring heroes from some mcrcl-
nary suuabble with some linsey-Eowned'
/ honest-taced guide wife" whom they nave
/ s11ccessfullv euchercd out OF her CHINA
! cups. spinning-w crandiather's clock,
/ and possibly out OF the family Bible. on
| fashion. Fashion. what a yandal thou art!
! Thou who hast so stripped our old-ume
| homes that nothing now remains but the
mountain lingo and tnD0d bills. But what
matters n 80 lOngas ira are the indisputable
! owners Of the sOubrlquet +. +. v, anu can
/ sit on the spacious lawns OF Virginia water
/ ing-placos ana faunt our endless herd
! books" and family histories written by
/ succial request and well paid tOrl IN the
| faces Of meek and defencoless northerners,
vino 90 back home l0athlng the good old
! Knickerbocker blood and yowing that no.
thing short Of regal blood will do to boast
of in Virginia?
What matters it if our Grandfathers'
| clocks now stand in the frescoed hall OF
some Fifth-avcnue pGireHuF The clocks
/ that once struck the hour for the goo,., old
! time midday meal now ring out the hour
! for O'Clock teas. And, alas! the teacups
that once stood on the high oak dresser IN
! Crandmother's kitchen now hold tho
/ Souchong slipped by the rosc-hued lips OF
some society belle whose grandmotler-
| al, who was she:
LITTLE ADVICE.
Better hiee the back, ye grandfatherless,
crandmotherless, summer ldlers. TO Cape
| MAY. or Ocean Grove, or some other equally
/ irelinq place, and hunt up ancestors for
your next summers campaign, and II you
/ are unsuccessful just get yourself clothed
| bv the adorable Worth, get Tiffany % de-
1 sign YOU cOat-Of-arins, como back 10 the
springs. hold Yourself alOOf from the other
/ visitors, snub right and LETT be late Tor
all meals. cat olives (whcn yOu know you
/ don't ike them, pass around hu{lers
| salted almonds. and then, IN the schOOl-bOy
| phraseology, You'll do; and fyou are
not mistaken for an +. I. ", You will most
| assuredly be put down as " Fast-EIying
! Nirginian."
Both the Old Sweet and the Sweet Chaly-
| beate have been unusually gay and festlve
| this summer. Numbers OF elegant ger
mans and balls have been gwen. Last
| week a most delightful and artistic con-
cert was given Mt the Red Springs. Among
| thefeatures OF the evening was duet rem
derrd i'll q truly charming manner by MISS
! Little. Of Norfolk, and Mrs. Galloway, OF
| kentucky, on the either and guitar. A
! recitation" Fence-COrner Grafton by
! the Rev. Mr. Engalls was also much adj
mired. The concert was followed by
DouuvbrOOk Fair which was utterly
ridjcuiOusand laughablc. The eyer-beau-
tiful and graceful "Minuet" has been
danced several times during the past month
at the Old Sweet. The grace, beauty, ana
costumes of the dancers were incOmpara-
| bic Many delightful excursions nave been
made TO the neighbOring summer resorts.
! The GTCenbrer White sulphur Is only
| eighteen miles distant, the faT-famcd and
truly romantic Salt Sulphur twenty miles,
and is. | NAV truthfullv add, one of the
most charming and delightful spots III
West Virginia. The usual summer pro-
eramme Of the inevitable pic-nics has been
exhausted, and the favorite spot selected
seems to have been the "Beayer-Dam
Falls"-a lovely place, which is truly a
ching Of beauty and a joy forever"
oAvEs AND POTTERY.
There we have not only fall Of eighty
feet Of water but an incompatible grove
of arbor.vitp trees and caves whose cell
ings are covered with crystal stalactites
ana the hieroglvphlcs Of n long-dcad race;
| The remains Of Indian camp-fros can still
be seen at thcfnouth Of what is known as
the Chiefs Cave" and here and there
remnants Of rude clay pottery and pieces
Of flint arrow-heads. Then, too. one of
the chief charms Of this delightful place
Is that it is so conducive to sentiment. Up
| or,onc, tbe vine clad rocks are such lovely