Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-25
A HAPPY VALLEY.
Some Of the Pleasures offered at the
Sweet Chalybeate Springs.
CaALrBEATE SPRINGS, July a.

Sweet Chalybeate Springs.
CaALYBEArE sPRrsos, July a.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING srAh
Some one, over initials only, has written very
sttractively in . contemporary journal Of step
ping aside into the Happy Valley Of Long
Ago" and finding therein certain lost games of
childhood embodied in quaint 'lttle folk"
1t is into some such ''happy valley" embody-
ing. In its gambling ''little folk" the summer
vacations Of generations that we have been
restored, after eighteen years Of absence from
the Virginia Springs.
''Prsy. tell u.s." 10 asked, Ito which one of
the legion Of springs in Virginia do you al
lude?" And. truly, a. there are no less than
forty-eight well-known mineral and thermal
springs in this favored state it may be well TO
define more explicitly our location. especially
Is We cannot, even by vigorous fight Of i'm
agination, enjoy the whole forty-eight at once,
We wish, indeed, we could If ali the Others be
so pleasant as this, the Sweet Chalybeate," in
Its romantic setting. We find il TO have
changed not ct all during the passing Of the
years, kept forever fresh and young by its own
reJuyenating waters-verily waters Of Crathis
and fountains of Dodons a. well 90 pools Of
Bethesda
This is not . thermal water like that Of "The
Hot and The Warm Springs" less than ffty
miles away. Neither does it resemble the
white sulphur" in comparatively close
proximity. IL 10 sweet to the TASTE as its name
indicates, and as though sugar had been stirred
into it to please the little folk" and, while
clear a. crystal to the eve. it yet fails not TO
color red with rust any garment of wool or
cotton that Is dipped into it, as the bathing
gowns do amply testify, owing to the iron
which 10 held in what is authoritatively con-
sidered a singulsrly efficient solution When
swallowed directly from the spring it is appre-
ciably suggestive of the city soda fountain,
while the baths have acquired the pseudonym
OF champagne baths" through their effect of
instantaneous exhilaration. Fancy a valley,
partially cultivated on its rolling Sides stocked
with fine cattle and walled by chain of green
hills, such az Virginia alone provides, and
these crowned by distant ranges OF bluest of
blue mountain tops.
AcHARMISa VALLEY
Fancy. too. in the richly pastoral portion OF
this beautiful valley, long line, in shape like
the letter L, Of continuous white, verdure-em-
powered buildings, garnished with double rows
OF coiumned galleries, all sufficiently quaint to
please the taste Of the antiquarian who delights
In things colonial; while, for the lover of ma
ture, there could nowhere be found a shelter
ing forest better adapted TO civilized human
need for rest and refreshment than is afforded
by the superb shade trees Of the wide court or
lawn open on two sides.
Glinting through the green Of the court, be-
sides the sunshine, we have bright yet dusky
servitors, white-aproned and white-cravstted
deftly bearing trays hither and yon to the
pretty one-storied cottages, which hold may
hap (now one Of them and now another) a
weary invalid who has come to drink of and
dip into the healing waters. Or il may be that
we see issuing from the shadows and gladden.
ing the sunshine golden-haired fairy instinct
nit IA hrth
HAPPINESS REIGNs.
Whichever way we turn we are convinced
that beauty hourishes and that gayety reigns in
this "Happy Valley" There may be heartache
hidden under a stylish gown; there may be
saunterer through the dream-inspirlng walks;
there may be floating about unseen bitter
atoms OF the anguish of life, marked BY. the
minor tones of the melody that falls from the
strlnged instruments in the pagoda; but it is
Happy Valley" Notwithstanding for nature
is vocal within it and powerful to drown the
human hearts discordant notes. The birds
cease not to sing; the katydids continue to
creak unsteady; the lambs bleat together in
unison; the COW bells tinkle tenderly their
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.: the little folk" laugh mer-
rily; the larger people revel in their restful
recreation OF continuous chat; and the colored
folk-the busiest OF all-sing as freely as the
birds and arc happiest Of all.
CASE IN POINT.
Here comes one Of them. May we tell his
story2 He is an octogenarian. certainly, who.
despite the vicissitudes Of his life in being
"hired out" and now and again sold, still lives
In the very spot where he was born-some say
a hundred years ago. His name is Preston and
he looks as though he might have been en-
dowed with his aristocratic bearing by family
equal with the Prestons In pride of birth. He
could not tell us how he acquired this jewel of
a name. neither could he inform us of his great
age, but he said he was born in the house IAN
old, tumble-down structure) Just opposite the
drinking fountain. Here his father and mother
had lived all their married lives, "'csuse Massa
Rogers did not want em parted Mr.. Rogers was
the original owner of the Sweet Chalybeate'')
but, he added. I'VE chilun was hide out and
sold soon as we could dom do anythin.' yo' may
be sho'." In course Of time Preston was sold
to DIR. Brokenboro of Richmond. The doctor
owne the "Warm Springs" and there he re-
tired, taking Preston with him. After thirteen
years the doctor and his wife both died and
Preston was again sold, this time to the second
owner of the Sweet Chalvbeate," Mr. Bias.
Not liking this master Preston ran away sew
eral times and was finally disposed of, with the
springs, at the breaking out of the late war, to
the father OF the present proprietor, Mr.. John
Kelly, ST.
Now the old man, bearded like a bard" is
occupied solely in attending to the wants of
Tony" the pug dog of his widowed mistress,
and seems to be well satisfied with his vaca-
ton, unconsciously impartIng tone as well as
color to the place which he seems in no haste to
leave.
Possibly he will live like Frank Stockton's
aunt Patsy" in ''The Late Mrs. Null" almost
beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant
and If 80, may he continue to be a happy oc-
cupant OF this vertically Happy Valley. MBD.