Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-07
HArPY rY 10 srYENTIEs
rPltt.bursh plspatch.l

ing through the country. earlY, very curry,
the next morning and this IS one OF the
stories which enlivened the way;
Have you ever heard an old Virginian
tell a story? then listen:
A vmGNIAN's STORY.
ut had been my CUSTOM" said the
pheasant old man, up 10 within the last
few years 10 rise very early and 90 to the
garden and delye in the cool damp earth.
It gave me pleasure which L cannot now
convey IN words
And one moment Colonel. Do YOU not
attribute much of yJur good health and
longevity TO that sort of hygiene :"
"Well. I very certainly do. have been
accustomed to NY bath every morning,
and after that q small cup of breakfast tea
and cracker would do me until my hoe
ING was over and breakfast ready. But as
was about to say when you interrupted
with your gracious inquiry, ont IN
the centre Of the garden stood an old
weather-wOrn lOcust-tree, which seemed
| to live for one especial purpose (tOr
| don't know that II was OF any
account at All 20 u.s.. and that TO provide a
| home for one NJ. and Mrs WoOdpecker,
| about whom | discovered many peculiar
/ things. There was as little sentiment be-
| tween them as one could imagine between
| two people so much married rs they. but
YOU know perhaps that the most irritable
| condition Of things exist IN all the bird
| family while they are nesting. IL was at
| this period of their domestic life that l
| fell a watcher on the scene.
HIS DOMESTIC TROUBLES.
"The poor old mother bird after squat
/ ting all night on her little nest of eggs
would be relieved lust about the time of
nv appearance-that is, Mr.. Woodpecker.
stern and dlgnihed in mlen and loyal TO
! the preiudices of his sex, would take his
seat upOn the nest with the air OF one 60
| ING about n very disagreeable duty.
| Wen, good Mrs. Woodpecker was of
| foraging for breakfast. The old man
would quickly grow uneasy. Not a
! half hour would elapse before his
! neck would begin to bob in and out. and
/ his ears turn attentIyely IN every direction
of the compass. Then he would shift
about on the eggs-nasty, disagreeable
| things 10 SIT on he would seem TO say
and then turn and look keenly IN tins d.
rection and then in that. and then beneath
| him TO see that all was right there.
Again he would shift his position and
! twist his head almost of in the
! endeavor 10 hold his seat on the eggs
| and catch some glimpse Of the return of
| his fair one, but alas Mistress Wood
pecker was neither TO be seen or heard.
| Now il got TO be 'ntolerable. Out he
would hop on the limb, and with the pc
cuhar upward motion of the head send
| forth that sharp. cymbal-like gulr-rk.
| Then listen: then quir-r-rk again. But no
answer Then he would 90 sayagely back
TO the nest. looking wild enough to tear
things up generally.
An IMPATIENT HUSBAND.
Again he would shift his position. again
| l. f.fffr l.
! br-r-r-r-r-r-kll uuir-ruk and then fairly
| scream so loud and impatient that all the
] country round would echo. At last the
/ old woman would come meekly in, and
with the exchange OF barely a half dozen
more aur-rks-perhaps to tell her that he
would not be back till night-the old rascal
would be of for the lay.
| Monticello was reached. or rather what
| is left of il, for it seems To be the one pur-
pose of the present owner to let 1t go as
| much and rs rapidly TO ruin as is possible
within a short while. Then we wound
| slowly down the mountain-side with the
sounds of the iust-stirrlng city OF Char
lottesville floating up 10 us from beneath,
and were 40 home 10 early breakfast after
a ten-mile ride.
Back from the University of Virginia
| about three miles is the reservoir which
| feeds the city of Charlottesville. Ihlther
| then. the next morning before sunrise we
made our way, until suddenly there was a
stretch of lake running around the hills
very prettily. II was while floating about
| over the lake or reservoir that the old gen
| tleman suddenly gave vent to hearty
laugh.
LOVERS woR.
Il was thinking" he said, how much
| the woman with the milk-pail we met on
| 81 ..a1 tbfu n rarOfm6pf Dt one
| of our good neighbors, Mistress Betsey
| Bounce. Mistress Betsey Bounce Is the
possessor of two very striking THINGS
/ very considerable allowance OF neck and q
very fat purse. as well az many other tat
! things. Well | had a cousin once. alas
| a ind-hearted fellow and an innocent, wnc
| had reached that period OF life OF single
| bessedness when 1t seems no longer 70 be
| a blessing. and had suddenly concluded &c
take unto himself a wlte; 30 up mere ht
| came to look after the girls of Albemarle
and he was TO be my guest for the occa
sion. IL was good Mistress Betsey Bounce
then. who. from all description, seemed &c
! suit him most So down he came &c
| breakfast one morning rugged out IN hls
billed shirt. finest linens, and boots. We
| suspected him; therefore, IN lordly
sort of way. he disclosed his Intention
which l now blush TO mention. 1t was &c
90 straight to the stronghold or Mistress
Bounce, Notwithstanding the presence OIL
so much neck, and take her, really take
her. TO him. Good as his word, like the
crow flies. he posted across the fields &C
| the ward of our neighbor. But alas my
Cousin John Morris had no personal ac
auaintance with the dogs there. and ere
he knew himself or any one could come u
the rescue, they had stripped him OF every
| earthly thing he had TO his legs save one
boot.
NEVER SEM AFTERwARD.
Into the house he was carried, and q!
fates would hayeit his would-be- tather-ln
laws pantaloOns were Just SIX inches to'
short for HIM. But that was the only
refuge. Into them he got, was usheree
into the august presence OF Mistress
Bounce. and then the curtain was drawn
IAN. hour afterward he came slowly and
sadly up the yard at home.
What success, my good COUSIN!
greeted him.
But there was no response. He hac
never seen Mistress Betsey before, ana iol
aught / know, never afterward, TOR II
twenty minutes he was of for the tram;
Thus the days flew in and out too dulcA
~. And they were made the more agree
able to the old Colonel, and his guest, TOO
Fly the presence of Miss Daisy Hampton
the charming daughter of General WADE
Hampton.
And now word more about mine most
He Is mp into the upper seventies .ne SOL
Of General Francis Preston. grandsoh -. u
General William Campbell and Eilzaphs en-
Henry, gstef Of Patrick Henry; ths c oro
Their of William g. Preston, OF south .si 81
lima, ! Q who was one Of that galaxy ieu =,
Clay, calhoun. and Webster: he Is .he oIo
1 Al. ~s.t IL
ther-in-law of Governor James Mcdowell
the brother-in-law Of General Wade Lamp
ton, the brother-in-law of hoper =
RreckinYidge. the brother.in-law o. o.. uen a1