The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-09
~ Richmond. and her daughters, and other ,,


cousins. nieces and nephews to the NUMBER ol
th;rtv-tiy. in all; and one day last weeh' tIio
| =, acessary conveyauces being proNue" -!
| Mr Latham, the whole party had pieasani,
! drive through lovely country ny .nv ;. AZ
Fauquer White Sulphur Springs 70 .hs - Nh, the
| nartv had been born and reareu
and the Younger ones had known oy 'iaui-
| tion | wish your correspondent hhu peen
| along with the party. for AS he was wei, ~
ouainted in times past. with oil the io,an ','
| visited he could have afforded some 'Hlol INC, ila-
| ton and amusement 20 the Younger portIVh
| Of the guests by telling OF the people VINO
,ived along their route in the olden.time, anu
| could. perhaps. have given an interesting
| account of the trip. However, tnls mttoI
misfortune is remembered by the FOLLOWING
account written for him by one OF the young
ladies:
ACCOUNT or TIE GATHERING
"Cousn George told us to be ready by
| o'clock sharp. lou may rest assured wo were
az Mr.. tletchers on time. There tOur,
| horse vehicle. Mr. fletchers carriage ana
saddle horses awaited us. pr. fietcher uloVc
mother and Kate Constable. the boys on
J horse back and sixteen OF us we're packed IN
| the bus. Our sride over there was simply
! deliphtful We made the trip in one hour and
| three-ouarters When we got 10 the springs.
| Cousin Mart Burnley and ID isy Chamberlain
| ioined US. We drove right through jenerson-
! ton on TO Cousin tayette Spilmap's. Cousin
| Emma and Cousin fayette were expecting US.
| and everything was 50 nice. Cousin ray
cite was full OF emotion and with dlf1cnlty
| kept back his tears Cousin George Latham
| kissed him plumb in the mouth. We wa'keu
/ around mother telling us about eVerythihG;
| She recognized the very paper on tue wan wal.
| and showed Us where Aunt Nancy opiiIuah sos
| and talked to the cook IN the Kitchen anu
! tools H. M stairs in the little room with only
| one window in il, where four girls slept at
| one time fifty years ago. After awhlle al
| hands assembled in the parlor ana here
| Cousin tayette gave us humorous
! recitation about a boy who never saw u giri
until he was grown. tnen accluenlhily Hle'
one did not know what it was. but fell in love
with her all the same. SOmepody asKed
George Green 10 sing. and 1t was by lnsplra-
tiou she struck up Where are Now the
Merry party?' &c, and before the first verse
WAS ended there was one OF the biggest weep
ING matches you ever saw, some OF us uelhg
So overcome that we lett the room; hc-
finally Cousin Mart's eyes filled up
and nothing but a great effort kept him from
backing down. (He is q New DIRK drummer.
not given to emotion From Cousin IayetteS
we came TO Hebron and then back through
Jeaersonton TO Cousin Charlie Burnleys.
Here Cynthia Ann Strong, COUSIN Jane but,
ton, Cousin Nan Burnley Lucy Spliman, Ned
Settle and Lucy, with don't know how many
Others. met US In all our party numbered
thirtv-fye and every one blood-kin but Mr..
Turner and Mr.. Fletcher. Think OF that.
Such a dinner rs we had. Mother
saws she knows nothing like it ever occurred
in JettersontOn since the time she lived there
fifty years ago. Rev. Mr.. GrImsley was sent
for after dinner and the whole crowd went
to the church. 1t was opened, ana aIter a
sweet HYMN was sung MIR. Grimsey made
some of the most beautiful and touching re-
marks ever heard winding up with al ap-
| propriate prayer.
SHOWER OF TEARS.
Here again there was a cOpous shower of
tears, Who could help it. never felt before
what good thing it is to be kin to so many
people. From church we went TO Aunt
kitty's old home, where Cousin George was
born and he and Cousin Rose were very
much interested in looking about the old
place From there to Mrs. Harris, and
thence 80 Mr.. Triplett's.
RECALLING THE PAST.
This was the time for mother and Cousin
| Emma to hold forth they were born there,
seventy and fifty years ago; Cousin George
| Latham seemed so interested. lie went to
the spot where old aunt Ewes home used to
| be the old coIored nanny. and also to that
of her husband. Uncle ScipiO, and they
showed the children the place in
the stone step where ttev used to
crack walnuts long ago. From there we
went over to Fleetwood. where our great
grandfather. Colonel Martin Fishback, lived
and died. and where is the family burial
| ground. in which several generations Of kin
| bred lie inferred. All who knew it long ago
agreed that the old house looked more natu-
raj than any they had visited. We went Ill
over the house and then We went
| TO the graveyard. haven't as much feeling
! rs t,an1llo lint q this nlaph fhOuUhtS
were very solemn, though pleasant. lstood by
grandmas grave and thought that she was
the mother. grandmother and great~grand-
mother of all of us who were present. The
place is fearfully neglected, the graves sunken
! and the tombstones fallen. / really think
all the family might join IN according to
their several abilities and do something to-
wards putting it in order, which, have no
| doubt will be done. And now there was but
| one thing left undone 70 have made the day S
enjoyment perfect and that was the absence
Of Uncle Rotert Not one of US but what ex-
! pressed sorrow for it. [ reckon lis name was
| mentioned oitener than any other. and the
verdict of the party was that had he been
with us if possible we would have enjoyed II
more. We also regretted the absence of our
Cousins John S. LatimOre Patterson Bayard,
Jr. Douglas Burnley and Workman Spilman,
of Richmond"
SYMPATHETIC CHORD.
The young lady who gave me this account
had not the slightest suspicion that ] would
publish it,. know she viii excuse me for its
| pathos and naturalnees will strike a sympa-
thetic chord in the hearts of all who have
wandered away from their childhood
| home and after many years have
met together there in family reunion. This
party were the descendants of Colonel
| Daniel Ward and his wife. who was for many
| years sergeant alarms OF the House Of Dele
gates and resident of Richmond for several
wears until his death in 1867, and the Uncle
Robert referred to in the young lady's let
ter is your well-known citizen, Robert d.
! Ward, Esq. ! am sure my old friend will be
well pleased to know that though absent he
is still kindly remembered by those he loves.
Now Mr. Editor this is long letter.
think it IS readable. You have big psper,
eSSpscay on ounu Jay; ,,l se9u ~ 10 you WIN
your (what is beginning to be- real metropol-
itan Sunday paper JONES.