Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-13

families assuming tho nveries VI
nobility. aud displaying on their pintqr mn,
narrjare uatlels the cbstf-of-nrins oi ni"11
Maicoim I. and William the Conquuror.
Rnt In that case there are, no doubt nun
,ircds of "ubscure and unknown 'nui
vidnaisr who would possess On squa'
r;sht 10 tho same distinction, anu .no
a,ncsrs and dreastnahers abeye-fnentiynr
Ell lmost respectable and worthy people,
might feel themselves also ehtil'ea ~
ammo the royal arms upon tnen s'o.uJ
wagons and silyof.plated, spoonI. nnn'
indsed II we go back 10 William the I'LL
n,,a,or one may choose between the iions
of Normandy and tho leather apron whi ~
b,a irrevcreY,t townsmen threw ,o'e, in o
rastle. cato "a q fitting ensign TUE INV
tanners grandson"
HUMOROUS SIDE. "
There IL certainly q very iuuici,o"a .n.es.
90 th,s nassion for" family" ana ances-
~ y ard one which would ah0rn LiVn
tisId for some clever NOVELIST gntVu VI" vi,
q srnso OF humor sufficient 10 90 enc SUI
sect Justice. The oid-time gentry ~, 80
H. r;ches. while these latter. averse 10
acknowledging themselves seii-maue,
ell Iack on some remote anceslor-sV To-
-, 90. indeed. that there is sale certainty
81 nobody's remembering nnything ayvu'
n;r, Then every "old" BIT OF ruoOish'
such as a tailored fan, or worn sa,tn slIp-
nor or cracked bit Of china. or ilche.y
chair of ancient pattern, Is careiuiiy usas'
cnred and conspicuouslv dihpiayen IN pal
L. ar drawing rs having belonged
-. 80 a ~ oet.oraudmother." As these articles
a,a i,trlus.caily of no value, the only on
loot seems TO be TO prove that there YVES
',,o,t.grandmother. IN which case the
family is established rs nm ola one
Happy those WHO possess an anc'eDt oo.r
frait. or battered SILVER teapot. or Dit OF
iewelry-prools incontesuoio OF aI'sto-
cratic descent. .,....
Not very long ago, ct q great society
avcnt | saw a Young man attirod IN
nowdered wig, velvet coat. and lace rui-
les. representa-" bis great-grandiatnc'.
Said an old gentleman TO me: ! Ahe"
him very woll--a worthy and hlghiy-
respectable farmer. VINO died about forty
wears ago. lie ploughed has own heids
and dincd in his shrt.5leeye5; ana II
figure such as this had presented itseli et
the door of his og-house he would at once
have taken TO the woods At another
society aiair-a children's masquerade
bail-a little miss. in brocaded silk ana
powdered hair. Impcrsonated her great
grandmother, Mistress -, whQm
[ remember. when email chlld.
10 have seen in blue checked
apron securing her hearthstone; yet
the little miss will grow up IN the com
Portable belief that she on tins occasion
correctly portrayed her ancestress, ana
possibly the brocade1 silk will come TO be
looked upon and treasured up by future
generations as q genuine relIc-a ball dress
pOsslbly-of that plain and Unpretendlng
old lady, VINO would have been horrihod
at tie bare idea OF attending ball.
FAMILY VOUCHERS.
II is strange thing. this boarding OF
old family relics as vouchers Tor the re-
spectabiity Of ones f0reiathers. l nave
seen az distinguished assembly an old
fan, "a dilapidatcd gold watch, aud sundry
BUCKLES and brooches worn with as much
ancestral pride by their fair owners az
Queen Victoria might be supposed 20 feel
IN exhibiting on her person the bronze
| hair-pIn OF Harold Hoarlagr, or the VOLTS
| teeth necklace OF Wlttikind, the Saxon.
| HOwsOever, # these little weaknesses
| afford pleasure or amusement to anybody
We will not quarrel with them. Only let
us protest against the absurdity or our
| plain. untitled American people making q
| boast of the possession OF " royal blood "
and 1.-THE blood OF the Stuarts ana Pan
| tagenets. " winch your correspondent seems
| TO consider so great and desirable an
| honor. agree with one OF the greatest
and wisest of our statesmen that " no
American should desire 20 trace his an
cestry beyond the history of his own coun-
| try :" even If his claims could be proven,
which they certainly are not in all cases
notably in the list given by your CORE
spondent when closely investigated.
WHY NOT?
A for Mr.. McCoull. we do not question
| the genuineness OF his pedigree; but If he Is
"a we would Judge from his name, an Irish
man. why does he not 90 beyond the Scot
| tish kings back to Ireland and thence
trace ms ancestry to the settling of the
| island by the Milesinn Kings centuries be-
| fore the Norman race was IN existence as
such. Many Irish families can 90 this:
and Shane O'Nsil, the proud" resented
az an insult Queen Llizabeth's OTTER to
create him an earl, as placing him too
nearly on Il level wish the upstart Norman
| lordsi he whose ancestors had held all
| Ulster as their own Tor nearly thousand
wears. 5. A. W.