West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-08-10
RUSTIC LIFE
Or Lights and Shadows Of Life
Among The Lowly.
The Country Grecnhorn and His
Sweetheart at the County Fair.


nouncing the date and multitudin-
Gus attractions of tho various fairs
to be held in different places all
over our land can be seen stuck up
IN the most prominent places for
the enlightenment OF the people.
The farmer has already picked
out the tree whose branches hold
the apples that are to get the "blue
ribbon" and each night ho chains
his dog beneath it to keep of the
neighbors boys who but for this
precaution would cause his precious
fruit to vanish "like tho fleeting
vision of a dream"
His good wife is busy from morn
till night making jellies, jams, mar.
malades, pickles, ETC., which she is
morally certain will bo "far ahoad
Of anything brought by amy one
else"
The daughter OF the house, being q
more @sthetically inclined, will put
in all her spare moments on a
patchwork pattern that looks like a
page from Chinese almanac, and
decorating linen with blue dogs,
sparrows, and all sorts of impossi.
BILE flowers.
The son works early and late,
boarding his sbeckels away like a
yeritable sliylock, drives very close
bargains in everything he buys or
sells, shuts down considerably on
his daily consumption of "tcrback-
or" and all this because the "Fair"
is coming and ho has told his girl
that they are going to have time
when they go If he has to sell the
farm. !" lie has been there before
and knows that it takes money to
go through two or three days in the
fairyIand of merry go.rounds, mu-
seums, Indian shows, photograph
galleries, peanut stands, etc. !,
where they sell packages of pink and
white candy, ice cream, red lemon
ade, prize packages and various
other things dear to TO the heart of
the rustic young lady. lIe knows
that all these things cost money
and he's determined that his girl
shall have everything she wants or
he'll know the reason why.
The days are counted with inn
patient haste and when at last the
long .looked-for day arrives it finds
him up ut break OF day. After q
hurried breakfast he proceeds TO
array his manly form in "purple
and fine linen" puts on new cell
luloid collar and the red necktie
his girl admircs so much, and then
away IN his dogcart TO the home Of
TIE fair ore who is TO make him
happy today by allowing him to
spend his hard earned cash for
whatever she faucIes.
In a few hours they arrive at the
gates Of this modern garden of
Eden and after he has tiod his
horse they go in. Tho first place
Of interest Is Of course tho "Floral
Hall' and she goes into ecstacies
over the beautiful things displayed
therein and thus half hour is
spent, then they proceed through
the crowd TO where the merry-go-
round is situated and indulge IN
two or three rides. Proceeding,
they are met by a fakir With tray
Of "rolled gold'' jewelry and who
ut once calls the lady's attention 70
q beautiful necklace composed Of
Roman gold and handful Of dia.
monds as large as walnuts." She is
charmed with it, and ~ the price ls
"onlY dollar'n balf'' he gets it for
her and they pass on. Next comes
the handkerchief man and be buys
bis idol pink silk one that is
beautiful as dream "and such a
bargain for fifty cents r.
By this time they arc q little
warm so they take little icc. cream 4,
a glass or two Of that beautiful red
lemonade found only at fairs and
circuscs) and they wind up their
lunch with the pink candy so temp
tingly displayed, and then wander
on to green fields and pastures
new" They drift into the crowd
surrounding a fakir who is working
his little machine" and gaze with
vide open eyes and mouths as they
see the campers rakin0 In the s1O