Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01
LIFE In THE COUNTRY
Bill GOSsette Writes on The DeleCtab'c
Heights Of Midlothian.
TAKES A TRAIN EVERY DAY.
VIII Return When Through with H.
Has Not Yet Learned the Moon
Rules-Cnptnin Rudd Great Goo"
Hunter.
Hunter.

Dear Dir. Editor.-I am now sojourn'
ing on the de.ectable heights OF Midloth'
ian. where the wind whistleth In melan'
choly candence through the great forest
Trees and the cracks In my WINDOWS
and where the persimmon ripeneth with
the failing frost. Rural simplicity reign
eth supreme, and from the boy VINO
chases down the spekled pullet wnen
the parson drops in to dinner to the OLD
darkey In his ox-cart ell Is country
All | need is the ability to say thar
and road" 10 make me fuh neageo
hayseed. | often embarrass myseh ana
neighpors by saying there" and street.
and some people are uncharitable enough
TO think | am trying TO put on airs anu
BE- cityfied, which is rather remarkaoie'
considering | came from Manchester. HOW
ever, some people Will say mean thlhss
about others, and even our great anu
coed Governor and our able and wise
President are not exempt from such IN
dlgnities. so / will not fret. There are
other things. also. that | have no. as yet
caught on to. To save me l could not
tell whether hog should be killed on
the increase or decrease of the moon, or
whether the old 'dominaker hen shouIu
be given an opportunity TO incuDate Wheh
fair Luna is full or just started out 10 get
on spres Not that the heights are
sufficiently elevated 10 actually make d
Slaughter pen on the moon, but th.s Is
the way you express 1t. Another thllls
that Is giving me some little worry IS
whether cabbage should be put away
on their heads or feet. The old style,
with bacon, might do, but this wouiu
possibly give me even more annoyance
as there are several cracks In the door
between the kitchen and the rest OF the
house.
But there are many little pleasantries
I'm connection with a home In the country
that have to be experienced before they
can be properly appreciated. If you hap
pen to wish a little outdoor exercise
there is always an opportunity to indulge
such by chasing the neighbors COWS out
OF your field, and you couid also spend
some time building a pen to keep your
stock up, and thus prevent them from
annoying others.
The most fun I have. however IS trav-
ching to and fro to work. Every morn
ing and evening / take the train. 1t does
not belong TO me. but | take 1t. Wher
| get through with II l will return II
to Captain West Colonel Green. Gene
raj Baldwin. and other nice fellows OF
the Southern railway. While the Ches-
terfeld landscape has rat-er a depress-
ing effect. viewed from the Keysville ac'
commodation. the patent-medicine adver-
tisements remind you that the suction
valve OF your heart or the air-pumI
a.
need OF repairs. and unless you get a
bottle Of some miraculous medicine YOU
are liable to give some one the oppor-
trinity of enjoying your life insurance
Then the ovation that is given you al
the Virginia-street depot upon your ar
rival in the city every morning Is worth
the price of your Communication ticket
provided you got II at half rate. A dele
cation OF black and white folk will meet
you, and In the hum, you will catch
Ham, cheese, and tongue sandwiches
silk travelling caps, oranges. bananas
and the popular novels; take your
setchel. boss? chocolate carameIs. Rich
mond Dispatch carriage to the Jefferson,
shine 'em up" etc. etc.
Conductor Dudley Rudd is a bang-up
good fellow. and is an all-'round
athlete, when II comes TO accom-
mediation or coon hunting. but not
even his own wife could tell
what he was talking about when he
calls out stations. Like the third term
ers. however he is certainly with the
majority, for no man on earth. or woman
either, for that matter. could tell what
railroad man said when he called out
the station. | like CAPTAIN Rudd, and
am proud 20 know that he is my friend
and some day | viii write you column
or so about some Of his coon hunts, for
he is the finest in the country.
Thursday was a great day of thanks
In Richmond-in fact, it is safe TO say
IT was the greatest day for thanks that
Richmond ever saw. and the charity
fever seems to have spread out into the
surrounding counties II is reported that
Henrico planter actually allowed his
hired man 10 leave the place for a couple
Of hours at night, after the days work
was done, and Chesterfield farmer is
known 10 have thanked a Richmond
sportsman who left a s. bill as a con-
slderation for the privilege Of tying his
horse under the woodshed of the agrlcuI-
turist Richmond people also displayed
some Of this same kind Of gratitude, and
officer Marion Sutton reports that a
+ ranklin-street lady said Thank you
when he handed her the purse she had
dropped on the sidewalk: while two or
three cases Of thanks are said to have
occurred al the football game, when men
gave up their seats to ladies. But, really.
this seems to be country or thanks ana
my friend Grover might 90 away with
the practice but for the fact that the
banks get in their money for notes a
day earlier, and a few clerks get a half
day off without being locked But. to
bear out the statement that we are liv-
ing In a thanksgiving land. will say that
not long since l paid bill of some egh-
teen or twenty-months' standing. and
the big-hearted merchant wrote thanks
In red ink on the receipt; and the Grip
pie who used TO sit on the Capitol-Square
steps and hold the gate open for pedes-
TRANS told me on one occasion that he
got 1900 thanks to about seven pennies
in one day. In fact. IL might be said
that gratitude floats around Richmond all
the year round as plentiful as dust be-
hind the street-sweeping machine. or mud
in the streets OF Manchester.
BILL GOSSETTE.