Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-28
BETTER THAN GOLD.

But they have not looked back in sense
less repining. these stout-hearted south
ronsi Left with nothing. they have lived
20 prove that good bones and good blood
are better than gold; tough muscles than
silver: and nerves that flashed fire and
carried energy to every enterprise were
better 10 inherit than houses and land.
There are few families who have not
their own private museum OF Coniede-
rate relics for the benefit Of later age.
l saw a homespun dress OF soft gray
linsey, with small, square spots Of scar
let wool thrown upon its surface, that
was woven by as fair a belle as ever
graced a noble house. II was made high
I'm the neck, and a pointed collar and
coat-seeves, with angel-caps falling over
10 the elbow, finished off the quaint de-
sign. The hat that went with this win
ter robe was so yellow with age and ripe
with time that l hardly dared TO handle
IL. IL was made Of gOOse-down, closely
tackled on a covered wire frame, and was
as dainty and light as any modern crea-
ton OF a French modiste. Trimmed in
scarlet coque plumes and narrow ro-
settles Of black velvet Cbits left Of other
and better days., l can well imagine
how lovely and sparkling the brunette
beauty who wore ii must have looked.
In this wartime assortment is hetero-
geneous collection OF toilet access0les.
There is a pair Of cherry-stone earrings,
carved by Brother Tom. when he was in
prison, at Point Lookout, and white
bone ring that came back with Cousin
Henry's belongings when he died at
Chimborazo.
And then, as now, woman's weak
point must have been In fans. There are
fans made Of shucks. and one very in
genious folding contrivance OF wall
paper that looks like bouquet Of spring
lowers. A huge, round fan Of turkey
feathers, tipped with red, might have
done duty with the gray and crimson
gown, II the season had been suitable
though in that day, as in this, 1t may
have served its purpose in less prosaic
ways.
In the hands Of the average women, the
beginning OF winter is really the be-
ginning OF the reign OF the fan, and. in
peace or war, 1t has language OF its
own, and a thousand mysterious uses
that the uninitiated never known. /
heard a cynic once say that the fan was
not so much TO keep the ladies' cool as
10 keep them warm. and that was why
the full-dress fan was always OF soft,
fluffy feathers. But he was a "horrid
man." and, Of course. didn't know: only.
II he had lived in the days OF our big
Alllt At A4ibHl nave ANAllI
out. As a lovers screen IL could have
led up by easy stages OF a quiet place
on the stairs-and made OF him a Bene-
dict.
WAR NEWSPAPERS.
Nothing is more curious about the Con-
federacy than TO read OF it's literature.
The journals Of that day were printed
upon the poorest paper. made OF straw
and cotton rags. and so brittle that the
slightest touch was a mutilation, and the
ink. like the paper. was not made 10
wear-though IL wore of and left its i'm
preston no less on the hands OF the read
er than on the mind. And the journal
which on yesterday came out in the s4,ry
OF a six-column page was to-day cut down
to a four-column sheet, or half-sketch. or
the publication was suspended. with the
note that the stock of materials was ex-
hausted, and would resume when re-