The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

From the New York Journal
It has for many years been my earnest
desire to meet real Virginia gentleman,
one of those delightful personages of what
they call the "old sehools-the courtly,
proud person of grand manners and mag
nificent traditions. He has been to me
so much a character of song and story
and graceful pictorial Illustrations that
not to meet him was not to have known
the most delightful product of our Ameri-
can civilization.
1 have been several times through Yir
ginia, seen her red hills, and pines, and her
seashore and her war-scarred homes, and
her battlefields, and her relics of the ear
lier colonial civilization; but the old-school
gentleman never seemed to be at home
when l called. l have grievously missed
him and that generous hospitality which is
so much a part of him.
l had begun to suspect that the real Vir-
ginia gentleman was, after all, only
myth. like so many other pleasant people
we find in books and pictures, when l en-
eountered him most Unexpectedly; the gem
uine article in all his sweet simplicity; just
the kind of a man l had been seeking all
these years 1t was at Washington. There
are many sorts of people in Washington.
1t has gathered to itself the ruins and
wrecks of every state in the union, and is
still at the good work. 1t has also gath
cred in some of the picturesque in human
life. That is probably why it sought out
and took TO it's bosom this last member of
the old school of Virginia.
The old Virginia gentleman of the books
was always his happiest at the dining ta-
BILE, and the stories say that when he was
not counting or fox hunting he was dining,
along with the beaux and bellies OF the
county. / was so fortunate as to discover
M "A
cloth before him, and the beam of a great
satisfaction with himself and the world
upon his face.
/ knew him the moment laid eyes upon
him. Not from any word of his, but WHO
else could have that grace of manner That
courtly bow of welcome, that grandiloquent
waving of a guest to a chair? 1t was
superb, beautiful; and only a Virginian
and an old-school yirginian, could ever
have seated a guest in such wise.
And then the service at that table, ia
BILE at which senator's, cabinet men, minis
ters and, perhaps, even presidents had
sat. To the lowly diner at that board was
extended just the courtesy with which the
highest would have met. With what pride
did this Virginian catalogue by voice the
Kitchens burden, and with what persua-
sive tones did he name and suggest the
dishes, with that air 'if you will only let
me do, I'll feed you like king"
''Uv cose, sub, the soup is green turtle.
An bein' so nigh tuh thu state OF run
ginia, it's about thu bes' greenturtle In
thu worP, sub"
And it was good green turtle of kind
which you somehow do rot get in New
York and which you are fam to gratefully
remember once you have rartaken of It,
With increasing kindness he went on:
1.-The fish. Nv cose, bein' so night thu
state NV Fuhginia. sub, yuh will find this
black bass about thu best fish in thu
worl'. Some NV our visitors like our Fuh-
ginia shad, but faw me, give me thu bass
sun. ] kin recommend him eatab'e."
A Potomac river lass is rot to be de-
clined when the cook has known and loved
his work and when a Virginia gentleman
has offered it with such evident pride and
such pleasing grace. SO one must perforce
eat and return thanks. But
"And now, sub" He actually came