Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-16

See. Hannah the locust-trees nave
dressed in white for our bridal
The ouavering voice rested, and, some
how granny's vision seemed TO range pe-
vond to where Joshua was-away beyond
the tall locusts and sunlit yard.
May-Day celebrations are gong OUT
and vet nothing can be more humahizihs
and exalting than this sweet communion
with nature and each other. The tradi-
tions which entwine with the ho"els
around May are among the most en-
chanting; and much more generaiy KEEP.
the further south one goes. Old-W oilu
people delight in out-of-door pas'liiies
all through that portion OF the year
which is bright with flowers OF soiuen
with fruit: It is a picturesque, piquan'
and delightful phase Of rural life the
country people of Virginia would DO wen
70 copy. Let us cultivate the ohve
branch and the amaranth, the lily ana
the rose. flowers and floral festivals, nap
piness and all the graces.
A BUSY TINE.
We are in the very busiest tine oi
the year-planting that we shaii is'p'
IL "all work and no play makes jan q
dull boy" vicy, versy-as Mrs. IA, .i"s
ton says--is worse, for II Will ihe,y' "a,
the harvest time, make MN rasseu ane
hungry TO boot. And yet it goes against
~ oro,n IN work in the growing time,
ono might well question as to why TINS
,arodoyical state Of things has been III
eictod unon us: or is it remnant savage
bobemianism This longing to roam at
Iorqa and aversion 10 set rules and hours
vcIent the ..sprng comes as regu-
lar as the equinox, and must be iousht
down and conquered. For worK iiiuse
he done. For every man or woman ".o
sits idly and lets the world or LABOR 30 W
there Is n burden-bearer who assumes INC
duties the real owner shirks. "A shlih'
Did Won ever hear an uglier WORD! / q as
,ieve he called a thief!' l heard man
cav the other day, "Well, l don't KNOW
II sounds pretty rough; put guess my
friend would draw the line, regardless
~ eunhony." In this case he alluded 10
an tmnortant element In the makeup OF
the wrld-a man sitting comfortably III
a room with something TO eat anu uiiiiN
before him. There is sawdust on the
eoor hut habit has Injured him 10 'hae'
ne is iust waiting for chance game
~ Iuck with any one who will throw inc
d,ca for drinks. and listen to his COM
nIaints for he is out Of work ana
miphtv mutterer against the hard times;
talks as II he were the only SUFFERER
in the wide world. Talks about the Dur
den of his family, as II 1t were inol1
than he could bear. 1T 49, Inc ie"I
laborer is the mother, VINO Is suNine
early and late; doing with her inlshl
whatever her hands find to 90 10 Keep
together the little they have and add 10
+, She Is the burden-bearer-the true,
citizen of this broad repuo-
lie She doesn't want to vote; goodness,
no, The rights she needs are away aho
ahead of the franchise. The hrst one
would. or should bA the right TO leSaiiy
send Lazy Lawrence off in the country
somewhere and make him work, while
she brings up the children, makes ana
mends their clothes, plans for their pre-
sent and future, father and mother polh'
while Lawrence shirks. Is 1t not IN ben.
Hur'' that one reads: God could not De
everywhere, SO he made mothers!
KINDS OF MOTHERS.
no Won know that there are step
rotbers. half-mothers, and mothers-and-
,-balfq Let me tell you that by far the
majority of women. and especially coun-
NV women. belong to the latter class.
You don't mean to insnuate that men
IRE natural shirkers, but they have
xav-to come up a step higher In sociai
ife-of evaiing the unwritten duties Oh
family life. Did you ever see a man
,unting for bills and receipts in the oiu
lrop-leaf desk? He calls for mother.
Did YOU ever see him write letter with
mi asking his wife for the pen, INK. ana
,aner. the date Of the month. and was
he sure the mail-boy had not gone!
lid I saw a man once sending out writ
EN- notices to relatives that poor Mar
ha was dead"-that she had passed over
o that fair land where shirkers are kept
n outer darkness, and he couidh 90 ~.
He could find an idea. Mother had
,een the family chronicler Tor these
hlrty years, and kept up the correspond
nee alone and unaided.
The time is at hand for city folks TO
,ome up to the green pastures ana stiii
waters. City men are going to send the
wife and babies away for a months va |
to the wife's old home.
"Going Nd with them?" Not II he |
,nows it. "rll run up little later II
ind time" as no skits out the car-door
fter the last frantic kiss. Trot johnnie
bout In the car aisle and get drink for
fannie? Not much. Keep the twins
rom escaping through the windows or
he rear door, or hold his wife's throbbng
cad and the baby's bottle at one and the
anne time? Is thy servant just from the
lnatic asylum that he should DO these
hings? Oh, no, not the least; he u
My genteel shirker!
I've often wondered why the picture-'
ooks never have the children kneeling
y tina fsthar's knAAA. Whv II u aiwavs