The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-01-29

poor, Of course, and had little or no
! credit, for his negroes had been his Sc
curty. while now they were free men
and his laborcrs But. with very few
exceptions. the Nirginian gentleman
had never tasted luxury, rs the word
is commonly understood Ofthe many
daily necessities Of an English land
owner or gentleman of most moderate
means he never dreamt. In his cstab-
lishmcnt there had been rude plenty
bat in its appointments and fittings.
except that everything was clean, and
that it was distinctly the home of a
gentleman as opposed to that ofa mere
flrmer, there was no approach to the
Interior Of the ordinary English coun-
try mansion. -.
The Virginia gentry of slavery days
livel simply. partly e 'ause they had
to, and partly because they knew no
other life. The cares Of plantation
and the ownership of hundred or two
negroes did not admit of those pro-
longed absences in which mere rent
receiver could indulge. In some dis
tricts that could indicate there was
money made in modest way by actual
farming. In most, however, and in
particular such as we are now consid-
ering, if the estate was selfsupporting,
it was as much as it was capable Of
When the domestic wants of the plant
er's household had been supplied, and
the numerous families of negroes fed
and clothed. all of which was done with
little recourse to the city merchant,
there was not often great deal left
for outside needs. Education, was, of
course, leading item, but the State
University was comparatively mex
pensive, nor were their sons in crack
regiments, nor wine-merchants' bills
worth mentioning, nor did the accounts
of tailor and drcssmaker make very
serious demands on this happy rustic
society Taxes were light, while of
those innumerable tributes to his posi-
tion which, in the shape of local sub
scriptions, Tighten the purse of even
the smaller English squire the Virginia
landowner knew nothing. There was
no high-class fast life to attract the men
folk, either of a sporting or convivial
sort. Young gentlemen went to the
dogssoesasionally, as they will do all
the world over: but in Virginia they
had to go there in dismal, squahd
fashion, amid the atmosphere of pro
yincial whisky saloons and low COM
panions. The tone Of society, how
ever, was. in general, wholesome and
excellent, and it matters little if its
backsliders had no opportunity oi SOW
inc their wild oats like gentlemen. if
there be in that any particular merit.
The very simplicity of this old Vir-
ginia society was its charm, with its
courteous old fashioned manners and
its hearts both stout and kind, and as
much education within its ranks as was
in those days necessary to ladies and
gentlemen living out of touch with the
worlds great centres. Perhaps the
principal domestic extravaganza Of
these days was the annual visit to the
Springs, pilgrimage no properly con-
stituted Virginia family could omit.
Here were mountain breeZes and heal
ing waters for the sickly; dancing and
flirting dd yolore for the young; and
opportunities for the old of telling
stories and cracking jokes and talking
politics, such as no local courthouse
could offer That was happy day al
ways when the family started in all its
glory for the Springs. The wheat har-
vest was over, the corn was Laid by"
the yonng tobacco plants had taken
holt and under'the hot July sun were
dimpling the red hillsides or darker
low grounds in chequered lines of
green. The negroes We're sleek and
fat, and happy in the sunshine and the
abundance. around them. There was
Il lull in the years anXieties. and the
lord of this strangely constituted king
dom possessed his soul, for once, in
peace, as the family coach, loaded with
trunks and piloted by some ancient re-
ttiner, turned of the ruts ofthe private
road en- to the ruts of the great main
thoroughiaIe.
Along the same route, too. went the
soddle-horses, bcstrid'lcn by froIicsome
sons or cackling negroes, pacing, rack
ing. or foN-trotting along in the red
dust, all bound for one or other of those
mountain Meccas Of the Virginia pill
grims. This forlorn old rugged, de
serted turnpike echoed in former DAYS
to the merry tramp Of thousands of
these light-heartcd pilgrims Now
those indctatigable beetles, whose mis-
sion consists in rolling the summer
dust Of Virginia highways into pellets,
pursue their inscrutablc calling from
morning till night, without fear of de-
struction by wheel or hoof Entertain
ing, it was true, was the delight of the
old Nirginian, nor were there ever in
the world more charming hosts; but
the plantation provided almost wholly
for the simple entertainment, for there
nearly everything was produced that
ministered to guests wants. The