Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-11
GIRLS AND MELONS.
OLD HANOVER COUNTY NOTED FOR
THE SWEETNESS OF BOTH.
SIX MELONS THAT BEAT THE RECORD
They Averaged I'm Weight Nearly
Seventy Pounds, and Were Raised
by Mr.. George c. smith-Chnrms of
the Hanover Maids.

Hanover county Is noted for two things
pretty girls and watermelons. and
the former are just about as sweet
as the luscious fruit which grows so plen-
tifully in that section, through which
the sluggish waters OF the .Chickahominy
wend their way to the noble James. OF
all tine counties in old Virginia, TO the
writer OF this Hanover is the dearest
The soil may not be as fertile as that
Of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, and
may not yield as abundautly Except IN
| watermelons) as the rich lands of that
OF the Alleghanies TO the sandy shores
OF Accomac, viii you find people more
hospitable. or kind-hearted, or more dis
tinguished by those traits which mark
the true Virginian. than right among
the slashes or the red hills Of old Han
over?
AS to the Hanover girl. we sll know
! her. She IS the most practical girl IN
the world. She is not one Of These dainty
parlor-sofa, done-up-in- crea-
lures. but genuine, good. old-fash
| toned girl Ghank goodness there are
few of them lefO. who can entertain you
in the parlor, play the piano until the
ends of her fingers come off, and then go
| in the kitchen and cook a meal tina;
would cause a French chef TO die Of
envy.
RIGHT KIND OF GIRL
She is the right kind of a girl, and q
little rain will not spoil her complexion
goodness, no. There is a bloom in her
cheeks born OF the air of her native coun-
ty, and a laughter i'm her voice that
banishes dull care, and makes one Forget.
when in her presence, that the world
has any side other than the bright one
Many Of them, to this day, bear them
selves with the same pretty grace that
their grandmothers did fifty years ago
and the words that come from their lips
have as swee. "a sound as those which
were uttered when grandma was a young
lady" They play "cyards" and they
dance" broad, sound az, and when
they tell you so, with the peculiar little
accent on those words, you know II is not
affectation, but that when first their
childish lips formed syllables they spoke
thus. And this makes all the difference
in the world 10 the nearer, for though he
may not himself have the same pronun-
citation. yet he knows that the girl be-
fore him. who is charming him with her
voice and manner is as genuine In both
as is the child In its innocent prattle.
SHE CAN DANCE.
The Hanover girl knows how 10 dance,
and, bless you, how she does love TO glide
gracefully in the mazes OF the waltz.
Then too, she is fond Of the Old virginia
reel. the lancers. and the quadrine TO
the squeaking of an old darky's fiddle she
can move about Tar more gracefully than
can many Of her city cousins TO the
strains Of a "twelve-piece' orchestra.
How she can "chasseZ" balance" and
promenade" only those who have seen
her know. The big fellow who happens
to be her partner may be awkward and
clumsy, but her own movements are
graceful enough for the two. and she gets
him through the figures in manner
that reflects credit upon herself, and even
causes him TO be deluded with the idea
that after all he is something OF a
dancer"
How energetic she is when one or these
dances is to occur at her own home. You
should see her she fits about the house
with her hair done UP in curl papers, her
sleeves tucked up to the elbows, and her |
mouth full Of pins, which, however, does |
not keep her from talking. for she can |
use one corner of her mouth for PIN |
cushion and talk out Of the other. 1 |
nave seen her do this very trick, and |
maryelled at Il. / have even attempted |
IL myself, but with disastrous results, and |
shall never try it again. She is IN the |
Kitchen one minute experimenting the |
OF the various delicacies that |
will go to make up the refreshments for
he evening: the next moment she Will
be in the paaor assisting the boys In
taking up the carpet; she is here, there
and everywhere, first giving this direc-
ton and then that, tor she is the moving
pirit in the whole affair, and without
her it would most certainly fan through.
a GREAT CHANGER
And when you see her that night, 10!
he cur papers have. disappeared, her
jretty mouth is no longer full of pins,
md the checked Bingham apron has been
asst aside, and in its place is a gown
made of some soft white material, or
airy-like texture, while her hair is row
held in place by a dainty bit of blue rib
)on; in fact. the girl OF the morning mas
leen transformed into " vision or lowell
less, and yet, as you gaze upon her, with
/ kind of gone" feeling at your heart
'Ou cannot exactly decide which OF the
wo you most admire-the business-lke
title woman, with tucked-up sleeves ana
spot of -four on the tip OF her nose, or
he creature who now stands before you,
milling and cOmplacent, bedecked in rib
Ons and lace. And you finally conclude
hat you like each OF these girls in her |
roper place, for you know that it takes
he two 10 make one genuine girl, ana
hat the one who is now entertaining .
With such grace in the parlor can preside
With equal ease in the kitchen.
In describing these Hanover girls, don't
hink that l have any particular one in
lnd. You can almost go through the
Ounty blindfold and put your hands on
ne Of these girls every time, for in Han
YER the same rule applies 10 the girl
hat does TO the watermelon; In picking
Ither. you always get the genuine article.
o case the reader, Notwithstanding the
ssertiOn made above, persists In attri-
uting an erroneous reason for my en- .
husiasm over the young ladies who re- ;
de in the neighborhood of the Chicka- /,
ominy Swamp or the Newfound river, l =
ill say that most mot alp of the girls .
( my acquaintance i'm that section hap =
en to be my cousins. and that. therefore. =
ne cause OF my ardOr cannot be laid at =
leir door, for as a young lady informed :
be this summer Cousins don't count" !,
THE HANOVER MELON. =
From Hanover girls 10 Hanover water e
elons would seem like going from the r
iblime to the ridiculous" but as the s.
--------------~---- ----------------------~-~----