The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-09-08
Peeps at Prince Edward.

rant, and is now occupied by two o.
his sons, Messrs. +. +. and ). II. Bon.
durant, and the farm of some SOC
acres, is being cultivated by them. II
was my privilege on last Friday to ride
over the farm and then to enjoy a typi
cal Southside Virginia dinner.
| had seen the tobacco crop some
weeks previous, before the knife had
begun its work of destruction, aud
am quite sure / never saw a better one.
( Clean of grass, clean of worms, and of
suckers, and of frog eyes" and Of holes,
1t did the eve good TO look upon the
sea of living green. During my last
visit cutting was being vigorously
pushed and the Bondurant Bros. were
so absorbed with the work that they
forgot even to come to that excellent
dinner, and | am persuaded they
didn't even take time TO notice the
stranger as he drove through the farm
and then stopped at the front gate.
This farm has no river bottoms and
yet somehow corn enough for man and
beast is raised every year, and even at
this season when the cereal sgenerally
so scarce there is an abundance of it
there. The latch string to the corn
crib "hangs on the outside" and while
1 was luXuriating in the house my
faithful horse was Illustrating i'm the
stable. This mention may not be Of
public interest but is Of immense con-
Germ to the travelling man. What my
horse so much enjoyed on this visit
evidently the horses and hogs of that
farm are accustomed to enjoy all the
time. The former were grazing leisure
ly in good pasture land, and the latter
were snoring i'm the shade too fat to
move "of a hot day" The straw indi-
Gated that a good wheat crop had been
harvested. the Oat stacks were large
and shapely, the gates were well hung,
the truck patches were on full duty,
barns, stables, cribs, &c, in good re-
pair, and altogether every prospect
pleased, and / came from this another
Virginia homestead grateful that the
mantle Of noble sire had fallen upon
the shoulders Of worthy sons But you
will excuse me if return to that din
ner again. Having been for some years
in a sister State where they feed on
fried meat, Irish potatoes, cold bread,
coffee and "pes and things" it was an
unqualified pleasure to sit at board |
grooming with good things which had |
been ordered by a Southside Virginia |
house keeper and prepared by South
side Virginia negro cook. / mean no
dsrespect to the queen of the kitchen
by using the word negro. She ought
to know intend it as compliment. |
/ lust now think of a West Virginia
friend who | would have been glad to
have introduced to that boiled mid
ling, home made and home-cured with
a "streak Of lean and a streak Of fat"
with no touch or faint of a Western
side about it, resting snugly in a bed
Of well-done cabbage, vls-a-vised by
a mammoth dish Of superb stewed
chicken, hanked by the reddest Of red
sliced tomatoes and the wbitest and
of mashed potatoes, their
being champion baked
apples, choicest sweet potatoes, hot bis
cults fresh from the stove, corn bread
with the regulation brown on It, cider
sparkling and sweet, milk uaSkimm6d |
md "a plate Of butter so yellow and so
,iq that wasn't afraid to cut deep
md often. That Western man would
nave opened his eyes and then his
mouth. and never again would he dare
ay "poor Southside Virginia"
One Of the charms Of that dinner
vas that the children were with US at
he table, little ladies and gentlemen,
healthy, cheerful and hearty. Would
hat all mothers would each children
table manners" and then there would
Re no need of hiding them away when
company came. They greeted me at
he gate. went with me to the stable
a little girl Of ten summers got the
,orn for my horse and gave it to hlm)
ollowed me TO the spring, showed me
he hogs, brought TO me their play
hings. talked TO me Of school days,
nd when ] mentioned the circus
iidn't even express a desire to come
Home is made happy, and there faith
srs. mothers aud children dwell to
,e.her in "sweet content" Gods
blessings on our Virginia homes.
You mentioned, Mr.. Editor, some
time since the many hOnors Judge
Watkins was wearing gracefully and
well, but did you not forget to empha-
sise that of being successful farmer a.
well a. legislator? His tobacco is as
good as that of his neighbors and his
corn better. He alone of the farmers |
happen to know about has cut a crop