The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-04-22
1.-THE VOICE OF THE
PEOPLE, IN VIRGINIA.

tpoublcday. Pas. & Cor II is q story Of present social
conditions in Virginia. or conditions which aye recent. Its
eva Is that of a period coming after the Reconstruction time,
imt n.ar enough io the 'iNl War AMI is memories To nave
tl'm as d background.
Tile nero Of the story is = *.lt-madc man. ~ "A small
hoy he wanted T., 10. "ifi,l.ut." He did not want 10 ie an
inefficient farm,y is his father w-s. ri rutncr tv II
judge" ." said. lie grew ur on "a poor farm on TN. nri-
SAINTS of Kupsh",o1gn. al aiistnrratic old town. TIE
the consideration of the old families of the place. and for
success. ip VAS "a strong man. Nicholas Burr was, and he
WOE the loNe If tho woman he loved from childhood, aud
he became 'i"NoIu.r of has stale, with the s'natrfsiip
seemingly within his reach Tie WAS = successful man.
The woman. Eugcnil lAtt4'. the heroine al the book, Is
portrayed III a sympathetic manner. Sr" Is Very much alive,
and the fact that she did not marry Nicholas Burr. the
man she loved. Iti not make her as distinctly unhappy as
.a, things ar. supposed to do in most novels. She missed
.nurtniu ot the tine THINGS tAat might have been hers.
however. though >tr htd = stnr,fr r'gHid for her husband.
Whose easy conscience aud s'!hst''"ss she seemed not to
Eno.rStaHI or resent.
The canvas Of The Voice Of the People" is full. Ii is not
a one man and ore woman story. The old rector Of the
church was a character who was alive, and yet not 50
much alive a : the Judge and the General. In reply TO a
question fiou a stranger regarding the moving Of the
church,ara. the old rector said:
Yes. my good sir. this dear old chufchyard Is. never
moved. l assure you that 1 have seen thirty head OF cattis
uion The yaults-1hirty head, sir"
The cattle moved the grass in the Kingshoroush church,
ya'd.
Haro IS 2 picture Of a Confederate widow as presented
lE Miss Glasgow. herself a native of Virginia:
Her pride was never lowered and her crepe was never
laid aside. She SAL mp far into the night 10 darn the sleeves
cf her black silk GOWN, but the stitches We're of such cx-
uuisi7e nu.urss that In the Gim light Of her drawins-room
They seemed hut az added gloss. From behind the massive
conen-lrm at The mead Of her table sh" regarded her board
.rs IS 80 many hcnehciaries upon her bounty. when she
PASSED a cup OF coffee she seemed L, confer an honor; when
she returned = receipted bill it was is if she repulsed an in
SUIT. People said that she had been born to greatness and
That she had never adapted herself 10 the chscurity that had
been thrust upon her-bnt they said ii when her back was
tlrn'd. 10 her face the subject was never preached. and
t"r former prosperity was ignored along with her present
lion. When She SPOKE from the depths OF her bitterness Of
the war ami The ruin it had left. her resentment WAS gen
,ral rather than personal. Above the mantle in her room
f.ul!. the sword of her husband, sheathed under the tattered
r.IorS OF tie Confederate States. At her throat she wore Il
button that had been cut from a gray coat. y most re-
markable woman said the General, 'te most remarkable
woman have ever seen. sir"
\ nice little touch of description is that which tells of
the entrance of Nicholas Burr into the SUNDAY School class
OF Miss Juliet Burwel. Sh. had invited the boy to come
10 h.: house and talk over the lesson.
After they had their talk. Juliet called her sister. ana
they took Nicholas into the quaint old dining-room and gave
him cakes and JAN on a table that shone like glass. There
h. saw Nj. f.urwell-a rink-cheeked, little gentleman who
wore an expansive air OF innocence and a white iiGue
~aistcoat-and Mrs. Eurw,lI. Il pretty. gray-haired woman.
who ruled her husband with the velvet paved despotism
which Was tie heritage of the women of her race and day.
she had never bought a bonnet without openly consulting
his judgment: he had never taken 4 step i'll life without I'M
consciously following hers.
Really. my dear sally. he said when he heard of Mich
GLASS reception by his daughter. Juliet must a-a- be taught
to recognize the existence OF class. Really, l cannot have
her bringing all these people into my house. You must put
a stop Ia it at once. my dear
Mrs. Burwel had smiled rlacidly as she pa,ted her gray
fringe.
.'of course You know best. AR. Burweil' she had re-
piled with touching humility which forbade her to address
her husband by his Christian name. OF course YOU know
test about such matters. and I'll tell Juliet what you say.
Poor child. she has such confidence in your Judgment that
love 81 to feel that she is exe,ting a good Influence over
tie boys, and, perhaps. helping them TO work out their fn-
tuc salvation. She thinks. too. that it is 50 well for them
10 have a chance of talking 10 you. l heard her tell Dudley
Webb that he must take YOU for an example
".Ah:-atcm" said MI. Bnrwell, who worshipca the
ground his daughter trod upon. i suppose i: would he a
pity to interfere with her. Ell, my DEAR
"'Wei. l can't help wishing myself. Mr.. Turwell, that
she would select children of her own class in life. but. ~
yoc say, she has taken a fancy TO that Burr boy. and he
seems 10 toe a decent. respectful kind of child. or course
know it is your soft heart that makes You look at il in this
way-but l love You all the better for it. l remember the
day YOU proposed TO me for the sixth time. l mad Just seen
you handaEe ~ the head of a little darky that had cut
hin,s.!f-and ! accepted You on the spot
.Yes. yes. my love- Mi. Burwell had responded, kissing
his wife as they left the room, I am convinced that am
right, and / am glad that you agree with me, We won't
speak of it 30 Juliet"
Clever Mrs. Rurwell! She made her husband change his
mind and he didn't know it.
Another character of some interest. a side light upon the
canvas Of Virginia life. was Aunt GriseIia. General fattie's
aunt who had been a visitor under his roof for twenty
years.
TO the mild complaints of his sister, Miss Chris, and the
rrotcstations of his little daughter, Eugenia, the General re
turned the inyariable warning. she is our guest rcncmber
what is due to Il guest. my dcars.'
"it is the right of a guest to determine the length of his
stay tho hospitahle General would say, and, as a Virgin
ian, my house is open as long as it has a roof over it
~, Aunt Griselda drank her green tea in acrid silence,
turning n cry TO fDlirN' I"fflili lr ldklhS lOo large
mouthfuls or 30 request Eugenia 10 remove her elbows from
the table.
To-day. when Iugenia descended, she was gazing ston-
lily into Miss Chris.s genial face. and listening constraincdly
to a story at which the General was laughing heartily.
" 1 do remember once. when I WAS AT Uncle Roberts re-
nrinisCed the General, they sent n eighteen miles on horse
back for the doctor because Aunt Caiov'i! had such 4
queer feeling in her side when she started 10 walk. | can
see her now holding her side. and saying: L can't possibly
take n step! Robert / can't take a step" And when
brought the doctor eighteen miles from home. on his old
gray mare. he found that she'd put a shoe on one foot and
a slipper on the other
The General threw back his head and laughed until the
table sroaned. while Miss Chriss double chin shook softly
over her cameo brooch.
Aunt Griseida wiped her eyes on the border of her hand
kerchfef.
Aunt Corncl:a Caldwell was a righteous woman she
:nurmured. i never thought that | should hear her riii-
cUl"d in the house of her great nephew. She scailcned me
81 flannel petttcoat with her own han!s-Eucenia, in my day
little girls didn't reach for the butter. They waited until
it was handed to Them
Congo, the butler. rushed to Eugenia's assistance, and
the General shook his finger at her. Miss Chris changed the
subject by begging Aunt GriseIda to have a wing Of
chicken"
A A WITH SN