The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-02-06
Communicated.

ublt 10 COuSlucIhDlt SlChubSS III
his section.
Cleaner.
Comm uuio Gated.
Sin Auld Lang Syne."
In all of the counties in the east.
ern part Of our State, Chey being the
first settled we now and then come
to a rem nder of old colonial days.
IL may be an old ruined brick wall,
and old Dutch chimney, with It's ca
pacious fire place and swinging crane,
the outlines of an old church or sim
ply an old mound of broken brick,
aud rock overgrown with Washing
ngton's bower.
Caroline has her old land marks
as well as our other counties And
only the other day | passed such a
mound at the dreary forks of srosi.
Nothing now shows that once quite q
village was there. Often have |
heard my grandmother, and other
old people of the neighbor hood. say
IN their young days cold Chester.
field" was quite a gay place, with its
large inn, stores, and etc. The post
stages gong north and south stopped
there morning and evening, so there
we're always strangers coming and
going (ior the railroad had not been
built through the county at that early
day 1t must have been a place of
some Importance. There was quite q
fine race track of half a mile neat
there, the old traces of which are
-tlll plain.
OIe can look at these old places
and imagine the gay throng of "the
lights Of other. days" They, jlst as
restless and eager for pleasure as We
of today, nearly century after.
The great days when the races came
of the extensive betting that went
on, when the sleek, we'll known racer
was lead out, or the pranclng two year
or three yeGr.old, the excitement, the
elsiiOn or d So ipointment, was just as
great IN that fsr-back day as now,
as the successful horse came proudly
in past the goal
Aud in the evening when the tall
wax candles were lit in their shin
ing candle.sticks, and placed on the
high carved mantle 10 the old wains.
coated psrlors, while the sparks from
the great blsz ng logs in the grand
old srched freplsces, sailed gaily up
the broad chimney, as the bowing,
smiling, obstqulOus darkies set out
the card table and young blood's"
from the county engaged in exciting
games with the traveller from New
York, or perhs sps from New Orleans.
Or on nights, when "ball' was
given, | can see IN fancy now, the
young gentlemen of the day in their
ruff IS and bright colored, longtailed,
short wasted coats, with their bright
silver buttons, knee buckles, and shoe
buckles and their velvet small |
coats and long silk stock
ings, and then, their elaborate bows |
and set hOwery speeches to the fair
sex" as they came, with hand on
heart, to ask the favor of the next
reel or qusirille.ss I've heard the
old ballroom described, with its
drawn up wings, making one long
room with its wsxed and shining
floors. What a galaxy of beauty must
have been gathered here, for we hear
so much of the beauties of the olden
days. There, over what is now a
green wheat field, stepped our stately
great grandmothers in powder and
patch and hoop, to the sweet slow
old music of the minuet.
All WELL O.d CHESTERFIELD day is
over, and the old tavern is thing of
the past, even the ruins are gone,a and
the green wheat waves over where
the old post town stood.
Another old village Of the past in
the county, was Golsnsville, though
at present not one of the original
dwellings are standing. 1t was a
Q usker stronghold early in the CEN
Jury; there was Quaker church
with its surrounding grave yard
there. The old original Golansville
house was still standing a year or
two ago. | have often seen it with its
tall chimneys and many steep. peaked
gables, but it has been lately pulled
down to make room for more mod
ern dwelling.
About mile from old Chesterfield
there are traces of an old ruin, for
t is bare outline of where once
stood an old colonial Episcopt
church, with the dim marks Of an
Did burying ground surrounding it.
It is now in the heart Of the woods,
With no road running near it. All of
hose. e.whose restless feet tread those
I'D departed aisles have long since
passed away. For the old church
With its silent congregation is lying
ow, while the plies point their green
pear like 6Dgers HeAvenward above
hem. only mention two or three
If the many old land marks of the
county; had | time there are many
more with interesting incidents, and
I'D stories connected with them, Of
which | have heard. The old people
.mopg us still remember the old
places With love, thinking of their
,ay departed youth, and as they pass
heir ruins, sigh as they think
We've wondered many weary foot,
Sin Aud Lang Syne.
\ descendant Of an Owner of Old
Chesterfield Inn.
rob. l. 1900.