Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-04

stli Dktuc nuN Sioom
ran the gauntlet of friends aud at
tendants and showed up before the
preacher in primrose style q. e.,
blushing). The edif;ce was barren
of musical instrument. Our host,
however, possessed piano, and was
the envied of oil the natives round
about. That night it broke forth
as probably never before, for we had
a real live musician IN our party,
and the way she "pawed the ivory"
Gas her performance was described by
one of the natives in the crowd that
lowered around) will leave a sonor-
GUS memory upon the history Of the
town.
Though always met with yawns
and groans another 'early call'' was
down on the program, but this time
breakfast partially Modified the re-
calcitrant subordinates of the party.
A halliday of mountain climbing
had been mapped out, saddles and
saddles provided for some and a
surrey put at the disposal of those
who had been rubbed" too hard.
Up the stony bed of Back Greek,
following a mountain gorge and
along the county road which sur
mounts the Blue Ridge range and
permits occasional speaking terms
between the people of Augusta and
Nelson counties, we slowly plodded
until the fve-mile summit was
reached. Here the horses were teth-
cred and we began precipitous
ascent of half mile. 1t was cool,
but when the winds famed the
cheeks upon the highest cliff of old
Humpback they seemed at first but
torrid zephyrs to the hot and perspir-
ing tourists. The Alton Lady, in her
pretty style, has time and again at
tempted to depict the beauty Of the
scenery from this rugged storm Gen.
tire, but all human efforts seem to
pale into insignilicance before the
discerning eye that is SO fortunate
to take in the perspective.
To the west stretches for thirty
miles the glorious Shenandoah Val
ley, its farms fenced off and varie-
gated with the hues of divers crops
and wooded knolls; it's background,
the green ranges of the Alleghanies.
About midway across the Valley
stand alone (save for mutual
companionsbip) the twin sister
knolls, Betsy Bell and Mary Gray,
around which cluster legends of
Indian romance and tragedy trans
mitted from generation to genera
ton by the people of Staun ton, whose
queen city snuggles at their base,
To the south aud north extend the
rugged ranges of the Blue Ridge,
broken only by faint gaps and tow.
ering peaks as far as the eye can
reach. In the dim north can be
seen the butt of the Massanutten
Range, the lone and unattached SEN
tinel, dropped in the middle of the
great valley, it would seem, to give
opportunity for the imperishable his,
tory which made il and Stonewall
Jackson famous. Between this short
range and the Blue Ridge to the
east lies the little Page Valley, from
whicE we had the day before
emerged. To the back of us rolls down
the gentler eastern slope of the Blue
Ridge, upon which we were stand
ing, with here and there farm
such as make Nelson famous for her
tobacco and pippins. From the base,
and stretching eastward into the dim
aud finally obscured distance, the
red, undulating hills of "Tuckahoe'
gradually recede into the lowlands
which declare that the mountains
are left behind and only the sea far
beyond is now to battle with and ter.
inmate its estuaries. Happily for
the vision the day was cloudless.
But for the excitement to be encoun-
tered We could have wished for one
of those sudden storms that we have
seen aforetime break over the head
of MISREPRESENTATION all above would
be the clear day of Gods sunlight
and the valleys below us shut out by
the lowering clouds. Imagine your
self-you of the sea-coast-as being
above the densest fog or mist you
ever sailed through, and then begin
descent. Into the driving spray
or mist, with all surrounding objects
dripping wet, you follow down the
rocky steep, guided by the voice OF
the conductor; the sun gradually be.
comes obscured, the fog swishine
in your face and saturating your
garments; down yet little further
where the dripping foliage gives birth
to small streams; aud yet still further
down, and down, until the mist has
become drops of water, and you have
passed through thunder cloud and
are now beneath it in torrent OF
rain. From sunlight into watery
shadows, by your own change OF
location and not by decree of the
elements!
With brakes on, the surrey once
led is now followed by the equestri.
ans, and the five miles of mounta
descent is in quicker time than the
progress up. We pass rapidly the
mountain huts and stills nesting
in picturesque hooks, and dismounl
at our hostelry for luncheon. Time
is given to nurse the sore feet of the
pedestrians. Salve and court plaster
are In demand by the equestrians
and before many hours elaps,
witch-hazel baths are called fol
by all hands. Again into oul
seats for four-mile drive tt
the depot. Our chaperon, the Nor
folk and Western, takes us ur
and spins us away to southwark
and upward. Until just before reach
ing Buena Vista all streams along
our course had flowed past us, north.
ward, in search of the Potomac
nearly two hundred miles away. But
now we have reached the watershed
| of the Shenandoah Vallav Ry o,,,