Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-12-23

extinct, as the very few who remain are
tottering along the pathway of life, lis-
BILE at any moment 10 drop into their
graves
The days Of the "old Virginia Gentle
man." once the synonym of all that was
grand and noble, pure and uusullied,
brave and chivslrous-for he was never
known 60 turn his back on friend or Zoe
heightened and honorable. generous,
kind and Astounding in hospitality, have
passed away and he is known no more
on earth. "The Old Virginia Gentle
man." the peer of the noblest of man
kind. his superior never existing, and
only approached by the Csstilisn gran
dees of old Spain, has passed away for
ever and his like viii never again be
known in this world.
How sad, how pitiful, but nevertheless
true And whom have we to take his
place on the soil of the blessed Old Do
minion2 Upon whose shoulders will
his mantle fallS Ali that is the ques-
ton, and who can answer itg We look
around, and behold, in many instances,
the sons and daughters of once the over
seers OF the grand Old Virgin Gentle
man occupying the great house" on the
old plantation, the acres having long
since passed away, whilst the dear old
man, If unfortunately still alive, is, fig
urately speaking, shivering or dying, in
his threadbare and tattered garments, in
what was once the quarters" Of his ser
wants. MesSrs. Editors, is this picture
overdrawns Verify il is not, for have
knowledge precisely such instances ?
We read daily in our country and city
papers of the wonderful doings of the
so called world of Society" of their
marriages and wedding entertainments,
and the hullabellu of high life, and the
query is naturally suggested, what con-
stitutes modern society,"
We know that in days past it was
ruled by the Old Virginia Gentleman,
and the adjuncis of Society" as il then
existed were gentle breeding, education
and intelligence, refinement and culture.
But what are the essentials of these lat
ter-day society saintsy BY what rules is
it governed, and how gagged. and meas
uredg We will tell you: it is measured
by a ten-cent yard OF cotton or a pound
of twenty-five-cent sole leather, or a ten
cent pint of rot-gut whiskey, provided,
always, that there is big dollar at the
end of each measurement or weight.
That is modern society" in n nutshell.
} or as many of its leaders pronounce and
spell it. societee. We know of a man
who began life, since the war, as a chick
en- fighter; then he became horned
cattle SPECTATOR; then "front-bench
operator (MethOdist), and now he owns
the homestead, in Fauquier county, of
old Chief justice J0hn Marshall, and is
the leader of ''societee" in all his section
of country.
We know of another man who, fifty
years ago, was a cobbler with a shoe
maker-snop in Flint Hill, Rsppahannock
county, who branched out as the driver
to market of the fat cattle belonging "a
the farmers Of that county. Then he
became himself an operator, buying and
selling on his own hook. Now he occu-
= pies and owns the homestead of another
+ one of the old Marshalrs, and, no doubt
, today some of the descendente of Henry
Marshall, the "Old Virginia Gentleman,
are acting as COWBOY 5 for this psrvenue
whose family are today the leaders o.
5 'societee" in upper Fauquier. Fifty
= years ago Henry Marshall's pOinter-dof
I would not have allowed this man TO en-
ter his front gate. Ii seems now that
sunken vat in lanyard opens path
= way TO hidden thousands, and. as TO
e tanned COW hide, il Is an immediate pass
: port TO the realms of exalted and bliss
D. fui societee-when If the COW hide ha'
been applied to the hides of some o
: these people, it might have had the effec
= of keeping them IN their proper sphere
d But this is all proper aud no one has
right TO object TO people riding int
prominence, either upon the back of
bobtailed bull, with his hide of, or
long cared ass, with his tongue tied
: Just so they reach the shores of aromati
n societee, it is all right and proper.
n But, Messrs. Editors, IL was not on
9 purpose when taking up our pen, eithe
TO speak of the personal characteristic
L of our "Old Virginia Gentleman" or {
e criticise and ridicule our pretenders 1
e polite and refined society, but il was I
: refer to oldtime gentlemen as SINGER
: patriots in the long ago, and of the
value as citizens to country, State an
. county, for have they not furnishe
l. Presidents TO the whole country. repr'
n sentatives to our national councils, Co
IF ernors of 10Cr States, and delegates |
a. our State Legislatures, and last, thong
by no means least, the Magistrates
~ our counties, which, previous to Il
81 Constitution of 1850 formed our Count
l. Courts, system of high and lofty juri
prudence which has never been a.
i, preached since the world began. o.
County Courts under the old regiu
d" were composed of members many
+ whom were Learned in the law" and a
3. men of the very his hest and purest cha
,e acter, TO whom a decision in Court i
~ volving any suspicion of personal co
sideration would have been utterly a
10 horrent, hence it was almost an unhea
10 of thing that an appeal was taken fro
ne their decisions Their services to the