The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-16
family Skeletons And fnmily skeletons
unfortunatcly1L are equally as Indcstructl

family skeletons. And fnmiy skeletons,
unfortunately, are equally as Indcstrucn-.
BILE rs family pride.
Thus, when VIC shake our heads dis
npprovingly at the prominent or at the
socially ptnnacled -Rc can always rest as
.sured that our reserved mysterlo 'lA
Will create u good impression.
Most folks. on noting our attitude, viii
say to themselves: ..One thing Is dead
certain. These people here. even II they
do use Kerosene oil IN their houses and
wear cellulold COLLARS, at least arc good
STOCK. lncy don't try to mix with peo-
pie merely because people have got the
cash. We can tell by the way they shy
Oh from thai moneyed crowd that "a
generation ago the shoe was on the other
foot and was n-plnching Ike old Dan
Tucker I'll
In. this species OF genealogical fraud,
one can trade on, m ghty l..-.c ancestral
capital and yet command the profound-
est respect. For the mysterious, know
game
plays on two fof the strongest human
emot! ons--cnyy and curiosity.
81 And By the way, when we sec people
who 4 are INCREASINGLY rich. lnsultlnsly
prosperous nnd otfcnsivcly popl.ar, our
first instinct Ia to haul out Their fam
lily skeletons and chariot tho oss fed
5blush-prodlicers through tho leading
5thoroMghfnros In the patrol wagon OF
public Inspection Never did ed-headed
woodpeecker thrun' s-a& eFunlbling oak
thando we thrum tho fam!ly-trees 5of the
ssuceesstul liz tho hope Of \ finding some
ottenness which, may DO
brought Into the x-ray glare OF general genera.
scrutiny: .f!9 .5s, IN ID
sq o hers e. may fiululate. against family
pride 3and " soon at the nbsurdity OF
the soothing ch!mera. But not this Indigo
{ mass Of cerulean blood. ,corpusclcs! We
cannot MI have notwithstanding automo-s
@b!lcs, orfsstnD,tailed stylish horsos; We
cannot all hnve three sets of knives and
4 forks wllorewIthS to eat each NEAL; sWe
cannot all @glisteh In patent feathers
,scintillato in.hlgh SILK hats; we cannot
fall, in fact, SO much ms pay our po!l
taxes and thereby acquire tho rEht OF
franchise. but hand e-doWn ancestors
and ready-mudc distinguished Aklns1nell,
como ,dlrt-cheap. Il ..si III
Even II, when needed, they don't hap
pen to bo slttilE on the {ash ,bafIel WHIT
ting with their jack-knives oEs down
In the barn looking atysthe new lttert
OF hound puppies, ones fimaglnatlon can
#conjure up the required number Of ce.e,}
brittle a 5s s,,otice n No matter
ABOUT their authenticity, 0t IN
uuhl ~. -, $50 ~. s4.at. Ancestors ana
urislocrat.c connections don't have to be
verified by affidavit. Nobody cares e.
continental about anybody ese's ances-l
tors. or kinspeople. Everybody Is too
busy looking after his own blue-rlbboned
forebears and his own dust-ralsng con-
nections to fret about the comedy .su-l
ing on next door,
But, my! it's 8sweeter than sugar In q
gourd, when talking with your friends to
drop,in,a word about your Uncle RucxF--
Just Il easy kind o. natural Ike Worn,
about tho way he used to gaayant
around. mot taking no foolsmess from
nobody and being tho cock OF the
walk.
And sure, II does make things y sight
easier, when folks start, to pity you TOR
your hard luck. for you to up and re-
mind them that Nhe prosperous En,
.tpugntys In town--you know 'em-are
your first cousins. or that the stylish Ns-