New-York tribune., 1909-11-06
IN FIRGINIA.
Il Record Of Life Before and
During the Var.

MA DAY. "REMINISCENCES OF \ LONG
LIFE. By Mrs. Roger a. Pryor. Illus-
trated Emo, pp. 44C. The Macmillan
Company.
The Nirginian who g0ssips so agree
ably in this volume has seen marvellous
changes in the land OF her nativity. The
Virginia Of her infancy had no railways;
over the aDOminable roads. fun OF stones
and ruts. people made ali journeys per-
force with carriage and pair. a quaint
hair trunk strapped on behind. Nearly
everything needed 10y the family and its
slaves Was made at home, from the
goose-quiu pen to the clio drawn from
the loom. Countless delicious things
were compounded under the superintend-
ence OF the careful housewife; there was
no cold storage for the rich fruit from
The Virginia orchards and-benighted
time,-there were no preservatiyes Tor
tie confectious into which IT was turned.
The storeroom of those days had need
tG be well furnished, for the hospitality
of a Virginia plantation was ceaseless.
4 visit was often thing not OF DAYS
OF weeks, but Of months-and the author
remembers that All invitation FOR one
aight brought Jo a member OF her family
a pleasant couple who remained in the
welcoming mansion for four years. She
quotes. toe, tie story OF the master OF
famous old Westover, Who said TO a
guest sticking shelter from d Tainstorm,
My dear sir. DO stay and pay us a
visit" When the guest explained that
business prevented, We'll, we'll" said
the friendly Nirginian, ii you can't pay
us a visit, come for two or three weeks
az least" No good hotel, il was said.
could be found ian Virginia because any
eligible stranger arriving al q public
house would be Immediately claimed as
q guest boy the first gentleman OF the
region who could reach him.
THE most important journey of the
little Virginian was that 10 Niagara.
The kind un lie ana aunt who had adopt
"a her brought hec 10 New York. where.
from the windows OF the Astor House.
she saw the scarlet fiamingoes gathered
round the fountain in th4 City Hall Park
From Schenectady they went 10 the
Falls IN a canal boat, and in painful dis
comfort from heat mosquitoes and too
crowded quarters. Soma OF the Fassen-
gers lCft the boat every morning L. walk
ahead and wait for IL at night Such
was travel ~ the great state of New
York IN the forties, Pleasante- than
any journey was the daily life IN the
little town OF Charlottesville. where well
tired and Wei read people followed thea
social traditions OF the older time. Din
uer parties took place Al the fashionabIy
late hour OF in the afternoon, and the
young university students who were per-
rnitted by materfamilias "a cali upon
their gin acQuain;ances had 10 respect
th. strictly measured rules Of the chap
erons These ladies OF the old school
carefully timed the burning Of a candle
all 10 O'Clock and al candles thereafter
were cut that length. When they began
a. flicker in lie sockets good nights were
expected" By that time Hannah More
had ceased 10 be q guiding literary in
Huence in Virginia. and girls and bows
were reading Dickens. An author whom
The little Nirginian met when she went
to live IN Washington after her mar
r.sge 70 ths rising young journalist.
Roger Pryor. WIS that Witty and genial
person. O. p. X. James. She describes
him as dashing in one day. In q highly
excited state. and eKelaiming:
Have you seen The Intellingeneer'2
BY george. rs all true. slz times has
my nero, . solitary horssman, emerged
from q WCOdt Ny woTdt ! was totally
unconscious of ~ Fancy ~ Six times