The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-09
The Old Time Plantation
Homes in Virginia

/ In the midst of plenty. hnlf-hidden in
foliage over which the graceful shafts
OF the Lombard poplar lowered. with
It's bounteous garden and its orchards
near Mt hand. peercd the old mansion
white or dusay red or mellow gray by
the storm and shine of years.
Sorrows and cares were thero--
where do they not penetrate?-but obi
denr God. one day in those sweet,
Tranquil homes outweighed a fevered
lifetime in the gayest cities Of the
globe Tell me nothing, UNDER
value naught that mans heart delights
in: / dearly love operas and great
pageants: but do know---as know
nothing else--that tho first years OF
human life, and the last, yea, II 1t b4
possible. all the years. should be
passed in the country. The towns may
do for a day. week, month at
most: but nature. mother nature, pure
and clean. Is for all time; yes, for
eternity itself.
These homes of Virginia are ruins
towers of European lands but ruins
| none the less. The houses. indeed, ara
still there. little changed 1t may be,
| as to the outside: but the light, the
life. the charm, are gone forever.
In the old Virginia country fomek
| people were astir. and something was
always going on. Some one was al
ways coming or going. The gig. the
double buggy. the carry-all. the car
riage. were In constant use In thu
fields. from the time that the p1ow-.
men turned up the rich sod. until the
/ wheat was shocked. the corn was laid
by the tobacco planted. tended, cut
and hung in the golden sunshine to
cure. there was something continually
afoot to enliven the plantation.
| A fine old house was the Virginia
country house to play hide-and-seek In,
to room. ali over the house. upstairs
of capers without disturbing the old
| folks. Surely you haven't forgotten
the rainy days ut the old country
to room. all yer the house. upstairs
and downstairs. eating cakes and
apples, or buttered bread and rasp-
berry Jam: how at last you settled down
in the old lady's chamber and held a
hank till your arms ached. and you
4 longed for bedtime to come?
And such girls as We're in the old
fashioned country housel They be-
4 1onged to 1t OF right, and 1t would not
and could not have been what 1t was
without them. Finer women, physi-
cally. may have seen, with much
more bone. a deal more muscle and
redder cheeks: but more grace. mora
4 eieSdnCe, more refinement more guile
less purity We're never found the whole
world over In any nge.
Are there any such girls nowadays,
wonder? I trust SO. indeed Tho
archness and coquety in the girls of
whom have been speaking were but
arabesques upon Damascus steel. metal
of proof, whose mortal sharpness, BIT
ter and keen. he was sure to feel. and
quickly too. who dared to come too
near. During q dance at night girl
would give you once an hour glance
that was worth u kings ransom, and
for the ensuing fifty-nine minutes and
fifty-nine seconds was anybody's
everybody else's but yours.
When the dance was all over and
you had fingered at the foot of tn,
staircase until you had well-nigh dis
graced yourself, she would bid yo,
goodnight in tones that melted tht
very soul within you, dazzle you Will
her parting smile. and with the tleas
little bit of pressure OF her tin.
hant-justs enough to last you til
morning--dart upstairs like meteor
From Dr.. Bagby's "old Virgini,
Gentleman"