The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-12

hung on the parlor wall, the portrait
of a fiorid-face officer in a red uni
form. who. faithful to his king. had
gone with Braddock against the In
dams But peoples ideas change and
when Liberty Bell rang at Philadel-
phia. another hand had grasped this
same sword and carried II from Valley
Forge to Yorktown: but the uniform
this time was buff and blue. and the
enemy was the Crown, since that
young rebel George Washington. had
been chosen commander-in-c chief OF
the American Army Then the v>ar'
in the passing brought a shadow over
the fair Southland, so again the old
sword was drawn from it's scabhard by
a dashlnR young Virginian who never
returned from Gettysburg. A comrade
though, who saw him FIJI. seized his
sword and brought II ho'ne to the old
people. and while q matted lock Of
blood stained hair was pressed secure
between p daguerreotype of a young
officer IN a gray uniform, the old
sword was hung again on the parlor
wall as the most sacred heirloom in
the IA milv.
The children all peeped at it, and
were a little afraid of It, yet coveted
its possession when they met for
Thanksgiving aud Christmas under
their ancestral roof-tree.
1T shall 20 to the one who is most
worthv--to the one who Is IN no wise
a coward" declared grandfather,
whose verdict was as final as the laws
of Modes and Persians.
SO. while the children ceased 70
dream Of the possibility Of taking 1t
home with them. grandpa was study
ing their dispositions, taking mental
notes Of their characteristics, with the
view Of adding q. codicil to his will,
telling whose the sword should he His
decision came about in this manner.
Bobhie, the youngest of all the Off
spring. was to have 4 birthday party
and grandpa. with the knowledge of
human nature that ranks anticipation
above realization. took the children
into the secret and LET them plan It
their way. As the time approached.
grandpa was seized with dreadful
spell of govt and became 80 cross and
crabid. that the world seemed 10 take
on an air OF gloom. Nothing pleased
him.
1t is all foolishness he clustered.
this thing OF having parties anyway.
Just lot OF trouble and a mess for
the servants to clean mp Now. we
could have given Bobhie a quarter and
let him gone to the store and bought
a pound OF peppermint drops and
mouth harp, without all this nonsense
about invitations and summontng the
whole neiRhhorhood.
THAT might have done in your day"
declared grandpa gently but times
have changed. This is the age when
more is done than ever before for the
child"
More the pity" was the terse re-
ply Yes. times have changed and
changed for the worse | regret to
say-the world Ia full or upstairs who
think they know more than their
elders Give me the old fashioned
child every time. that believed In
fairies and witches and thanked SANITY
Claus for stick OF candy in q Christ
mas stocking They knew what hap
piness meant but the children OF the
present are seated on the threshold Of
life with the manufactures of tho
world. Yet do their mechanical toys
give the pleasure of grapevine
swing and mud-Cakes baked by the
sun viii their ingenuity ever watch
the lid OF a tea -keitle in this restless
age when the little modern fashion
plates dent knew the -contentment Of
a Shirt-tail Niger, riding p broom
stick horse Neither Washington nor
Stonewall Jackson were coddled hot
house plants. What Ia the country
coming to with all these namby- pamhy
sterlzed urchins-T would like TO
know"
He paused for lack Of breath. his
face as red as a turkey-cock. Grand
ma said nothing. but quietly adjusted
the sofa pillow under bis lame foot
and pushed back the curtain hoping
the view from the window might dis