Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-01-20

And | said: Twenty five state
have gone by. They must hav'
left out Virginia. But mo-
they replied. Such was their
love and admiration for the OLE
Dominion, they had selected thu
most beautiful girl Of all fol
Virginia. Rather uneasily, | sa
back and waited. We Virginians
believed so in education. There
was our great university; there
was Washington and Lee; there
was William and Mary; there was
V. P. l.; there was V. M. l..
there were splendid girls schools
all over the state; what was the
trouble? Could itbe possible that
educationally Virginia ranked
lower than twenty-ffth.
And the other States passed
by. Thirty, thirty-fve, forty.
And the little crowd of West.
eners who had come to help us
share the triumph of Virginia's
glorious leadership grew very,
very quiet.
Forty-one States went by.
Forty-two States went by.
Then | saw her-the beautiful
girl they had promised me. And
she was beautiful beyond descrip-
ton. She looked like a Greek
goddess in her dignity and grace.
And she carried in her arms a
gold and blue banner, and on the
banner was one word: Virginia.
Forty-third
Virginia of Washington!
Virginia of Jefferson. Virginia
of Lee and Jackson and the long
list of intellectual giants!
Virginia, my State - forty-third.
| can never forget the feeling
that surged through me.
And when they saw my face
those bluff and kindly Wester-
ners- they said: Never mind;
she's more beautiful than all the
rest!" And in my heart | said:
And Virginia is more beautiful
than all the rest. She ought to
lead. Why doesn't she?"
Forty-third! | have no desire
to appear dramatic, But | think
that scar was made on my soul
that day. My love for Virginia
had not changed-that was as
as the hills. My love
for the old state would always be
the strongest part Of me. But
something was gone, something
beautiful and sacred. Never
glad confident morning again.
Forty-thirdl
Some months after that | had
the opportunity to go to Alaska
to the great white silences of the
North. And it seemed to me
that never went so far into that,
free, uniformed country but that
was the smallest ham.
let, there found a schoolhouse.
I'VE sent to Boston for our
teacher, a weather-beaten
miner told me. We paid her
transportation and we gave her
loyal salary; we even gave her
/ share in the Gunga copper
nine; but she's worth it. And,
heres nothing too good for the
"
Even above the Arctic Circle,
1t Nome, a teacher told me that
every instructor in the school at
Nome had a college degree. |
'ound the schools well equipped
md even lighted by electricity.
Think of that They had electric
lights in Nome, Alaska, three
,ears before we had electricity |
n Winchester, Va.
'I'd like to see Virginia, one
# the miners said wistfully. |
lad been reading "Marse Chan"
0 a little group during the long
Arctic evening. Virginia is the
Inished product. We are only in
he making" And | almost held
ny breath. |, a Virginian, was
fraid that an uncouth miner a.
ove the Arctic Circle might ask
ne where Virginia stood educa-
ionally. And if | answered at
II, | should have to tell him that
'irginia, the builder of the ma
ion, the inspiration for other
,nIc oop,o - oIyoncf of tho and