Evening star., 1933-09-17

what they said, but they could not hear
what we said. But you do. I feel like
shouting, Governor, oh, Governor, safe
at home!'"
IT should not be imagined, however,
that the city as whole prefers
Haydn to Irving Berlin, or that the
average Richmonder would have any
difficulty choosing between, say, a per-
formance of La Fora del Destino" and
a show starring Rudy Vallee-for the
odds would be overwhelmingly on Rudy.
Similarly. the town is third rate as
book market In common with ma
jority of other Southerners, its inhabit-
ants customarily spend their wampum
for almost anything in preference to
bellies lettres.
One would not be justified, however,
in assuming that the residents OF the
former chief city of the Confederacy
have only bowling acquaintance with
the works of the better writer's, for, al
though they seldom are moved to ex-
change coin of the realm for those
works, they appear to be measurably
familiar with their contents. This be-
comes evident in the conversations one
hears in such places as the Westmore-
land Club or the Woman's Club. 1t is
true that the dialogues and colloquies
at the Observation-Disclosures occupies
fine old mansion built by the husband
of Poe's "Helen"-have been rather less
animated since the bar in the base
ofov iv,fn cin
counter, but now that the country is
returning to distilled malt and vinous
beverages, we may look forward to the
raising up at the clubs of another cOterie
of wits, wags and raconteurs rivaling
their forefathers in verve and sparkle.
During the post-bellum years such
men as mnes Randolph, poet, sculptor
and musician, and w. Gordon McCabe,
teacher, scholar and historian, were wont
to indulge in bits of flashing repartee
with any who cared to joust with them
over a glass of Burgundy or a mint
julep.
Then there was 10 Lane Stern, active
in mind and body until shortly before
his death in 1892 at the age of SO, who
led the fashionable Richmond German
for 81 consecutive years. Gen. Stern
not only was a prominent figure in the
city's social life for more than half q
century, but his ready wit was equal to
every occasion.
'The ladies' God bless em!" was al
ways a favorite toast with these chiv-
alrous sons of the Old Dominion, and
there is reason to believe that the
bellies of that generation, like those Of
former days, were soothing to the eye.
The celebrated and by no means
apocryphal Virginia hospitality flour
ishes in Richmond in manner as nearly
approaching that of before the war as
a radically changed mode of life will
permit. Contrary to the belief preva-
lent in some quarters the representative
Richmonder is cordial to any outlander
who has a decent regard for the ameni-
ties irrespective Of whether he stems
from progenitors Of patrician lineage.
In fact, it is easier to break into Rich
mond society" today with bank roll
and no family tree than it is to do so
with q tree and no roll-a fact which
has resulted in relegating genealOgy Is
a topic Of study and conversation to .
place in nowise comparable to that
which it occupies in such localities as
Boston and Charleston.
DICHMOND, Gott sci dank, is In some
~ respects a hick town. Its UNDER
takers are still undertakers, not morti-
clans, and a corpse In their hands Is
still a corpse, not patient" One can
walk down the principal business street
without a bullet-proof vest in perfect