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Show I 66 ROElll OK. others ",.ere jnsrrlptions so qnnint that nothing but antiquity con1d Rave the1n fro1n fr01n a suspicion of drollery. \\.,.ith the. c of cour::;e, \verc decent but tnstc1e s ton1 hstoncs of modern <late. Such ,vas the village 'vhich ha.a on cc been endowed ·with a proper nnn1e-so1ne nnrno a1re:H1y famous, or one \vhich the villao·e ·was expcctctl to render famous. But it \vas aimo. t f~H·gotten :1nd never 1nentioned in the county. People always spoke itnp1y of "the village," as if there had been bnt one in the univcrs.e. In fact, there \VaS not another or equal import.::tnce m the county, nnd there \vere but fe,v in Virginia. Except those \vho "c profes. ions or trades bound them to to,vns, people in that fair, bright county preferred rural residences. In the wjc1e suburb~ of this villago rc ·idec1 mnon cr shady groves and on Rtnall farms or ' b • large lot::.;, the n1erchants, professional n1en and pnn· cipal oflicers of the county. On the court crrccn-n shady la \Vn of considerable b ~ extent-the citizens of the county were accustomed t.o meet on all public days for the transaction of bn.sl· ness, to hear and tell ne\vs, or to discuss the affa1rs of the county, the State and the Union. Never before, perhaps, hacl so n1any of then1 been assem· bled there as on this April court day, in the yenr eighteen hunch·cd and sixty-one. A glance at the as. cmblage 'voulcl have diNcovcred that there was intense popular cxcitmnent, but it ,vas silent n.nd stern. \Vhen Colonel Fairfl1x ,vent upon the green that . day, and even before he hacl lefL hi:::; hor8e, he was sur· rounded by cliil'erent knots of n1en, successively grasp· ing his hand ancl scel·ing his counsel. lie ·was always received there aR a fa~01··ite citizen, for be was very HOEBUCK.- G7 po~)nb:·· Tint on this occasion it 'vns not n1cre popn· lanty, 1i \\ras a profonnd re~pect for hi.!, wiRdom, ]utco·rity anrl patrioti~1n that drew the people :wound hit~ ns their counsellor in a crisis of pnb1ie c1nngor. T~ their cnger inquiries he replied, snclly but firmly, "tho hour has conte-\ve 1nnst fight." Ilis ·words flew fro1n 1nonth to 1nonth, and tho \Yholo mn1titu 1c . oon knew tha. t . "Colonel Fred thought 'vo 1nu. t tio,....·, ht.' This opuuon nccordecl so exactly with the prC\'ions convic-tion of every 1nin<l nn<l the i1npn1. e of eYery ht\:1rt thnt it 'vas ncccptec1 nt once as a conc1nsi ve j ndgment. :Vh0n~ it beeruno generally understood thnt the questiOu of 'vnr \Va~ d tern1ined, and that tho people \\·erp nll of one n1in(l, the hn. hed excitcincnt wa~ succeeclcd by n1nnnurs of 1nntual eneour:tgem ont. J)Iost of tho~e present were thoug htful and resolute men, \vho \Yere · 'vcll a WD.l'O that the \Yar \Vhich they ::l.C(·eptcd as Ullavoiclablo w·a9 for then1 n ealamity. They felt as bravo anl rntionnl n1en n1ny feel when they arc forced to choo.·e between the risk of death and the loss of son1cthi ng held dearer than lif~\. There ,vere no de~p crate 'vretches to " rh01n -wnr 1nio·ht brincr relict: 'T v ~ hero \Yore no 1nerc "food for powder." But when the feelings of the cro,vc1 b~gan to find vent in \Vonls, f:'ome enthnsia:-~tic young 1ncu evinced the ani1nnl joy of yonth at tho pro. pect of glorious strife. Among the .boys. ?xcitemcnt, ns u. nal, eficrvesced in hilnrity. Their sp1nt of glee \vas caught up ns a n1ultitude ?nt ·h~s any cn1otion, no one can tell how or \vhy, and 111 a hUle \vhilc sn1iles \Vere seen on the lips of n1en whose hrows \Verc yet stern. Their hc:u'ts \Vere heavy bnt not llif'nutycd. Tho spring of courage supl)Ortecl the \veight of 'vur. llugh Fitzhugh stood upon tho steps of the portico |