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Show 44 ROEBUCK. inclined to linger among n1y plants nnrt i1owcr-bcc1s this fine spring (l:1y if I could h:tve re:;i ·t,e(1 the fair J u1ia. But, yon know, fron1 the l>cgi nning the ,vmnan has h~d a knack of turning the n1~1,n out of the garden." "\Vhen I tempted you \vith 1nam1nn.'s dinner," S~li<l .J n1in. ' 4 I felt . ure th~L you \VCl'C \vell acquainted with t~1c \VJ. j back to Pt.\t'r1L1ise." " I see," said the doctor, " it is now as it 'vas of old-the 111:1.11 l:1ys the bl:1n1e on the wornn.n." "And the story runs," replied 1\Ir. A1nbler, laugh· ino- " that you, doctor, are more in1 parLia.l, and l:ty :::>' blame on cvcryboc1y." " ~Iy big 1Jrut~101' \Vi\S f~ir~ y hit then," said tho colonel. "\Vhat! IIn.ve I the charn.cter of n. cotntuon scold? I \Yill rcfonn forth with, nnc1cr the rebuke of my pastor." "NLty, brother Diek," ... said nlrs. :E'a\rf:tx, "that cbaraetcr i::; one \Vhich your gall,\nt sex assigns to our;:; exclnsi vc1 y ." "But that, I 1naintain, is a slander," cried Ilugh Fitzhugh. "You shall be the favor ell chan1vion of (lan1es and dan1sels," said J nlia. "vVhen I have learned the lesson of the bee~" "Forgive 1nc; I did not think the L ~c conld. lc:1ve a sting. I sec to-<.lny that you anticipate stirring ti1nes, anc1 your t;Olll is already sLirrccl." ~' I \vould not l>e idie ·wueu 1ny u:\ti ve S L~t,te is in danger." After some fllrther conversation dinner was an· nounccd. The good cheer and generous hospitality of Virginians are proverbial. Of cour:::>e, they were ROEBUCK. 45 not dishonored by the Fnirfaxes of Roebuck. The table exhibited the tcn1pting abundance con11non t? the conntry, nnd a costly elegnnce peculiar to the n ch. Colon el Fairf:tx \Yas an ob ·erver of an o·encrons n~ngos, antl COllSidcred the honor of his f~lll il y engaged to excnl in hospitali1y. lie valued the ·ii: er upon hi.~ table chiC'tly bec;lnsc the grc~ter part of 1t. had :>C'Cn HI on the tables of his ance ·tor.·. lie "·a~ lnrnself tcmpcrnte in all thing" bnt he dined with a healthy appetite, .'tinll:lated by nctiYe crnployn1ent, nnfl he, took l11.· 'vine, not exclnsiY ly for the stomachs nke, hut to n1ako gl:1cl the heart. Ro far "·a ' he fron1 1norosenc ~ ·, thnt he thought pleasure to be :he ~1l~y1nate of virtue, though exc~·~ i~ the han lll1: 1td of VJC'e. \Vhcn ~he viands c (•asecl to hold the tir.'t place in the attention of the company, and convcr::;at ion bcgrrn to range, a. remark of l\frs. Fairfax gayc oeca ·ion to s~~1e reflections of l\Ir. 1\n1blcr upon the socinl ?ond ttl on of. Virginia. "I believe," he snicl, "there IS not a happ1er or better comn1unjty. Nature has been .bou~1tiful to our people, but not prodiga.l; re\ Vardtu?" 1ndnstry, but not dispensing " .. ith e~m·tion; b.eRtowJn rr health, and requiring vigor. Fortunate cHcnn1stanccs n1ake agriculture our chief o ·enpn.tion, but also rctHler con1merec aud the arts profitnble to th.o~e who prefer the1n. There i.· \Vcalth cnoucrh for lel 'Hl~e to cnlti vntc the higher fa(mltie~, n.nll ye~ even the nrh among; us arc incited to le:ul active live · nnder tl~c open sky. Property is so di1Tn;"'c<l that the scale 1s grn.t1ual fro1n tl1e richest to the poorest. Even the poorc,~t ~el~lont turn beggars or thieve , for poverty h.ere IS nClLhcr exLretne nor hopele .. s. Contentment 1s ahuost universal Perhaps Lhe pressure of |