New Walks in Old Ways 



neither iron for spearheads nor scalps 

 to be brought home now in. triumph. 

 But he will have obeyed the impulse, 

 that cannot be resisted now any more 

 than it was by his red predecessor who 

 lived, as he now does, in Midlothian 

 wood. Thus do we all confess the 

 nomadic past. 



Once upon a time a sturdy Virginian, 

 born somewhere along the river Rappa- 

 hannock, took unto himself for mate 

 one of the fairest of the Valley's maids. 

 Tradition described her as gentle of 

 birth and speech, sweet-tempered and 

 refined, fitted in her early bloom by all 

 the endowments of inherited beauty of 

 mind and body to grace the highest 

 Old Dominion circles. I can person- 

 ally vouch for her beautiful traits of 

 heart and mind, for as a little child I 

 was fortunate enough to discover her 

 irresistible charm, and discern her men- 

 tal grace. The first letter I ever 

 penned was addressed to her (in red 

 ink at that), and a long correspondence 

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