Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text charm enthralling,
Like the ghost of music melting on a rainbow spray of sound!
Touch, touch me not, nor wake me,
Lest grosser thoughts o'ertake me;
From earth receding faintly with her dreary din and jars--
What viewless arms caress me?
What whispered voices bless me,
With welcomes dropping dew-like from the weird and wondrous stars?
Alas! dim, dim, and dimmer
Grows the preternatural glimmer
Of that trance the South Wind brought me on her subtle wings of balm,
For behold! its spirit flieth,
And its fairy murmur dieth,
And the silence closing round me is a dull and soulless calm!
FOOTNOTE:
[28] By permission of the Lothrop Publishing Co., Boston; as also the
others following.
JOHN ESTEN COOKE.
~1830=1886.~
JOHN ESTEN COOKE was born at Winchester, Virginia, a younger brother
of Philip Pendleton Cooke and son of the eminent jurist, John Rogers
Cooke, under whom he made his law studies. He seemed, however, to
prefer literature to law, and when he was twenty-four he had already
published several works. Among them was "Virginia Comedians," a novel
of great interest and greater promise.
In 1861 he entered the Confederate service as one of General T. J.
Jackson's staff, was transferred to that of General J. E. B. Stuart at
the death of Jackson in 1863; and after Stuart's death, he was
Inspector-General of the horse artillery of the Army of Northern
Virginia till the close of the war.
His novels deal with the life and history of Virginia, the best known
of them being "Surry of Eagle's Nest," which is said to be partly
autobiographical. They hold well the popular favor. His "Stories of
the Old Dominion" are specially interesting to Virginians.
WORKS.
Leather Stocking and Silk.
Virginia Comedians.
Last of the Foresters.
Life of Stonewall Jackson.
Surry of Eagle's Nest.
Mohun, or the Last Days of Lee and his Paladins.
Out of the Foam.
Heir of Gaymount.
Dr. Vandyke.
Pretty Mrs. Gaston, and other Stories.
Professor Pressensee.
Virginia Bohemians.
Virginia: a History of the People.
Maurice Mystery.
Youth of Jefferson.
Ellie.
Henry St. John, Gentleman, sequel to Virginia Comedians.
Wearing of the Gray.
Fairfax, or Greenway Court.
Hilt to Hilt.
Hammer and Rapier [Grant and Lee].
Life of R. E. Lee.
Her Majesty the Queen.
Canolles.
Mr. Grantley's Idea.
Stories of the Old Dominion.
My Lady Pokahontas.
THE RACES IN VIRGINIA, 1765.
(_From Virginia Comedians._[29])
The races!
That word always produces a strong effect upon men in the South; and
when the day fixed upon for the Jamestown races comes, the country is
alive for miles around with persons of all classes and descriptions.
As the hour of noon approaches, the ground swarms with every species
of the genus _homo_; Williamsburg and the sea-faring village of
Jamestown turn out _en masse_, and leave all occupations for the
exciting turf.
As the day draws on the crowd becomes more dense. The splendid
chariots of the gentry roll up to the stand, and group themselves
around it, in a position to overlook the race-course, and through the
wide windows are seen the sparkling eyes and powdered locks, and
diamonds and gay silk and velvet dresses of those fair dames who lent
such richness and picturesque beauty to the old days dead now so long
ago in the far past. The fine-looking old planters too are decked in
their holiday suits, their powdered hair is tied into queues behind
with neat black ribbon, and they descend and mingle with their
neighbors, and discuss the coming festival.
Gay youths, in rich brilliant dresses, caracole up to the carriages on
fiery steeds, to display their horsemanship, and exchange compliments
with their friends, and make pretty speeches, which are received by
the bright-eyed damsels with little ogles, and flirts of their
variegated fans, and rapturous delight.
Meanwhile the crowd grows each moment, as the flood pours in from the
north, the south, the east, the west--from every point of the compass,
and in every species of vehicle. There are gay parties of the yeomen
and their wives and daughters, in carryalls and wagons filled with
straw, upon which chairs are placed: there are rollicking fast men--if
we may use a word becoming customary in our own day--who whirl in, in
their curricles: there are barouches and chairs, spring wagons and
carts, all full, approaching in every way from a sober walk to a
furious headlong dash, all "going to the races." There are horsemen
who lean forward, horsemen who lean back; furious, excited horsemen
urging their steeds with whip and spur; cool, quiet horsemen, who ride
erect and slowly; there are, besides, pedestrians of every class and
appearance, old and young, male and female, black and white--all going
to the races.
The hour at last arrives, and a horn sounding from the judges' stand,
the horses are led out in their blankets and head-coverings, and
walked up and down before the crowd by their trainers, who are for the
most part old gray-headed negroes, born and raised, to the best of
their recollection, on the turf. The riders are noble scions of the
same ancient stock, and average three feet and a half in height, and
twenty pounds in weight. They are clad in ornamental garments; wear
little close-fitting caps; and while they are waiting, sit huddled up
in the grass, sucking their thumbs, and talking confidentially about
"them there hosses."
Let us look at the objects of their attention; they are well worth it.
Mr. Howard enters the bay horse _Sir Archy_, out of Flying Dick, by
Roderick.
Mr. James enters _Fair Anna_, a white mare, dam Virginia, sire
Belgrave.
Captain Waters enters the Arabian horse _Selim_, descended in a direct
line, he is informed, from Al-borak, who carried the prophet Mahomet
up to heaven--though this pedigree is not vouched for. The said
pedigree is open to the inspection of all comers. _Note_--That it is
written in Arabic.
There are other entries, but not much attention is paid to them. The
race will be between Sir Archy and Fair Anna, and perhaps the
outlandish horse will not be "distanced."
"Prepare the horses!" comes from the judges' stand opposite.
Captain Ralph Waters leaves the ladies with a gallant bow, and pushes
his way through the swaying and excited crowd, toward the spot where
the animals are being saddled.
A tremendous hurly-burly reigns there; men of all classes, boys,
negroes, gentlemen, indented servants,--all are betting with intense
interest. The dignified grooms endeavor to keep back the crowd:--the
owners of the horses give their orders to the microscopic monkeys who
are to ride. . . . . . The riders are raised by one leg into the
saddles; they gather up the reins; the drum taps; they are off like
lightning.
The course is a mile in circumference, and they go round it before the
excited crowd can look at them a dozen times. They whirl past the
stand, and push on again.
Sir Archy leads; Fair Anna trails on a hard rein; the Arabian is two
lengths behind; but he is not runnin Previous Next |