irginia, like those of most other places, are sensitive on some points;
and it would be no less impolite to speak of crabs in Hampton, than it
would be to speak of "persimmons" in Fluvanna County.

In the second place, never speak of the ague and fever, especially if
you visit on the rivers, unless it be to say, that the place from which
you came is very subject to this complaint. If you take this position
you are safe, for should you be attacked (cases have been known even in
Virginia), why you have only to say you were so unfortunate as not to
leave home quite soon enough to avoid the disease. Mind what I, an M.D.
of the calomel and quinine school--no Homoeopathist, but one of the
regular troop--say upon this matter. No false charges, either direct or
indirect, no inuendos by look, word, or deed, that you might possibly
have taken the ague and fever after your arrival! It would be absurd, at
least, in you to say so. Not that the people would lay violent hands
upon you--and yet on sober second thoughts I am not so sure of this, if
we are to judge from the toast given by a young gentleman who attended
the Printers' anniversary celebration of the birth of Benjamin Franklin,
at the City Hotel, Richmond, on the night of Saturday, 17th of January:
"A [symbol: hand] to our friends, and a [symbol: dagger] for our
enemies." This, perhaps, might have been simply to vary the
entertainment of the evening. We ought not be hasty in drawing
conclusions, for another young citizen, on the same occasion, gave the
following: "The first families of Virginia--like stars seen in the
ocean, they would not be there but for their bright originals in
heaven." It is evident from this, although there is no roundabout
tedious effort to prove the thing, that the "first families" of Virginia
are not only as the stars of heaven in number--not only as thick as
stars, but that like the stars they are absolutely in heaven, and,
having carried their family dignity thither, are emitting their light to
the benighted angels--occasional sparks sometimes dropping down from
them to their numberless descendants, living here upon the shadows of
their grandfathers. It may not be amiss, in order to save future
digression, to say that the Smith in my name is on the paternal side.
Should you come to Virginia, you will hear of the Smiths. You have
already beard of Pocahontas. Well, the land on which her father lived
was famous for its tobacco: it would now be dear at