Litchfield enquirer., 1833-06-27
Fton n. Cnrs.ros6.ng srAs. hs.sla.s Adusrti'sr.
 VISIT TO HfRs MADISON.

s,r..s. Ccss 1T. (Dta.) Moy ss,, 1888.
 Ul.fi Charlottesville little before midnight
 ,o inc mail stage, and found myself here by
 1.v-Iivhf fhis morning, distance thirty miles.
 Ae Mr. MadisOn's plantation is only five miles S;st.nf from this, I resolved tO stop, and to v;s;t aIunOst the last of the Romans. took s horse. raining though it was, and after going over a Virginia road, about three miles, which vou probably know is one Of the worst in the world: for here it is unconstitutional to have good roads I came to bye.Patb, sort off A carriage road that led into the woods, when kept on riding and riding for nearly two miles, or one mile and haik passing one gate that led to plantation, tlII came to an- other, where met an old negrOs Wno told me the way, and added that hrs old master would be glad to see the young gemman'" fhat M MT, Madison raised him" and that he fthe pegro) was now '' sixty one years of age" and " Wr. Madison was good master" and "would not lot his ovcrseer make light with the men," thus running on with cOmmunica- tive loquacity, seeing he had found white man to listen to his talk. | rode on. then through weIl-built gate-on the roadway Heading through an immense field of rye by vet smother 'gate--ani came at last to a large and elegant brick house, built In the VirgiDian fashion, with wings. projecting Dortjco, walk in front, Ste. ezc.
 What on earth could send man here, said to myself-here, SD far from the road,sO far from neighbors 60 far from the village, the Post Ofice-in this hide- aDd- g0- seek place in the woods, where it is difficult to find dwell linz, no matter how conspicuous it may be. But such is the VirgDian fashions. The Vir- ginians get off from the road with the same zeal that we crowd on-and here you may1 travel where there are no signs of life, but where. if you were to sound trumpet to call men together, they would jump up as from the earth. Truly this,is retirement, this hab itation in such feld-in such valley--with the morning music of the whippooFwiI and the evening song of the nlghtipsaie-uneiis- turbed but by the little bustle i1 tle neighbor- ing negro camps, or the solitary traveller who. perchance, strays here, as [ have done; to pay ] the homage that is due 10 character. to patri- 1 otism. to an upright and well done political career. As fastened my horse, and drew near 10 the door of the yard, with a well ft- ted and well painted fence. was rausing much on the changes that come over man in the course of long life. How can we acc custom ourselves to such solitude after all the bustle of an active life tO which we have been habituated How ean we withdraw and forget men and things, and five and feed 0n the thoughts within us, and with the iew and unvafying companions that our own home affords. Cicero. in that admirable treatise of his-De Senectute, puts into the mouth of Scipio.--I think it is he, but my memory of the readings of other days is even now grow ing rusty-the true lesson for enjoying hap- py old age, or a change of life. or meek sub mission to circumstances. 1t was not long before saw n living exempliffcatioh and prac- tiser of all these lessOns,- yet another aid for the enjoyment of happy old age
 Trapped ak tie door. X servant, courteous. we'll bred, and well dressed, ,.catne to my calE I sent in my card, for not expecting to return home this way, had refused letters offered me by my friends tn Washington. fo Mir. and Mrs. Madison. The card was carried to Mr. Madison--and 1 was invited to the pafIor. in the centre of the building, full oftfe portraits of eminent individuals. among which were those of Washington. and Jeffers on, and La fayette, think, but am not certain-and of paintings also, representing different scenesl and passions, but chiefly of a religious char acter. ,Thefurniture was ofthe rich old east, which, while it keeps up the idea of magni6- cence. carries us backward to other days, and reminds us that we are in the houses of our ancestors, of our fathers. Mrs. Madison soon appeared, and after listle conversation, car ried me into her husbaDd's . room, and presen- ted me to MT. Madison. He was lying on his bed in thick silk robe-reading ngs-with the book near at his side, and his spectaeles put in to preserve the place. His reception was generous and courteous, his conversation au- ent, agreeable, vigorous and frank-and dis played. even on common topics, instruction and interest.
 There is no decay of mind-not the least visible decrease Ofthat intellectual which ever distinguished him. His memory seems to be as good as ever4-and he speaks oE trade, of improvements, of public health, and of the different sections of the country, with all the interest of a man who is calmly but zealously surveying what his sountrymen as3 doing.--- In speaking ofh eye-sight he remarked that 1t was but short time since he began to use spectaCles. He attributes the long duration of his visual power to the fact that he was near-sighted-and was interested ins hearing his argument to sustain the position,. founded as it was on an intimate knowledge Sf the science of Optics. Of course, avoided, as all peTs0ps W Ould, Intimate tfiends excepted, any alldsi6N to the passing scenes or pSlitics the day y--though should have been inter. sstS6 in hearing him speAk of his own Virgin. ia.- As to hie health, he said it wSs as gaod as could be expected, though he was slightly afflicted with rheumatic pains. Old age wat his chief disease. He then eulogized the ali and climate he lived in--and Mrs. Madison remarked. that there were in this vicinity |