Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-05-30
MISCELLANEOUS.
INTERESTING FROM THE HERMITAGE


'er'sien from the Hsrmuase, dated Way II, 1913
reached This place yesterday, having had a most
pleasant voyage from ST. Louis TO Nashville. The
weather was ine and the shores OF the Cumberland,
IN lhe witness OF vedufe, and the joynusness Of the
wlid plIds, which enchanted with The woods
when was young hunter, made me- happy in the
scene which con,rased beautifully with the turbd
strength OF The Mississippi, its drowned bottoms, and
naked mus did not read page on the Cumberla
and scarcely d'd anything else on the Mississippi.
Judge Catron and his kind lady were oblging enough
10 bring me to the Hermitage in their carriage. We
found the venerable patriot in much better health than
expected lie was out on little excursion in his
carriage on our arrival; and when he returned, he
gave welcome as afectionate he could have given
long absent son. To-day went 10 church together,
where ihc sacrament was administered. lie was the
first 10 lead The way 10 the table, TO which he fol-
Owed by multitude Of Young men and women.
dad not see single gray head at the communion hut
his own venerable, bleached, and bowed one The
preacher who made the sermon boy, he told
me, OF twenty; and the minister who ofciaed IN the
rites, (Mr. LapsleyD did not seem 10 be more than
twenty i've years old. There was full church, and
greater NUMBER OF little children in The pc than ever
saw IN church before; yet there The profound
quiet and reverence throughout the ceremony The
remarks o. the officiating minister, while administering
the sacrament, were exceedingly impressive, and with
singular propriey and good taste, wholly exempt from
the slightest ansIon to the striking figure which con-
'rasted so sirongy with the Young and healthy train
led by hun 10 The table On return from the church.
asked him II the house built before the death OF
Mrs. Jackson he replied that the church built
bY her, and was her church, that the last time she ever
attended II was sacrameUtal occasion; that she
extremely solicous that lie should unite himself with
The society, and that he strongly inclined 10 do so
but that his attitude then before the public would have
subjected him TO the charge of acting hypocrticay,
which he could no, bear he detested ypocrisy
than any other baseness. But he added, that he as
sured Mrs Jackson, when he had left the political
scene, and his motives longer liable 10 msconstruc
ton, he would comply with her nclinatons and his
own, and join the church. In the time, he would
serve his God without assocating himself with any
religious society. Al the close Of the sermon, the
preacher gave notice. thai there would be, at clock,
nnera sermon over young lady ol 90, whose corpse
would be brought 10 the church at that hour. He in
viied the young particularly TO attend The General
told me- way to the Hermitage, that he too
much exhausted TO attend the funeral service at the
church When he had got out of the carriage, he
told the driver that he must have the carriage at the
door in half hour. He told me had, upon reflection,
resolved TO go TO the house of the mother whose daugh
ter had died, and accompany the remains 10 the church
He said, the mother widow, who had sustained a
great calamity in the loss Of an excellent husband !;
that she had been badly treated by those TO whom
she had right 10 look 70! kindness in her distress !;
and that attention to her, under her present afic-
tion duty he would attempt TO perform, howe yer
feeble his effort might be. AS he had made
slight repas taking one of the ladies of his family
with him, he set out, and is nov ont in The perform
of this sad office; although from weakness and
sho,tness Of breath he rs not able 10 walk hundred
Yards without requiring seat
Every thing al the Hermitage bears the impress Of
the Generals characier-all is large scale, and Of
a useful and magnanDous caste. The tract consists
of 200 most exuberant acres, nearly half in fine
cultivation and fenced with strong, old fashioned
fence, portion OF IT with cedar rails. The house is
noble country mnnsion-on two sides the massive CO.
nmns covering the fronts the other two being adorn.
ed with wings, containing The dining room, kitchen,
nursery, &C. The centre has two each side
of very large hall, in which sscends broad, wind
ing staircase The parors twenty one feet square
Zach, and thrown into paraelogram by two folding
doors The bedrooms above Of the size with
the p1rors. The grounds Immediately around the
house are shaded BY ocusis, cae pas sugar trees, &c
nerspersed with cedars aud shrubbery and al this mo-
ment are fragrant with flowers as the groves of
orange or the coffee plantations OF Cuba On side
of The lawn leading In the house. is the garden which
embosoms the monument which covers the grave of
Mrs Jackson, and that prepared for himself-a dome
raised on marble pillars The foundation Of which s
cendei BIZ circle Of steps which make the elevation.
On the other side of the lawn is the orchard and in
from, is large woodland (whose extent cannot be
seen) for the part Of tall tulip popars and left al
most in state of native wildness. In the rear, a
smooth velvet pasture, rolls ont spring, or rather a
food Of lucid cool waters which give peculiar dark
ness 10 the green Of the Iouge by which the fountain
and stream are overshadowed Everything at The Her
! m,are looks perennia-perpetual; and the old man,
from The very marks of his age, which sory his per-
son. appears immortal Nothing here bears the stamp
Of os.enta,on and fastidous taste. There is easy
elegance which mpresses the feeling, that Nature had
done every thing, and Art nothing; and that all the
comforts and all the beauties that abound scat.
tered by the prouse hand of The benevolent Pow
er which created Puradsea wilderness of spontaneous
bounty and beauty. The General complains, himself
that he has not cultivated taste for rural elegance
Everything about him shows that he has not studied
the art landscape gardening; but his farming is like
his fgh,ng-fnr although not done by rule, it turns
out we'll Globe.