The American patriot., 1855-02-21
CLINTON, LA. FEBRUARY 2l, 1856.

and going forth again to the sanguinary struggles
of the Revolution, where brave men staked liberty
in the desperate game with king, lords, and com
mons, the Farmer; going out to and returning
from his fields; the President on his way to ad-
minister the government Of people he had led
through the exhaustng pcris Of an all but exter-
minating war; and, last of ALL the Citizen Wash
ington, who had scorncd crown as too base a
reward for his long, services in the cause Of human
freedom, returning by the same road We are
travelling, with his great heart filed with ldngings
for home. 81uiii ,.as-.Jfofa tl H. li fltss, f,l
We sat in silence rs these new, half.inspired
words fell from the lips Of our poet-companion;
and the carriage, rising an eminence, gave us a
glimpse of the wall and observatory Of the Home
Of Washington. We are not ashamed to confess,
that as We gazcd on it our eyes filled with tears.
We reached the gate of the mansion: ruin! an
old ruin! stood before us 1t was not feudal
castle, with deep trench once filled with water;
nor draw-bridge, over which once clattered the
hoof ofwarror steeds; nor massive arches, under,
which bend the plume of knight; nor spacious
courtyard, on which tho spears of an heroic band
flashed in the moonlight nor vast banqucting-hall
that rang to the clangor Of the Crusader; nor the
merry shout of the victorious warrior, who had
come from measuring lance with the Infdel, to
tell his tales Of herosm to the startled of Eu-
rope. There was no watch-word; no vesper-chime
stealing softly on the evening air. no hollow chant
or mockish prayer in the gloomy chapel; no SOL
emn moonlit watch on the overlooking tower.
No one of all these. 1t was grander, better, dearcr
than all this heroic legend. i1., tlt4 Laai ONO.
1t was once the home of the Father of a great
and glorous nation, whose eagles wings now
streatch from the turbulent Atlantic,-far away
over rich valleys, waving with corn, and dotted
with happy habitations, and rugged mountains,
and wide rivers and green prairies Ito the golden
IF tho lr,o1y DO
the purple East, and has made the circuit of the
GLOBE 1t was ruin! The master of tho house
had long since gone away to another country, and
time had left the mansion like ra6easli la,aH
5 'Somc banquet hall Deserted ss.i g1
The master would never return. reif.b+5 I,r.. 3,
The servant told US that the present master
would nGrt year, repair the dwellingl "Oh, not v
VIC would have said tc him. "lcavc the holy place
as HE left IL Ye cannot make us think lie has
come back again; We cannot make good HIS place!
Let the spot where lie lived and died be loft.
its ivy never-sear kindly over the mansion, and
let not the winds blow harshy against it, for the
great master is gonc and will retrrn no more.
Ye cannot make the place what it once was"
They showed us the apartments which are
thrown open to visitors. We had letters, but
we asked no privileges there which may not be
accorded to ALL We saw the hall, the drawing
IOOiu, Ule anu tuc ulHluB-FooHl, Will tue
richly -sculptured mantel-piecc which La Faycttc
gave him. 'l-'t'
p AS VIC passed out under the open sky, they
pointed out to us the chamber where Washington
died. We looked up to the windows They
showed us the lcmon-trce lie planted; it is old,
but it is green still; and many plants in the con-
servatory, with long box. alleys and large
squares, and page-bushes, all planned and planted
by HIS hand. '.l..... ~. .r.s ..5,e' ,.ti Ia
Down the green slope towards the river, not
far from the bank, they showed us WAsnlNGToN' S
TOMB. We slowly and reverently gathered there
and bowed before it, in gratitude, silence, and
tears s.@la01r 4i Hs r'.u .ug
AS the sun was going down the western sky,
frngng the edges Of the clouds with gold, we
entered our boat, and sailed slowly by under the
lengthcning shadows of the sacred groves which
cluster their folics around MOUNT VERNON Uo
THE DurcnMANs v1oLlNs.-Ncar Pittsburg,
there lives an aged Dutchman, named Jacob Hem
man, who, bv his industry, accumulated a large
property. The old man is at all times ready to
yield up his substance literally for the support of
schools. He regards it as his duty to do this
feeling the want Of education in his own case.
A gentleman called upon Jacob not long ago,
to ask his aid in establishing an academy in an
adjoining county. and in the course of his appeal
to the old mans philanthropy, he casually oh
served that there were many words in the English
language which signify the same thing, and that
it was necessary for boys to learn them from
books HH I-z. It,,.
Schtop--schtop-I knows dat" said Jacob !;
"now tell you how I knows dat Some dwenty
Years ago, goes down to Fi'atlclfy nit my wagon,
to kit some koots for de Bittsburk merchants
Veil, 7 kits him, and up in de top Of dc mountain
he sdicks fast in de moot. Den takes off all my
goots and puts him by de side of dc road. Veil,
Mshter school master, feels one light parrcl, and
I say to mvse'f 'Dere, penn poys in Macalester's
store in Filadclfy plav on me anolder drick, dey
send one empty parrel by me clear to Bittsburk
Veil, ! dakes the parrel and puts him on his het
up and see him mark 'Violins.' Den say it
was one drick, because knows there was no such
man in Bittsburk as Mr.. Violins and kits so
mad init mvsclf for pene made such fool of, dat
choost dake my axe and prake dc empty parrcl
all into little smashes. Now, mishter school-mas-
ter. vat you think vas in dat parrcl, mark to Mr..
Violin? Fitt'es, sure, (itt'cs) fittlcs. Hoontrct
toars to one Frenchman, shoost because did not
know dat violins and fittlc vas dc same ding Now
I give one hoontrct tollars for your poy school,
Here ish dc money.
EYTRAvAGANcE.-A Philadelphia letter writer
says, of party which was given by Mrs. Rush,
a millionaire of that city, a few days ago: t.i
"About two thousand invitations were issued
formed, was in the vicinity of $4,000, the bare
item Of bequcsts alone costing 81 900, which were
distributed in elegant proflsion around her splen
did mansion. 1t was nothing but one incessant
rcvcl1ing in luxury from beginning to end. At
IyH - = - = II