Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-06-14
A Visit to Mount Vernon.

What American i tbcre who does NOT
feel u sacred interest in that sweet rlacn
on the shores of tbe ouict pptopoc ouco
ennobled bv Washinrtop's presauce and
now hallowCd bv his ashes fl is tho
Mecca of the rcpublic- a suot vlrro lion,
pilcrim-sons come. with rcverantiol Lo,n.
age to stand beneath thc noble old tren.
whose shadow one fell ON tLo brooL and
godike brow of Washington himself,
Our first visit to the Mount Vernon t,vo
vpDrs ago. was in the golden Aush of an
.unn | well remember tbo crimson md
russell robes of the Quiet woods that lrinr-
ed the water side, and the rrde no,rnIv
bridge built far ont in the rivar ovo.
which we were compcllcd TO bass before
we could reach the shore And tho,, tbc
steep ascent up throucb n scarcely trrL-
den path whose outlines vnro e,orcoI,. liz
ccrnable through the BRIGHT drifts of
brown and orange leaves which Hut,ered
down through the warm blur air--thn
russell ferns. the purple aster, tbe colI-
en- rods, whose fiery torches hung like
lines of flame along tie natural terrace.
and the sweet wild mint whose rro,r,ncn
even now seem insencrah,o from that Oc.
to Der dav at Mount Vernon
But this time it was BRIGHT wint or
noon. when our little Marty stood orc.
more on the smooth eLoro-onc cf those
DAYS when the calender fell Ms !, !. Eohrp-
ary. in obstinate contradiction 70 the ra.
dient XIV and warm hroczos that speol. or
Nav itself The sunny slouc, and stopn
banks wore a delicate tiuge ofyelvot rrecn
!
light feet Of the coming spling.tine,
Probably 10 private residence in tLc
United states can boast finer view than
Mount Vernon. From the house q uro,-
pect is visible Of the broad. hriuht river
with quiet sails gliding slowly over if.
sunny cxpansc, and mile, on miles Of
wooded shores. rising up from the water
side. and forming one oftbe finest natural
panoramas IMAGINABLE.
The house itself stands on a bit O smooth
level lawn: Il tiny opening in the midst of
the grand old trees whose intcrlagipc
branches are so plainly outlined against
the blue heavens and its old-fayhiorcd
portico. a sort tofcuntinuation OF thecavcs.
ly rude vet picturcsoIc pillar,
seems almost Ike a memory Of tho pa,t
century. 1t is there, as the attendants
tell US, that the armchair. Of WASHINGTON
was brought on summer evenings: il was
over the sunkcn stone faus forming it.
payoment that he was want to pace for
hours and we look wftha srecfes OF ,en-
Grafton on the uoesv stones that have been
worn away bv the feet OF Washington.
A wide, sunny old hall opens from tLi,
portico, extending through from door to
doog-not narrow modern entry. but a
genuine old Virginia hail. which looks like
three or four spacious rooms thrown into
one. and hung with quaint old mans of
foreign countries. which still look down
upon YOU with their discolored lines.
though he who once gazed on them has
gone into an undiscovered country, of
which the world has neither man nor
chart.
The library. the parlor, the diningroom,
are all places of interest but more partic.
ularlv the former. Once it must have
been a splendid room; the remains Of its
departed grandeur may still be traced in
it, faded frescoes. dim oil.paintings. and
massive chairs. 1t is said that this is the
r,,,,o C,,rr;+,,ra tl,,t ,lr,,,,J 49,. l;l.,,.,.