Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1859-11-21
Visit to Washington Irving.

tiSlttO washington living,
N. P. Willis and Company of Friends
In the number of the. Home Jou,nul com
ing to hand on Saturday, there is pleas
ing Idlewild letter from Mr.. Nat. Willis
giving an account of visit which he and
party of friends took it into their heads
the other day to pay to snnnyside-the
residence of the venerable and genial
Washington Irving. It's written in Will
lis best style.
4
During the ten minutes before Mr.. r.
Ing came in, (for he was out upon his
morning drive when we arrived,) his nieccs
very kindly gr0tiiied our interest in the
workshop of genius" by taking us into
the Nbrhry-the little curtain-windowed
sanctury where his mind had found both
It's labor and its repose, though. by the
open newspapers scattered carelcssly over
the large writing table in the centre, and
the inviting readiness of the well cush-
Toned lounge in the recess, it now serves
more the purpose of the repusc more need
eu! 1t was labyrinth of books: as it was
labyrinth of tender associations. in
which, as the eye roved over its consecra-
ted nooks and corners, the fancy, in all
reverence, ramblcd lovingly! The tear at
the heart kissed the threshold as we
t left it.
was looking admiringly, once more, at
Jarvls's record Of him at the Skctch-Book
period of his life, (the portrait with the
fur collar, which Mi who have seen # will
SO well remember, when Mr.. Irving came
in from his drive, We had heard so much,
recently, of his illness, that / was sur
Prlsed to sccwith how lively and firm step
he entercd-removing the slouched hat IA
comfortable departure from the old-school
covering, (which had never expected to
see on so proper hendD with as easy
| elegance as ever, sitting down with his gray
shawl left carelesslyo his shoulders. and,
eutering upon kindly inquiricsnnd exchange
OF courtesics with no lindrancc Of debility
that could Sec He is thinner somewhat.
IN both form and fcaturcs-owing to the
asthma which intcrfercS somewhat with
MS repose when lying down-but the se-
ni"l expression of his colintcnance is Ml,-
| changed, and his eye rs kindly and bright.
/ As to sprightliness of attention and reply.
could see little difference from the Wash
ingtcn Irving of other days. The reports
of his illness must have been exaggerated.
l thought. G-,l
Conversation falling upon exercise, Mr..
irving remarked that he daily took his
drive in the carriagc-Iess from any desire
to go abroad than from finding, since, he
had given up habits Of labor. that time
hung heavy on his hands, If he walks
out; il is only i'll the grounds. We spoke
OF notwithstanding, and he gave us a
most amusing account of his two last cx-
pcrlences in that way-a favoritc horse
called "Gentleman Dick" having thrown
him over his head into laurel bush,
which kindly broke his fall; and another
very handsome nag, given him by his
brother, having proved tc be opinionativc
as to choice of road-particularly at a
certain bridge, which it was very neccs-
sary to pass, in every ride, but which the
Eerse could not by any reasonable pcrsua-
sion he got over. With the sending of
thIs horsc-doglnatist to town, to be sold to
menner service for his obstiaacy, had ended
the experiments in the saddle
We had two tNIr, Kcnncdys'' in the din
ing room-our friends portrait, as he sat,
at the dinner table, hanging directly over
his head. Mr.. Irving sat between that
and the portrait of Count Partalis, on the
wall opposite-the latter the accomplished
frenchman who accompanied him on his
trip to the Prairies. He was an absent
friend of whom they both spoke now, with
admlring remembrance-show most
eSpressively how precious, sometimes, is
the gentle reminding of the portrait on the
WALL The Ex-Sccrctary had returned re-
Gently from tour in Europe, wherehe had
met many of Mr.. Irving's friends; and he
took this opportunity to speak of them
WIN their messages of honoring regard
LORD John RusSells, more particularly,
VINO mad been most earnest in his desire to
be named tenderly once more to his friend
OF other days. Any one who has CHANGED
TO see and enjoy the alfembarrassedsmile
ana LOOK of dcprecdting humility with
winch this our most modest of great men
receives an honorary tribute will under
stand why 1T was a pleasure to be present
ut the opening of Mr.. Kennedy ysrich budget
OF irving memories from abroad: and how
we thus saw an unveiling of the beloved
face recognised in his works, which was
better worth treasuring than any portrait
OF. the cOurtly outer man.
In regrettng that asthma, prevented his
enjoyment of onr more bracing air higher
up the River, Mr.. Irving spoke with glow
ing admiration of the beatitysof scenery
abont the Highlands. Yet Ico6ld not hut
call the attention of myifriend Wise. as he
sat at the table. with the window at his
back, to the loneliness of the picture he
was WAS, then loslnggT7the lake-like expanse of
IN the hudson 1Gl from the lawn of Sunnyside to
tile opposite shore, and the garden of up-
lands swelling to the horizon bevondi s3l,
columned in, ,Esy. the p PaIissades helow. jmst
at that moment, one of the large AIbanv
steamers, gliding powerfully and swiftly on
its way to the city. crossed the.line ;of the
glorious landscape to which the M
was frame We were all 6ci;1lt j, 4 = IN.