New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-09-02
Mount Nrenticello..lS !,

IA
| Acorrespondent of the Charleston Mercury re-
Gently visited the grave and homestead f Thomas
Jefferson. and gives thefollowing account of his
observations #F SSts1
First, you will pass for a couple of uiles, over a
| bilowy sweep of corn and wheat land, whose rise
and dip is SO regular and waye.like, that one
taneies heasing ocean of land to have been rock
ing hero once, and suddenly petrifed into eternal
rest by the angry genius of the mountain Plungifg
| into deep but narrow stream, where your horses
grth will be wet, and your feet, too, if you don't
take the precauton to sling them up on his withers
you may stop.za moment only, for the sun Is set
ling fast-and 1ook back over your shoulder at the
village, encircled by the ripe harvests which. the
busy mowers are reaping. The soft " swath I" OF
the sey the the sharp clack OF the mill where the
brawl Of the streamlet, the glow on the distant
fields, the dark dank foliage OF the frowning noun
tain ID front, form so sweet picture that one is
unwilling to leave It for the hard ascent that
promises wider but cert ainly not loyelier pros
| Through devious and uncertain ways, now wind
| ing along tobacco patch, now by corn rows so
steep that the golden tassels of one row shake off
/ their pollen at the roots Of another, stumbling MP
over loose stones that go Gathering down behind
and splattering all over with the Inevitable mud,
you gain the first ledge and come right out of the
dense ehesnuts upon picturesque cottage and
! fine glade where you are almost tempted to turn
round for another look but desist fear Of losing
the charm OF the ensemble which the mountain top
promises. Straight up alongside of deep gorge,
down which a biscuit, dropped from Four saddle,
would fall two hundred feet, and sometimes turn
| ing sharp angle where the water has cut an
almost perpendicular chasm, you climb, and climb
With densely wooded wall of rock, on one hand
and the dark preeipice threatening you on the
Other, until you Unexpectedly emerge in small
clearing around which a somewhat dapidated
square, brick wan runs. The iron gate is open
and asyousenter, The eye, glancing over dozen
cor more marble slabs, and head stoaes rests on a
grey granite pyramid, supported by block of the
same material, rndely hewn and backened with
ase, which you know at once to be Jefferson's
tomb. There is no name Oh the monument, only
the dates of a birth and death. The conceit is .
childish one, and in wretched taste. and yet can
not help thinking that. the dusty Incumbent who
holds the stone IN mort main, is rather hattered by
the prise of his visitors, if the "dull cold ear
( Of death,o contrary to Gray's philosophy, ever
catches any mortal accounts Around the great
statesman and philosopher and man of letters lie
ms children and their offspring. And from his
-4etty resting place he can keep watch and ward
over The State he loved, and served and honorad.
From the cemetery a narrow path through the
ned Or the longer carriage road leads up to the
front OF the old mansion which crowns the, brow of
himself, and is built of good, durable brick which
has stood the ravages Of the weather remarkably.
70 the front and rear colennade projects from
the central hall which traverses the entire build
ing, and on either side of this project spacious
wings OF an irregular pentagonal shape. Gov |
cred wing connects these with the servants halls
and rooms, which run at right angles with, and at
some distance from the main building and tile |
snooth-shaven and wellwaoded lawn enclrcles tho |
entire group. f''s >'" 7'7 |
10 the ceiling of the portico in front large /
compass attached, and fronting the guest as he
enters the door, and Immediately over it, stands |
tue dial Of the old family clock whose gilded hands
refuse TO marx time for the more recent owner of
the venerable mansion. The property is now in t
the possession OF Captain Levy, United States |
Navy and as the United States has confiscated /
the Pennsylyanla estates, of Senator Mason, Yir-
GINA might well retaliate BY handing over this an
cestral property to the nearest neal deseendantof
its illustrious founder
From the brow Of the plateau to the north OF the
hoase, the panorama anfolded is transeendentIv l.
beautiful, The coy village, embowered in waving I
crops, and sweeping in gentle curve through the
slope OF the rolling valley, lies nestled in the pro-
teehng arms Of the gray old mountains, like some
blooming Viyisn in the embrace Of sage and doat-
ing Merlin. The pencil might delineate, but no /
words can describe the exquisite charm Of this soft
ci'i. picture. The ever varying lights and
shades OF that delicious prospect only the educated
eye can appreciate, and the whole is fused into d
pit OF landscape poetry, which he who has once
made it his own, will recall as a possession and
Joy forever. .5~-.- .Ias.s. Nj. a.. I'm, -,