The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-02-27
THE HOME OF WEBSTER IN 1sea.

For several Of the last years Of the life
of Daniel Webster, l was for the most of
the time at Marshfeld, and a constant visi-
tor at his house, as well as familiar with
his neighbors and all the places of interest
IN the Old Colony. A recent visit to the
home Of the great statesman of the North,
a sojourn in his library, and revisit of his
| faVorite haunts, as well as of his tomb, lead
me to speak of the Mansfield of to-day.
Its now eleven years since the statesman
of Marshfeld saw the last of earth, having
just previously uttered the words which
may be regarded as prophetic, 81 still live"
During these years many changes have oc-
CURED, partly of joyous, and more of a
grievous character The civil war, The
shadow Of which he so. clearly saw ard so
distinctly depicted, has rent the compare
tively-happy land whose defender he was
till the last. The Union that he defended
with power almost more than human, his
only remaining child, Colonel Fletcher
Webster, laid down his life for while lead
ing on his brave troops. The venerable
men that carried out his body to its burial
have all or nearly all, like him, passed that
bourne from which no traveller returns"
Many of the townsmen with whom he took
sweet counsel, and with whom he walked
in company to the house of God, lie be-
meath the clods of the valley. The many
friends from all portions of the country
that visited him each Sum mer are seen along
these walks no more, for the lord of the
manor is no longer here to delight them
with his presence, as striking as that Of the
cathedral, and to charm them with his con-
verse, his every word weighing pound.
And yet there is much here to remind
you Of Webster to-day; there is on many
objects the real Websterian impress. That
magnificent lawn, so English, so spacious,
was all his own work. That hedge on eth
er side Of the long driveway to his house
from the highway, looks much as it did in
his lifetime. The mansion itself is in good
condition, externally and internally and is
almost entirely as he left it for his grave.
His largest barn was accidently burned a
few years ago, but another of about equal
dimensions has taken its place. The two
cottages for his gardener and for his farmer
stand as in his lifetime. His law office be-
side the garden is much as he left it. The
library is full of the same books, arranged
in the same manner as when he pored over
them, and their numbers are the same, or
about five thousand, consisting chiefly of
historical, biographical, legal, congression-
al, political. religious, and reference books,
such as cycopedias, dictionaries, hour
books, etc., of which last class the library
is uncommonly full. The portion of the
farm around the mansion house is still fruit
full, and much through his constant care to
dress it with kelp, fish, and other fertilizers,
while the more distant portions Of the farm,
though sols to his neighbors, still bear the
marks of his improvements. Cut River
flows into the sea near his home, as when
his fishing boats were there waiting for the
coming of him who loved to visit them very
early in the morning for his favorite recre-
alton. The clark, deep blue sea" beyond
looks as it did when the farmer Of Marsh
field enjoyed so much its presence, and
sailed gayly over its waters.
The home of Webster was constantly
improved by him for twenty years, at an
expense of $1OO, 900, and his neigEbor
farmers derived much benefit from his ex-
ample and experiments as farmer The
house itself has most of the modern i'm
provements, and can hardly be excelled for
real comfort. Fronting upon the principal
lawn are the sitting, music, drawing rooms,
and library. In the rear Of them are the
dining and breakfast rooms, and kitchen
and other rooms. The second story is fur
nished with numerous chambers, several of
which are particularly attractive The
chamber that he called his own, and in
which he died, I have slept in for the three
nights l have been here. From it you look
out upon the circular pond, similar to that
on Boston Common, where his tanned wild
] =
ally seen, and where their offspring may be
seen to day. AS much as any thing their
/ wild and peculiar sounds carry me back
TO the days when Marshfeld was all in its
glory.
Several of those that served Mr.. Webster
have, like him, been laid in their graves.
Others still live, cul;ivating the broad acres
that they purchased from his estate, and with
money that they earned while in his en-
ploy. OF his townsmen many have gone
with him to their long home, one of them,
M John Bourne, revolutionary pension
err, at upward of one hundred years.
The old Winslow House of about one
hundred and fifty years has been repaired,
and looks quite young again. Two hotels
have been opened recently, thing unheard
of in the town before; one of them, the
Carswell House, once occupied by Col
Fletcher Webster as a residence, and the
Webster House, at Cut River, where some
thing of a village has arisen recently, tht
inhabitants living by catching fish, Holsters
and by adding little shoemaking in the
Winter. The hotels are chiefly for Sum
mer travel, Marshfe,d having become quit;
watering place. Beyond Cut River villag,
is another termed Abingdon, where the in
+ habitants of Arlington and other interior
towns have been accustomed to come with
in few years, for sea bathing and genera
, recreation. In other respects, this town 0
J some 1900 inhabitants is as it was befor