Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-10-21

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It but / think he used to look yer,
4 sad as be walked up and down th,
narrow prison.yard. Sometimes
t | remember, he seemed to be listen
$ ing, in pleased sort of way, Ia
!. old Billy Wood, the plaY.actor
e who was also 10 difficulties, WooC
t was an educated man, and goot
company"
I II questioned our friend as tC
, his impressions of Lafayette, JEFF
4 ferson, Hamilton and Burr. But
5 he had only seen them causally
and had very faint recollections OF
them. Aaron Burr he remembered
as ga little, alert nam, with very
bright, dark eyes"
0 those wonderful Edwards eyes,
! full of power and fate, and predes-
! tinatiop!-those keen, eager pas
sionate etes-they seem to beam
on unquenchably in the memory
of all on whom their glance ever
I, fell, even carelessly and for mo-
! ment
When Wendell Phillips was a
child, Aaron Burr was pointed out
to him on Broadway, | thiuk. He
did not then know much of the
life and the genius, the sin and the
sorrow of that famous and infa-
nous old man, but he felt and has
never forgotten the power Of his
eyes. Only to-day l asked a ven
cradle relative who in his youth
met Aaron Burr, what he remem-
bered of him
Not very much, " he replied
she was a small man, very quick
in his movements, and with re
markable eyes"
Mr.. Gray also, l think, described
Jefferson as small, or as looking
so, in comparison with Washing
/ ton, that one grand and lofty fig
ure, that evidently stands apart and
unapproachablc in the long gallery
of his memory He sees that figure
still through the identifying and
exalting atmosphere, the rosy mist
of childish love and reverence
after all, truer medium, doubtless,
than the cold light Of latter day
Ftheories of his life and character,
speculative and skeptical. To him
Washington seems both nearer and
farther off than he seems to US
those calm blue eyes, dust and
darkness for nearly seventy years,
shine for the old man, as they
shone on the little boy, with a lofty
but not dnkindly look. Their col
or is to him like the far blue Of
summer skies-not like the cold
blue of Alpine glaciers. The more
than royal dignity of that martial
ard paternal presence is to him
simply and grandly heroic, The
pure morality and honest Christian
faith of the leader and savior of
the nation; of the representative
gentleman, with his careful punct.
uality and unerring propriety, his |
generous hospitalities and exact
economies; of the kind neighbor
and Just master; of the lover of
children, dogs, and horses, are to
him better than all the philanthro-
py and much of the religion of our
time. ....g.. -.
While this friend talked with us,
|, for one, felt that | had taken
din into the golden past half
fancled that | too had seen Wash
inQton, and had my little head !
thatched for q moment by his broad
white hal d; that had eaten sweet
meats from that bounteous table in
the old High street house; or, bet
ter still, met Washington in his sta,
Bile, among his norses.
But all such Pleasant illusions
were dispelled by our visitor gIanc-
ing at the clock on the mantle, and
exoaiming "Bless me, it is nearly
eleven | must be going"
Then he shook hands all round,
and with kindly adieu and graceful
compliments, left us.
All what a troop Of old time
ohadoa WON'T ont oftor him into the
snmmor nigbtI Wasbinoton. state.
i 90 evar bnt more Lnmon and
ton,o H. NJ Iko than bo had before
seemed to me. About him was a
faint, agreeable equine odor, and
the shadow of stag-hound trotted
after him. Beside him walked his I
comely, comfortable wife; and just
following went pretty, prim Nelly
Cnstis. and that Young prig, Mas
ter George w, shington Parko Gus. !
tis
W. m;obt bovo nicturod as wait.
~ s,,.,,o,,..4 ~ ''.', ',,ort,f t,,rtha