Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-02-11
Alexandria Gazette


Letter from Lexington. Va.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
LEXINGTON. Feb. G.-This morning General
Custis Lee was inauguratcd President OF ash
ington, Lee University, and though the wealth
er was bad, the snow being four or hive inches
deep, and the thermometer several degrees be-
low the freezing point, there was quite large
audience to witness it. The ceremonies we're
very few and simple. consisting Of a prayer and
reading chapter from the Bible by DIR. Pendlc-
ton and short address from Judge Broc ken
brough, Rector of the Board Of Trustees, whose
duty it was to administer the oath OF Office.
Judge T. after i touching and attectlonate
tribute to the late President, said that as soon
rs it became necessary TO appoint his successor,
every member of the Board OF Trustees telt
that the son could best carry on the work so
nobly commenced by the father and that they
believed they had carried ont the sentiment OF
every Southern man when they appointed him,
who bore the name Of Washington and OF Lee,
irwin heirs OF eternal fame, President OF
Washington and Lee University.
Gen. Lee replied in very few words. return
ING his thanks. and promising with the coop
Grafton of the faculty, the aid Of the students,
and especially the help of Almighty God, to
fulfil the duties of his office. The oath was
then administered, and the audience dismissed
with the benediction.
Last Friday night the Dialectic Society of the
Virginia Military Institute, celebrated their
twenty-third anniversary. Cadet L. c. Watkins,
Of Virginia, the orator, although unfortunate in
the choice of his subject. the future prospects
of the young men Of the South, subject, good
enough in itself, but made so often the theme
of college orations here, that it has become
threadbare, and though frequently interrupted
l..k IL ooft tba n q
by the nigh wind, made Il sensible and excellent
speech. which was well received. The question,
Ought In6del Publications to be suppressed
bv law?' was debated by cadets w. +. Pearson.
Of Ala, and w. P. W. Morris, Of Va, in the
affirmative, and cadets j. S. Legare, and j. +.
Arthur, of S. c.. in the negative. All the
speeches were so good that it would be impos-
sible to discriminate in favor of any one of them;
as each one was delivered, we thought it better
than the one before The society really deserves
many congratulations on the success of this eel
ebration. voted by all as the best and most IN
teresting that has occurred here, and calling 1t
interesting is no small compliment to a literary
society celebration After the exercises some
Of the younger portion OF the audience, INSPIRED
by the sweet music of Prof Rittenhouse' S band,
proposed dance; in trice the benches were
pulled back, and when your correspondent lett
there was as gay and merry throng OF dancers
as if the fair ladies had come prepared tor
ball. WILLIS
VISIT TO BURNS WIDow.-R
OF AN AULD SCoT-At the Louisville cele.
bration of the Burns anniversary, the chief
feature was an address by Hugh Ainslie, gen.
uine Scot, whose memory reached back even
to the latter days of the inspired bard. His
address was admirably national in character,
-, olto
of Burns himself Mr. Ainslie emigrated in
1922, and on the way to his. port Of ernbarka-
ton he visited the poet $ widow at Dumtrles:
The particulars of that visit as partly embodied
in the Doric Scotch by the venerable man, are
worth recording in his own words, reported IN
the Courier j ournal- My reception, said
Mr. Ainslie, ';was Of the most cordial and un-
ccremonious kind and although the dainty
dame was then verging on three-score, cou!G
zee in the blink o her bonny. black ce, and
the cut @ her merry NOW sufficient cause and
warrant, when sweet sixteen. tor making her
brave wooer in his day-dream, cxclalm =
I see thee dancing Ter the green,
Thy wauk sac jimp, thy limbs sac clean.
Thy tempting lips thy rogush en-
By heaven and and earth, love thee!
Mighty strong painting that, You Il say; but
no doubt from the life Well, as there was no
Scotch cauldness in the dear cid lady's constitu
ton, nor in her visitor either, we soon got un-
co puck and thick together, and on my pre-.
~cnting her with queer daft boukle called
a Pilgrimage to the Land of Burns, she
gave me the last scrap she had OF her hus-
bands handwriting, containing his signature
tie seeds she had gathered from his grave; and
it may interest you to know, some of those
seeds sowed in 1897. near the old mill in
Shippingport and the being self-sowcrs, their
descendants can be annually seen sprouting,
hourishing and blooming there still, although
the mighty foods of the Ohio have now
washed off three-tourths of that town.
No bad emblem, this, yell say, of our canly
countrymcn, who when they chance upon
genial soil and cline are pretty hard to uproot
or wash out either But I'm forgetting the
giver by blethcring about the gift. In the
course Of our talk about her old and her new
home, | happened to express wish to see e:
some of those spots by the winding NTH,
where her husband used ''to take cleaning
shots at the muse, and the dear old lady I'M
mediately geered herself up for the gate and
walked with me up to the ruins Of LincludOn,
pointing out many sweet and pleasant spot
where she knew he had walked and wove his
heart songs and to crown her kindness,
when the hour of my departure came, she with
i few friends. conveyed me to Glenkupe quay,
where the steamer for Liverpool lay.
It was 4 beautiful sunny afternoon, about the
middle of May. and all our surroundings looked
lovely in the ruddy glow: 50, instead of taking a
sad aud watery farewell Of my companions, Il
strange Joyous spirit seemed to ncsseSs me
perhaps it was watt from the spirit OF Burns
tor it made ME break out with his impasSionec
lines -
O. were on ParnasSuS hill,
And had O Helicon my FILL,
That might catch poetic skill,
To sing how dear love thee!
But NTH maun be my muse well.
My muse maun be thy bonnie sell.
On Corsman I'll glow'r and spell,
Aud write how dear love thee.
And here, cried, like a prophet in drink
catching Jeans hand, is 4 spot and moment