Middletown transcript., 1872-04-20
Popular Sallsttllanp,
A Visit to the Home Of Madison.

Mr. Carson, n whole soulcd- lrshman,
who now owns the place, s0on made his
appearance and invited me into the parlor.
This room is adorned with handsome
portrait Of Madison, painted few years
ago in philadelphia. some landscapes,
piano, marble center table. etc. I was
not left long TO inspect the parlor. for
Mr.. Carson was all enthusiasm to show
me new force-pump aud to display its
power. Accordingly, he hurried me to
the door opening upon the front portico.
aud there, to my amazcmen,, burst upon
us a panorama which for beauty nn1 cx-
tent is scarcely surpassed in all Virginia.
The front lawn, extending some two
hundred yards to large ,stc and hedge.
disclosed beyond the hedge ample fields
thick set in clover and incloscd in semi
circle of dark green woods, beyond which,
ut distance Of ten miles or more, stretch
I'd the mighty wall Of the Blue Ridge
Mountains literally athwart the whole hor.
iaon Grand and expansive as the scene
was, i, WINS chiefly remarkable for the al.
sencc Of human haLi,a,ions The forest
appeared to be unbroken to the very base
of the mountains Clcarings aud dwell.
lings there doubtless were in that vast cx-
papsc, but they were hidden by the gol-
den haze. Montpelier looked forth upon
this wide area of natural beauty solitary
aud alone. as might some oa.ilc OF ncdi.
ryal times upon barous broad domains
\ more impressive sight is seldom seen
Mr. Carson forced he away from ihi.
splendid spectacle to witness the working
IT his new pump. Then | must see the
gigantic chestnut trees, one Of which was
thirty, and another forty. feet in dame
,sr; aud not far away he led me to hill
overlooking little dell carpcled with ten
dcrcat grass and shaded by nearly hun.
drcl beautiful walnut ,rees--a lovely dell
indeed, where iarics nigh, dance aud
reycl. Then to the garden, where We
!tastcl on grapes, pears and figs, aud then
back to the poriico 10 ssc the sun go down
in glory behind the purple bat,lcments Of
the Ridge. the sky all amber and orange.
aud the landscape fading. melting. gloora
ing down through all the tints Of the spec
trum.
The picture Of Montpelier House in
Ilowe's Historical Collections" is, ns
have said before, simply cxccrahlc The
facade. though i, does not rival Upper
Brandon with its noble front Of two hun.
drcd and forty fee, on the james River,
nor tower aloit like the castella,cd homes
Of the Bruccs IN Halifax county, is never
,helcss sufficiently imposing for the resi-.
dence OF President aud Hts we'll into the
magnificent landscape which il commands.
The view from Monticello is no doub.
more extensive mud picturesque. but the
soft beauty Of the scenery around Mont.
pcllicr cannot be exccllca. The contras,
between the rear aud front lawns is mos,
extraordinary. and embrace tue beauty oi
both
Behind the house you are excluded from
the world in hooks aud levels Of greene.
ry; in front the world bursts upon you il,
startling grandeur but i; is still the world
Of Nature. for the works Of mems hand.
are scarcely visible. know nothing lik,
it, nothing quite equal 10 it. The house
is built to last for nges. There ara sew
cnty-two acres in the lawns. What a
place for student What home for a
man Of wealth aud taste! Whnt a Sum.
mer resort il would make for there is nc
healthier region probably in the world. -
What site for female college or Sc.
Ice, school for boys !"--LirpincOsfs Nag.
d<iae.