Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-09-02
Florida, the New Italy of America =

Florida. the New Italy OF America
MRS. STOVES FLORIDA HOME.
"Goin' to land here? Well, hope you'll find
the old lady in good humor. They say she's
awful snappish with callers sometimes"
The speaker was a Georgia preacher of the
cracker persuaSion-lsnk and yelIow-who with
his lank and yellow wife had been wiutering at
Green Spring, Florida, and drinking the sulphur
water for their livers sake. The person ad-
dressed was the undersigned, and the scene the
gsDC-Plank OF the little steamer Darlington,
the shore-end of which plank was then upon the
little pier at Mandarin, the Florida residence OF
MIS-. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Mrs. Stowe, like
the Oyerrun rural gentleman in the farce, has
the disadvantage of living at just
"a CONVENIENT DISTANCE FROM THE CITY"
some fifteen miles above jacksonville, and as
about the first inquiry of the thirty or forty
thousand visitors who now edo" the St. Johns
river annually is for Mrs. Stoves place, it hap
pens that not only are there a good many lorg-
nettes leveled at Mandarin from the river boats
but good many people land there, and exer-
else their on-hunting mania in o way to cause
the subject no little annoyance. | have heard
various instances of the pertinacity of callers
VINO without credentials or any CLAIMS whatever
npon Mrs. stoves attention, make themselves
quite at home upon the premises, helping them
selves to oranges, breaking off flowers and twigs
ing into windows over Mrs. Stoves shoulders
when she is writing; and with some the spirit of
research carries them around 10 the kitchen TO
question the servants as to the housekeeping ar
rangements. Ii would scarcely be possible for
a wOman-and a Beecher-not to resent imper-
tinences of this kind to the extent, at least, of
shutting the window in the face of the offenders;
but, on the other hand, L heard on all sides &C
acknowledgements OF the courtesy with which self
respecting visitors are treated at Mandarin. In
fact, the people OF Florida are great believers
a he shn MI n l,a horI Iii. u.
and eloquent descriptions of Florida life and
scenery have done more to call attention to the
interesting features Of the State than any other
cause.
But to return 10 the gang-plank of the Oar
llngton;-being provided with a kind letter OF
introduction TO Mrs. Stowe from a literary
friend, concluded, despite the warning OF my
Cracker fellow-trayeler, to at least pay my
respects to the author of - Uncle Toms Cabin"
and as the result, passed an exceedingly pleas.
ant day.
il little more than boat-landing-the first on
the river above Jacksonville-with a store, no
hotel, and struggling line of houses along the
river. A carriage track runs straight up from
the little pier to the country and neigh
borhood grocery and variety store. A
couple OF hundred yards to the left Is
Mrs. Stoves modest and picturesque Florida
home. followed plank-walk through lux
uriant fringe Of swamp vegetation, and up q
bank to coffee colored, many gabled cottage
an unpretendng wooden structure, such a.
would cost perhaps 81 900 in northern village
it was shaded by two enormous live oaks,
heavily loaded with trailing moss and up the
trunks OF these monster oaks crept two bands
OF bright green-the Scotch aud English
lvy,-contrasting in their colors agreeaply with
each other and with the gray moss aud the
green of the small willow-shaped leaves of the
oaks Surrounding the house was a grove of
orange trees,-round-headed and cabbage
shaped, after the fashion of this not particularly
nj Ir,@
wiggy spray somewhat relieved by the infection
OF moss caught from the over-hanging oaks
The CLEAN OF the white.washed trunks of the
orange grove, also, served to set off the shady
recesses OF the cottage verandas with a flavor O.
additional cosness and GOODNESS on this brigh;
sunny day. Entering the shade, there was a
guZznpg concert from unseen mocking birds
The whole grove was vocal with them, but no
wing was visible. 1 learned afterwards tha'
they haunt the orange tree, finding a secure
TelIeat ana building place in the close matted
tonnage. Mocking birds, by the way, are rather
a drug IN Florida. They prey upon the small
fruits to devastating extent. and the people
t aon dGte on them, but L suppose Mrs. Stowe
thinks 1t fair to divide with them in exchange
TOT their delightful, il not marketable notes. A
piquant charm of the Florida hooking bird TO
the northern ear is that its notes are limitations
OF the notes OF the wild birds of that region.
PROFESSOR STOWE.
Following the path. came in front of the
house. Upon the veranda, comfortably seated
in roomy carpet-char was a stout, genia!
looking gentleman-Professor Stowe, though 1
did not know it at the time; having somehow
got the mistaken notion that he was of the thin
dyspepdc type of scholarly men. In a certain
leonine port, carriage of the head, abundance
OF hail, and amplitude of chest, he reminded M
Of our Walt Whitman and Albert Pike. Pamph-
lets, magazines and books were scattered over
the floor of the veranda, or were tucked in III.
shaped scrOll-work OF the wooden columns OF
the porch, for handy use. A picturesque fea-
ture was the manner in which one of the grea:
1--we oaks just mentioned had ebowed its way
INTO the yeranda-in fact, the latter had been
putt up around the vast trunk, giving the little
brown cottage the appearance OF clinging TO the
sturdy tree. Opening out upon this porch, with
abundant doors, and oor-windows, were two
psrloTs, alike cool and pleasant to the eve with
Ihelr tasteful but unpretending decorations
native flowers in vases; a few good engrayines
and better-class chromos; books, but not too
many or too stif1y arranged, and q half-op.n
portfolio disclosing a set OF pictures OF Florida
flowers, work of enthusiastic love with Mrs
Stowe, who by word-painting as well a. with the
pencil has so wildly illustrated the floral
wealth that gives Florida its name.
COSY LITERARY WORK SHOP.
From this cosy literary workshop, amidst the
liVe-oaks and orange trees, goes forth for
half the year the weekly budget of contribu-
tons to the Christian Union Cor, better, the
Beeeher URi0n), of the Stowe Florida colony
Professor and Mrs. Stowe, Mrs. Henry Ward
Beecher. &C., that have helped so largely, I'M
uouotedly TO give that aper its extensive parish
Of 10000 subscribers. 1 found Mrs. Stowe at
the riverside, the center of a lively group of
young people, experimenting the preparations
ior picnic excursion to Julington creek, up
the river. She reminds one much of her brother,
Henry Ward Beecher, in a face not handsome
put better than handsome, with the same frank
directness OF manner, and the same CLEAN of
h9mor and originality about the eye and corners
OF the mouth.
FLORIDA PRO AND con,
After the conflicting views 1 had got from
land spectators and hotel keepers on the one
hand, and disappointed invalids and emigrants
on the other, was glad at Mandarin to get
something Ike . frank, impartial estimate OF
the advantages and disadvantages of Florida.
mrs. Stowe thinks well Of Florida g q health
resort Tor persons Of delicate lungs who find the
winters Of the north too severe for them.
This class Of halfinvalids who ut the North are
Imprisoned within doors during the winter
montns, TO the great detriment Of their general
nea.tn, undoubtedly find great reliefin the mild
winter Air OF Florida, where almost ever dsy OF
the season can be spent in the open air. doub
however, II she would recommend the Florida
climate TO those who have disordered liyers as
wen as tender lungs. Prof. Stowe, who spoke
OF having received great relief from acatarrahal
hHecuon by wtnterinQ in Florida. alan sfa fed