Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-02-07
The Wentworth Mansion.

The Wentworth Mansion.
OF the old homestead of Governor
Wentworth, spoken Of in Longtellow's
+. Lady Wentworth" which is still stand
ing. the Taunton Mass Gazette gives
the following description
& Governor Benning Wentworth built
this retired and romantic home about the
year 1850, aud here he lived ever after,
through the prolonged term Of twenty
years, during which he held his commission
as Governor. The house as described in
Portsmouth paper of 1867, is generally
of two stories, built around three sides OF
a square, and formerly contained itty-two
rooms A part of the honsc has since
been removed, and there now remain only
forty-fve. IL looks ike collection OF
buildings Of various dates and styles. The
house is so hidden behind an eminence
that it Is not visible from the road, aud
cannot be seen till you reach the gate.
On one side il commands a fair view Of
the water In its cellars a troop of horse
could be accommodated in times OF dam
ger The mansion has yes the council
room. an imposing room. Of high story,
where meetings important to the state and
nation were held by the council for many
years. BY IFS side opens the billiard room,
where the ancient spirit is still located )
\ and i'm it, corner the buffet, which has
| held many a full and empty punch-bowi
/ At the entrance OF The council chamber
I suu stand tho raok= OF tvvonty guns. which
were for guards when occasion required
rr~t Z eh.rf old
style, exquisitcly carved. with the knife
and ehisel Of a carpenter, being more than
a years work On ascending short
flight Of steps from the council chamber
you enter the spacious parlor, still. as rlct
in its original finish ~ il was one hundred
and twenty years ago. Here lived anc
kept a famous table, old Governor Benulns
and here it was. in his sixtieth year, tina
he married his pretty serviDg-maid youn.
Martha Hilton, or Patty Hilton, accord
inc to the family tradition, handed dowi
tothe present generation. Patty, although
a servant and once
Haseuotca. ragged vitn neglected halr-
was the grand-daughterso Hon. Rlchar'
Hilton of Newmarket, who was Justice 0
the Superior Court in l69S and 1899.
was probably owing to the renowned fckle
{ ness Of fortune that pretty Patty.
! Iu mean hauiliments bore
And bathing a- she went, her naked feet
" Al great dinner party given on hi
birthday, when the walnuts and wine wer
on. the Governor rung for Patty, who cam
and stood bushing at his side and the
as Governor Of New Hampshire he com
. manded the clergyman, the Rev. Arthu
: Brown. who had hesitated at his reque,
: a. a private gentleman, to marry MN an
PATTY straightway became Lady Wen
g worth of the Hall, and carried things wit
D a hiph hand ever afterwards thus fulhllIr
0 her OVID prophecy
c ..s No matter how look. yet shall ride.
q Iu my own chariot ma am
1 This marriage, owing to the inequallJ
c OF ages as well as of position, caused muc
r excitement at the time, and the excitemcr
!. was greatly increased by his making h
Y his sole heir at his death. He died Oct
! Der l.. l770. Two months after his d
n cease, Patty. or rather Lady Wentwort
!. married Col Michael Wentworth. 81
n died December IS. 1905, at the age
T sixty eight.
It The Boston Trqceller subJoins the fc
y lowing
re &. To which we may add that Col. 7. Y
2, Higginson takes the romance out Of &
If poem very nicely He says that Govern
N Wentworth married for his second wi
c March 10, 1860, not in May, nor yet
ID his birthday young girl named Martl
,e Hilton, granddaughter OF the Hon. Richa
lt Hilton. who was Justice of the Superi
le Court in 1898. 1t is possible, though
,h have found no record of it-that she nj
ID have been reduced to poverty, and ha
lived as a servant at the great Wentwor
to House at Little Harbor before her ms
q. riage. But l take this to come from t
ed poets imagination, like the rest.
e. mental mTECTURE.-No,-I &C
IL tinued.-I don't want to have the ter
tory Of mans mind fenced in. | do
want to shut out the mystery Of the sta
and the awful hollow that holds the
We have done with those hypethral te
pies, that were open above to the heave
but we can have attics and skyIights
them Minds with sky-lights,-yes,
stop, let us see if we can't get somethi
out of that
One-SuOrF lnteilecIS, tWO-stoEy Lh'
lects, three-story intellects with skyhgt
,sh All fact-collectors, who have no aim
IS yond their facts, are one-story men. I
~ story men compare, reason, general
las using the labors of the fact-collectors
DER we'll as their own. Three-storymen idt
ize, imagine, predict their best illumi
tion comes from above, through the skyIie
There are minds with large ground fot
TO that can store an infinite amount of kno
zen edge; some librarians, for instance, v
ia know enough of books to help other 7
pie, without being able 10 make much c
Ia er use of their knowledge, have intelIe