The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-10-30
BRET AARTEs pIsOoVERY. I
Revolutionary Rsminiscences.

o6hA AAh ID . UlSOONEkHsa z
Revolutionary "Reminiscences.
0e"rge Washington and Josiah w. K.ar-,
AiIna-A Confusion OF IInages-EEoSss a
Hoasian came 10 an END. t .,-,.ra
s----ae E3Asl,r,sos IarD0z, \ J.,.oct. 0, ls9s.-
have seen her at last. She is IO7
years old and remembers George
Washington quite distinctly 5 1t is
somewhat confusing, however, that she
also remembers a. oontemporaneons
Josiah W. Perkins Of Baslzing ridge,
n. j., and, think, has the impression
that Perkins was the better man. Per
kiBs, At the close of the last century,
paid her some little intention. There
are a few shihgs that. a really noble wo-
man of 107 never forgets.
Il was Perkins who said to her in
1875, in the streets Of Philadelphia,
"Shall show thee Gen'l Washingtoh P"
Then ahe said. careless-like, for you
know. child, at that time it wasn't what
it is now to see Genl Washington, she
ssid, SO do, Josiah, 80 do" Then he
pointed to tall man who got ont OF
carriage and went into a large house.
He was larger than you be. He wore
his own hair-not powdered, had flow
cred chintz vest, with yellow breeches
and blue stockings, and a broad-brim-
med hat. In summer he wore a white
straw hat, and at his farm at BaskinR
ridge he always wore il. At this point
it became too evident that she was de-
Hcrihing the cloths of the all.fascina-
ting Perkins, so I gently but firmly led
her back to Washington. Then it ap-
peared that she did not rememb- exact
ly what he wore. To assist her I
sketohed the general historic dress of
that period. She said she thought he
was dressed like that. EmbOldened
by my success, added hat Of Charles
II. and pointed shoes of the eleventh
century. .Sheendorsed these with such
cheerful slacrity that I dropped the
subject. .rf.--
The house npon which / had stuln-
bled, or rather 10 which my hOrse-a
Jersey hack accustomed TO historic
research. had brought me, was low and
quaint. Like most old houses, it had
the appearance of being encroached
upon by the surrounding giebe, as it
were already half in the grave with a
sod or two, ia the shape of moss thrown
on il like ashes on ashes and dust on
dust. a wooden house, instead of ac-
quiriug dignity with age, is apt to lose
it's youth and respectfully together.
Aporeh with scant sloping seats from
which even the winters snow must
have slid uneomsortably, projected from
n doorway, that opened most unjustifi-
ably into n small sitting There
was no vestibule or locus gDccnite1,tios
for the embarrassed or bashftil visitor
he passed az once from the security OF
the public road into shameful privacy.
And here in the mellow autumnal sum
light that streaming through the NAPLES
and sumaoh on the opposite hiokered
and danced upon the floor, she sat and
discoursed Of George Washington and
thought of Perkins. She was quite in
Keeping with her house end season, al
bet little in advance Of both, her
skin being OF faded rasset and her
hands 30 like dead November leaves
that fancied they even rustled when
she moved them.
For ali that she Was quite bright and
berry. Her faculties still quite vigor-
o rs, although performing irregulaTiy
and spasmodically. II was somewhat
disoomposing, comics, TO observe that
ut times her lower jaw would drop,
leaving her spoechless, until one of the
fami Y would notice it and raise II
smartiy into place with a slight snap,
an-oPeratiOu -ulways performed IN such
an habituRl, perfuuctory manner-gen-
orally in passing to sad fro in their
household dutes-,hat il was very try
ing 20 the spectator. II was still more
embarrassing to observe that the dear
old lady hsd evidently no knowledge Of
this, but believed she was still talking,
aud that on resnming her actual vocal
uttermco she was often abrupt and in
cohorent, beginning always in the mid
dle.o5- . rsentenos. and often IN the mid
die OF a word. Sometimes, said her
daughter, a giddy. thougEtless young
girl OF eighty-five. ''sometinies Just
moving her head sort Of unhitches her
as. aud If We dont happen 60 see Il
she'll go ON talking for hours without
making a sound" Although I was con
WINGED after this that during nay inter.
view I had lost several important reye-
lations regarding George Washington
throagh these peculiar lapses, I could
not help refeciing how benefcsnt were
these prOvislons Of the Creator-how, II
properly studied and applied, they
might DC fraught with happiness 20
mankind How slight jostle or jar at
a dinnar party might make the post
prandial eloquence Of garrnlous senility
satisfactory to itself yet harmless to
others. How more intimate knowi-
edge Of anatomy introduced INTO The
domestic circle might make s home
solegahle, st least. 4 not happy. How
long-sufering husband, under the
PIetenoe og 3 oonjugsl oaEess, might 90
unlock his wife's condyloid process as
% silow the flow Of exPostulation, critl-
sism or deuunciation 10 q on with graft.