Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-01

Lee. While the slave Of NJ. G. w. P.Cu-tls,
| she also served scaulSireSs 10 his family
Her appearance was that of a we'll preserved
woman OF about forty years Of age. Sill llv-
lns iu these quarters at the time OF my visit,
she earned pittauce by selling Photographic
| views OF the mansion aod the cemetery to vsl-
tors. Ii pictures however, were Of rather
poor quality, having been tak"u by some tyrO
iu the Photographic art. Lyiug on the table
IN her uea, little parlnr w#s large family
| 3 bic, bound 10 green morocco, with the initials
| Ii. i. L., those of General Robert h. Lee,
stamped in git on one rt the lids. Eager relic
!.uDters had made her liberal offers for tho
precious volume, ranging from fifty 10 seventy
| five dollars.
In her little paror the old colored woman
made conspicuous display OF various articles OF
| Interest, whose history WAS connected with that
! of tho distinguished families who formerly oc-
cupici this historic place She niormed me
| that these articles were 10 great demand by
| relic iIuaterS, aud memcDt0-gatherers: bui with
| a true apprl citation OF the interest whlch at
Iachei to them like that evinccd by collectors
| and owners of articles OF ve!tu and rare AID
| antique specimens, and displaying something OF
| that mingled veneratlOu aud p!lde with which
arstucralic iamllics 10 both heuspheres, re-
gard the relics, heirloomS and insignia relating
to their ancestral history ana traditions, she
refused to part with them at any price.
The visitor TO the Arlington mansion 10 those
days could scarcely fail to notice willow tree
some TWO feet 10 diameter, slaudlng between
the well aud the mansion, branches OF which
were fast dccaying, like the houored families
who once dwclt there and iuXurlatcd bcueath
its shade.
Once, while | was on Il visit TO the Arlington
mansion, an old negro who had f.rmarly be-
longed 10 the Cus:l> family, and who even
claimed 10 have come with Mr.. Gusts in 1902,
a, his slave, iroul his Mouut Varnon homc,
drew my at eutlon to thls large willow tree
standing in the door yard aud re at2d III ills pc
cular ldlo!u, and with 4 tec'iog OF pride light
lug up his ebony uGtcnaGcr. how some hly
years ago, Missus Lee, then Miss Custls, badc
him dig u large hole and bring some VIRGIN
ert' (yirgiu carth) lrom The woods filing the
ho and planting therein the tiny stem Which
had siuce grown to such magnificent propor
tlous, spreading its umbiagevus branches ovr
the grassy sward. Presently a melancholy
change came over the features OF he aged nal
OF color ard he grew pathetic in the following
style, reminding one OF the last of the Mohlc-
aus DE tree hab grown, aud its fmbs are
now dy.pg; but de ole darkey am good yet
only little old. Msssa aol MI>sus Lce am
gone, aud de ole man is alore.
While the chieI ATTRACTIONS Of Arlington in
the days OF the Cusiiscs and l. es were the
pictures wih;o, aud the precious relics o. the
great nat,iot which were preserved th"re, yet
there were many things to admire ID the tx
ternal beauties Of the place, not the least OF
which was this beautiful wecpingwlow uear
the north eCd OF the manson. 1t was shoot
from the original twlg brought 10 America by
an Eogish officer, 10 llI5, from P"pes via,
at Twis kcuham, Eng aud. That officer cane
over with the intention Of sealing 10 Amcrt-
ca, not douoting that the rebellion would bc
entirely crushed in the coulse OF few
months He was soon convinced to the con-
trary, and abandoning all idea OF remaining
here, he presented the twig to the father of
Mr.. Gusts, then Washing on's aid at Cawb
ridge. Mr.. Custis plant d it upon his estate
at Arngton Pope's willow came tr M the
East, aad was the parent of all the W II VS. OF
that species 10 England; the willow at ar
lingtou became h. parent OF al other trees
OF the kind in America, and even furnished
shoots many years ago for English gardens,
where the tree had bncome extinct. There was
noble specimen OF that species OF willow on
the corner Of rwenty- y-second street and Third
avenue, New York, which had been taken
when twg from the parent tree at Arlington
by General Gates aud planted there by hlln
when that portion of Mauhattau l>laod was his
r ,se Hill farm.
Near path leading up the hill in trout of
the mansion is dlapldatcd aud almost Tor
rotten tonb surrouodei by a brick wall, The
moss covered slab over the grave hcaflng an
inscription which | dcci phercd with great dli-
6cuty. 1t is the tomb Of a venerable lady who
had witnessed "rhc times thai tried meL'S
souls Though she dout'tl IS uingled III the
cele GRATED society of her day, have no record
of her beyond the Inscription on her tomb.
w!ich reads thus:
Sacred to the memory Of Mrs. Mary Ran
doIph Her intrinsic worth needs 10 cul loglnm.
The ,lccca>t was born on the 9th OF August.
1862, at AmpthlIl, near Rchnond Virginia,
aua died on the 23d OF January, lS2S, 10
Washington city, Gicrlm to maternal love and
duly. As tribute OF filiai gratitude this mon
uucut is dedicated to her exalted virtues hy
kcr youngest SOD. R'quicscat III pace WASH
Chrouiclc