The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-27
LIEUT.. BOYLE'S DUEL.

Many years ago was spending the
summer at fine old mansion in New
Jersey, full of historical souvenirs, for
it had once been the headquarters of
Gen. Washington.
At the time about which am wri-
ting the estate was in litigation, and
some circumlocutory delay of the law
rendered it necessary or convenient to
rent the mansion for awhile as sum-
1rer boarding house, with all the beau
tifnl eld-carved furniture and other
belongings. Even the valuable paint.
ings were left on the walls of the
drawing-room, and a picture-gallery
remained intact, doing unwonted SER
vice as dining and dancing hall for us
intruding Goths and Vandals.
A belt of grand old trees described a
semi-circle on the beautiful lawn just
in front of the house. Beneath each
tree was a marble statue the size of
life. They represented the nine Mu-
ses !; Isis, the Goddess of Immortality {;
Jupiter Pluvius, the deity of the wa
tering- pot, and other heather worth
les. Their sculptors were certainly
neither Canova nor Hiram Powers.
nor yet that audacious but exceedingly
pretty Winnie Ream. who has rendered
herself immortal by carving and cut
ting our grand martyred President.
Still, seen at the proper ''enchanted"
distance, and bathed in soft, sweet
MOONLIGHT, Canova's "Venus," the
'tGreek Slave,'' or he who prayed for
''charity for all,'' could not have AVA
kened more pleasing emotions.
But, alas! our JOY was not forever in
these things of distant enchantment
and moonlight beauty. The mansion
had not been opened two weeks when
those small but terrible bandits in
jackets and Knickerbockers, the dear
atrocious little sons and scamps of the
different families, cherubs who had
left their wings in heaven,-those
dear little boys, I say, all rushed in a
body to their respective man mas, and
clamored for money. Getting it, of
course, they all rushed in a body to
''the store," and, with a business-ike
vigor worthy of better cause, de-
manded bows and arrows. Then en-
rolling themselves into an independent
target company, they diligently prac-
ticed shooting at the statues, until the
noses of two Of the MUSES. were tri-
umphantly shot away.
Naturally enough, after the per-
Torrance the heather deities were
removed in blast of indignation by
their raging proprietor the small
Christians ''little demons" as he
called them-joyfully assisting, cav
orting wildly around each ''stone boy
and girl as their foundations were
dug up, clapping their dirty little
hands, blowing their discordant little
tin trumpets, beating their horrible
little drums, galloping in front Of the
horses as they went with their bur-
dens out of the the great gates, squeal-
ing like cat with bone in it's throat.
and otherwise disporting themselves
in honor Of the ghostly recession,
after the utterly inexbaustibles and in
tolerable manner of small boys.
The late Com. Kearney, the bluff
and brave. lived in a picturesque cot
tage adjoining the grounds of the
Brighton House, as it was and is
now called. His presence attracted to
the place other officers of the navy
and army. Among them were Capt.
(now AdmiraD Porter, Capt. (now Vice.
Admiral Rowan, and the late brave and
honored Capt. Hartstein, and num-
Der Of army officers, with their fami-
lies. You believe that the presence of
so many brave and gallant men made
carnival the whole of the time for
those ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS fair wo-
men and lovely girls who were gypsy
ing there for the summer.
Such devoted knights as they were !!
Riding, boating, fishing, swimming,
dancing; military drills with canes
and broomsticks for the children, and
impromptu operas and plays for the
ssother" children. We were all chill
dren in those halcyon days-as witness
our playing at blind man's.buff. But
this was when the sslittle pitchers
were abed and asleep, for, with their
numbering candor and innocence, they
would have betrayed us to the entire
community, whose ancestral traditions
and personal dignity had developed in
in it already a holy horror of such
"high jinks' as had come under it's
notice.
But-bless these heightened sus-
susceptibilities we would have been
a bright and shining light unto them,
for we had no quarrels, not even the
green ghost of jealousy. A divine
mantle of charity rested upon us the
livelong summer it was just one bril-
liant, dilicious midsummer dream.
To half q, 6O1pn of us older woman
was vouchsafed the keenest enjoyment
of all. This was to be permitted to
sit under the wide-sprcading trees with
the officers, in the purple and golden
glory of the sunsets, and listen to their