The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-04-20
Gen. Lafayette's Home Life.

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In 1888 Hon. William H. Seward ac-
companied his father to Europe, where
he met Lafayette, then living at La Grange,
and of whose manner of life he gives this
lively account:
ala Grange adjoins Rosoit, village of
two thousand inhabitants, and distant
thirty miles from Paris. The chateau,
three stories in height, is built on the
three sides of square, and at each angle
is f1anked by a circular tower. 1t is sur
rounded by a moat, with military draw
bridges. The front wall is covered with
an ivy which was planted by Charles
James Fox. Two small brass cannons
guarded the staircase. They were tro-
phies taken from the royal troops in the
three days. revolution, by the people OF
Paris, and presented to General Lafayette.
The staircase was decorated with flags,
tri-colored and American. was re-
ceived by the General, Nine. Maubourg,
his daughter, and two of his grandsOns,
in parlor still more plainly furnished
than the one in Paris. 1tcontained busts
of Washington and Franklin, and some
American maps, and also portraits of all
the Presidents of the United States. The
library was filled with American books;
the sleeping-rooms had only pictures of
American battle scenes on land and sea,
Mount Vernon, John Hancock's house,
and Quincy. Other members of the fam
lily soon appeared, and l had a welcome
from all at La Grange. The General
said, Il did not visit Colonel Burr when
he came to Paris; he had lately conspired
against one of my friends, Mr. Jefferson,
and had killed another, Colonel Hamil-
ton In making this remark he indicated
not the least consciousness of the mutual
antagonism of those eminent statesmen.
AT dinner we had the entire family,
twenty-five persons. The General sat
opposite the centre of the table, Nine.
Maubourg and Nine. Perier at either end.
The viands and the wine, with the excep-
ton of champagne and Madeira, were the
products of La Grange. Lafayette enter
tanned the party with an account of his
progress through the United States, with
vivid descriptions of the country. Il
never think, said he, of Niagara Falls
without feeling wish to buy Goat Island,
and live there Nine. Maubourg de-
scribed to me the Castle of Olmutz, and
her stay there, with her mother and sister,
during her fathers Imprisonment. She
told, in the simplest manner, but with
touching effect, how the agent of the
Prussian Government came to the prison
and offered Lafayette his release, on con-
dition that he should renOunce repub-
licanism. Il will subscribe no DECLARE
tion,' said Lafayette, inconsistent with
my duties as an American citizen After
an hour and half, we retired to the
drawing-ro where the evening was
spent in cheerful conversation on books,
music, art and political events. Precisely at
ten o'clock each member of the family, old
and young, kissed the General, and he re-
tired. In taking leave of me for the night
he said, 'We breakfast at ten o'clock
| found my bedroom, in the upper story
of one of the towers, daintily prepared
the curtains were dropped, arm chair and
slippers before the fire, and the bed-cov-
erings turned down.
"When l came to breakfast every one
inquired if had been out. The General,
they said, always rose at six. All the
gentlemen, and some of the ladies, had
been abroad on the plantation. From
breakfast We repaired to bower on the
lawn. Mile. Clementine, a daughter Of
George Washington Lafayette, conducted
me to an artificial lake, shaded by ever
green's; where we passed an hour in row.
ing The General met us on our return.
He walked with us over the plantation.
which contained eight hundred acres.
1t was in fine order, and managed with
perfect economy. All the animals were
carefully housed; even the acorns were
stored for the swine. He had another
larger farm in the south of France, on
which his son resided. Regular daily ac-
counts of both were kept at La Grange
and were examined and posted every Sat
urday, the domestic expenses being care
fnlly supervised and regulated by the
daughters.
"The morning closed with Lafayette's
exhibition to me of his museum of Amer
lean presents. Among these he seemed
especially pleased with a vase presented
to him by the officers of the Brandywine,
and volume published in New York in
cOmmemoration of his reception In the
United States. This exhibition ended
with visit to the beautiful barge pre-
sented to him by the Whitehall boatmen
of New York as a trophy of their victory
over the Thames boatmen in New York
harbcr. 1t bore an inscription which re-
cited the wager, the names of the victors,
and the fact of its presentation to him.
He had built house over it, and inclosed
it with an iron network, protecting it
even from the touch of visitors. Tell
the Whitehallers have their boat safe,
said Lafayette, and it will last longer
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