Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-11
VOL. II. NEW SERIES. VOL. XIV

n sight which was lost with keen regret b
me. | shall never forget when the first real
. ing machine came Gathering into the whea
fields, sounding the knell Of all that was mos
pleasing in the harvest time. What II CON
motion that first reaper made certai
distinguished Senator Of the United States
| think he was then Speaker of the House
came from afar to witness its operations an,
to consider its introduction on his own rath
er unproductive plantation. After silentl,
taking in its movements his hands medita
lively in his pockets and his chin buried sol
emnly in his neckcloth. he turned away il
disgust with comment tlIht was briet an,
to the point "Wouldn't have such d,
fast thing on my placer Much of the dis
trust, however, with which improved uten
sils were regarded had better reason. Com
plicated and delicate machines in the hand,
Of plantation negroes were too much like ''al
the modern improvements in the terrible
hands of Biddy.
| saw personally but little Of the darker
side of slavery. The worst pictures could
draw from my own personal knowledge would
not be sufficiently hideous to be interesting
The fairest | could draw would b. of my old
black 'mammy." From my infancy she was
| the comforter, counsellor and guide whose
| sympathy and assistance never failed me.
As dignifed as duchess ; as neat in her
| striped. home made diess, kerchief and tur-
ban as it was possible for mortal to be jeal-
GUS of the honor of the family serene, af-
| fectionate. proud Of her usefulness, she is
among the first from whom | expect a loving
welcome in heaven. NV father gave her free
papers after she had nursed a sick member of
the family with especial faithfulness on one
occasion, She locked them up in her trunk,
| and that was the end of them, except when
she took them ont TO show to her friends. |
| think it cratitied her TO receive them, how
| ever. | recollect the incredulity of a good
| lady from Boston. who asked her II she
would not like TO live there, where there We're
no masters and mistresses. No indeed,
honey WAS the reply.
Wien ii gfn passed winter in the White
House. 1t was during the lasi term of Gene
raj jackson. That high white head the
perpendIcular hair the clear blue eyes-one
moment melting with a woman's tenderness.
the next blazing like an angry lions peer
ing earnestly from under the great shaggy
eyebrows and over the top OF the silver spec
taees the furrowed, panied face, worn with
suffering and perpetual warfare, but occa-
sionally lighted by n sudden gleam of the
old fire, which nothing but death could
quench, when his cane would come down
with thump and ''By the Eternal ~ would
break forth-the nearest approach to profan-
ity ever heard from his lips by me. or by
anybody, think, at that period of his life
how vividly all these come back | saw him
at his best. The storms of life Ii well
nigh passed. His beloved wife was beckon-
ing HIM to world of rest and peace. lie
was the idol of majority Of his country
men. He occupied second time. in obe-
dience to their voices, what he regarded as
the most honorable position that any man
could hold on earth-the Presidency of the
United States. In pursuing what he took to
be right, he had conquered everybody and
everything that opposed him. He had ever
been the incarnation of chivalry toward wo-
men. 1t is natural. therefore, that under all
these circumstances, in those last days OF his
and first days OF mine, he should have ap-
peared to me q higher type Cf man than
many people would judge Inn to be from a
strictly dispassionate consideration of his
whole life. was never given TO hero-wor-
ship, but at that time | did come near wor-
shipping this old hero. Toward the women
he respected there hardly seemed to be
one whom he did notrespcct he had a court
illness of beaImg, considerateness, n gen
tleness, a nobility i'll short, charm of man
ner-whlch made HIM, as mere carpet
knight. the most winning old gentleman |
ever knew.
In those days, visitors to the White House
knocked or rang as they would at the man
sion door of any private gentleman. One
rainy day u visitor thus announced himself,
but for some reason no servant appeared i'm
to admit him. The family heard
it, and so did the general III his office, where
he was writing. 1t did not occur to me or
any one else that interference with the ser
wants duties was necessary. Suddenly there
was rustic of papers and an apparition, |
''What ~ thundered the President. "A |
citizen of the United States stands knocking |
at my door III the rain, and il isn't opened ~ |
The door was opened soon after that re
mark
One day the general received letter of |
four or five pages Of foolscap from Ireland
| do not know whether it came from Carrick- |
fergus or not-in which the writer SAID that |
he was cousin of the Presidents. md that |
he recollected perfectly when the general was
born, and gave the exact locality and all the
attendant circumstances. He closed 10y say
ing he would like to come over. jackson
laughed over the letter. and expressed his
surprise that he should have been born in
Ireland and in Carolina too.
1t was his custom, when he had no one
lining with him besides the family, as he
-aised his single glass of wine, Heres to
absent friends r. Then, glancing toward
hearts, too, -.
On one occasion, when l was ill., the gene
nj called in Dr. Hunt, his family physician
The doctor was tall. lank, ugly man-'as
,ood as gold," but with none of tine graces
hat are supposed to win young ladies yet
lie was married to one of the loveliest young
reatures | ever knew. General jackson ac-
him to my room, and after my
,ulse had been duly felt and my tongue duly
they drew their chairs to the fire
md began to talk.
Hunt" suddenly exclaimed the Presi-
lent. ''how came you to get such II young
nd pretty wife y
We'll, I'll tell you" replied tue doctor
i was called to attend Il young lady at the
convent in Georgetown. Her eyes were bad
he had to keep them bandnged. | cured
Ter without her ever having had distinct
new of me- She left the institution, and a
ear aiterward she appeared here in society.
| belle and beauty. At a ball introduced
myself, without the slightest Interior design,
$ the physician who had restored her sight,
Though | supposed she had never really
een me. She instantly expressed the most
eartfelt gratitude. 1t seemed so deep and
enuine that was touched. That very eve
ing she informed me that she lad II severe
Old. and that must again prescribe for her.
Veil 1T don't look reasonable, but | did it,
wrote my name on II bit of paper, folded it
nd handed it TO her, telling her she must
Ike that prescription. She read it and ,
'ughed. It's II bitter pill She said, and
iust be well gilded if ever ! take it But
'hether 1t was bitter or whether it was gid
H. We were married.
The hospitality of the White House ut that ;
me. like that of the Hermitage has become
roverbial. Very few brought letters of in-
reduction who were not invited To dinner |
Consequently. the table was almost always :
al. ltseemed to me that jackson never !
card of wrong TO any human being. or :
hat he conceived to Toe such, without trying
night it. y
When Aaron Burr wa+ nj the Hermitage in
Sn5 he wrote in his diary. Tor the entertain !
ieut OF Ihe"dusia "lhe general has no :
hlldren, but two lovely nieces made visit
some days, contributed greatly to my
nuscment, and have cured me of all the |
Ills OF my wilderness Jaunt If | had time e
would describe to you these two girls. for Il
iey deserve it." The temptation is strong a
give the description omitted 10y Mr. Burr, I
Mt it would lead me too fur They were +
leces of Mrs. Jackson rather than the gene t
lls One of them, whom he had adopted "
his daughter, married her cousin, i j. 3
onelson her own maiden name being also o
onelson who was secretary to the Pres- o
'nt when knew them. aiterward minister
Austria, and candidate for icc-prcsidrut =
1886 ON the ticket with Mr Fillmore. ii
On Sunday evening, after dinner. Mrs. d
onelson, Mrs. Jackson and l. with several l.
her lndIes. were gossping ia the Blue Il
oom. This Mrs Jackson, who had been b
-etty Philadelphia girl. WAS the wife of an q
her cousin and nephew who was born Il d,