The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-04
TIE House At BEAUvOIR.
Wrs. Dsvssy's B~as~ss 10 Js6srsss pssts-
4 Stsit to tho b-Gssfsdsrsss fr~si

The House At BEiCvOiR.
Wrs. Ds'ssy's nsae~., .. Jsn~rss. p.,ts-
4 Stsit to the fa-Sssfsdsrsss fresi
deaf
Prom the Atlanta Ca Constitutional
About tsoysars ago | had isl.sraphic
orders 20 ind Mr.. Davis 3. soon as pos
sible. for the purpose Of obtaining from
him certain desired information. vent
20 Memphis. then bis nominal residence,
only 70 end that be wss not IN the c.iy.
thai his wife ard daughter were IN
Europe. and ms Spn ir-lAs &c Mes York
He then hsd the Presidency @, ID. Mis-
sis.ippi Valley Insurance Company. \
sort Of sinsclre. | ihiak. provided for
him by has friends in the Crescent CITY.
and IL was thOnghi probable tina, be was
10 ths, cry went down tire rvsr. sp-
piled a. the Office of The Trading Com
p.ny. but iouad Mr.. DAVIS ab,eai. No
one could tel! ne where he ~as. but |
VA Informed iha; he vas very busy 81
work upon bps history II the var. and
was had away al some quie, re;reaI. hls
location being unkuown "a al bat his
most intiBs'e friends I discovered.
however, that his letters from his wife
were forwarded Ia Mississippi CIV. n
fashionable watering place near New
Orleans. on the Mississippi City line
To ihis point | - myself.
Making my way unguardetiy into :
psir Of ratings ;hA; opened like n fun
mel ~ the depot. and then narrowed into
a plank lane that led inevitably 20 an
old-fashioned, cool looking hotel, |
stepped up IA the register and asked If
Mr.. DAVIS was in Mississippi City or H.
neighborhoOd. Mine host replied tha;
he had not seer MIR Davis, bat he had
heard that be- Wa stopping a. Mrs.
Dsrsey's." He further informed me
that Mrs. Dorsey Was = sort Of literary
womaa-thst she was rich, and that her
residence was known AS Beauvoir,"
aud that for Il consideration | could Sc
cure transportation Ia he same. In s
half hour | was on the way.
never had u more melancholy ride
than that which followed. The road led
through heavy pine forests. the tall,
browa trees rose straight aud monOton-
Gus from drifts IL white powdered sand
the moan of the wind through their
tufted heads mlngiing strangely with
the swi,hing sound Of the waves Of the
yellow gulf a. they rolled ceaselessly on
the beach. At almost every turn Of the
road we came upon old houses-of i'm
posing size, character and surroundings,
but thoroughly dismantled and desc
late. Worm eaten and decayed piers
ran out into the waier-rooiless boat
and bathing houses were scattered along
the shore; broken dOwn fences of fine
pattern barely limited the shape Of for
mel Enclosures. There were mansions
dead looking, deserted, with grass
growing on their very roofs; there were
stables and carriage houses, and
pigeon-cotes all disused and ten
antless; handsome grounds choked up
with weeds and sand-dTifts. Occasionally
there was sure TO be seen some pert At
tempt at reclamation that only set oil
the general desolation more wildly. |
was travelling through a strip Of cOun-
try formerly one Of the most fashions
BILE and celebrated. II was here in the
old days that the millionaires OF New
Orleans brought their friends and fam
HES for the summer, having establish
ments here that in splendor and luxuri-
ous appointments equaled any thing to
be found in this then prodigal land.
With the Gulf rolling at their feet; with
strong saline breezes driving the heat
waves back with the best of surf bath
ing, yachting, fishing and huntiag, and
with a society brilliant, well assured and
knit together by the memory of half-a-
dozen generations, they had all that
they desired. l learn that in the past
few years this gulf shore has regained
much Of its lost glory, and that songs
and laughter once more till these desc
late houses, and yachts and sailing boats
once more speck the yellow waste Of
waters.
At length a house of noble proper
tons, situated Oh the crest Of u match
less bit of beach, approached by hand
some and well kept grounds, confront
ed me-. My driver stopped and notified
me that this was where Mrs. Dorsey
lived. A gentleman was sitting on the
piazza with a large table, covered with
papers, by bis side. A large dog was
coming down the walk, and | turned to
look at the waves that curled up the
beach. The barking of the dog
at the fence determined me To re-
main in distracted meditation on the
Gulf, until the gentleman, who my
driver ~cOnfidentially informed the back
Of my head had started to meet me,
could reach the gate.
"Did you wish 10 see any one, sir?"
"A kind but grave voice, a tall, slen
der man, with brown hair and whiskers
trnninn ont vruu niaar nrnS calm
brow, erect carriage, an ndescribable
air of dignity and sadness. There was
the first and last President of the Con
federate States of America!
Upon presenting my credentials, Mr..
Davis welcomed me warmly, and shak-
ing my hand gravely, led the way to the
house. As we walked up the high,
broad steps of the piazza a small lady,
with black hair, worn as Mrs. HAYES
wears hers, and looking rem trkably like
Mr.. Mary f. Bryan, the authoress, came
out Of the front door. This was Mrs.
Sarah A. Dorsey, one of the most noted
ONE of louisiana, and the benefsc
treSs of Mr.. Davis. She is an authoress
of some note, having written I" Pamela, '
a novel, and I think a biography Of one
Of Louisiana's Governors. She owned
valuable river plantations and was at
the time of my visit deeply interested in
the project Of national levees for the
Mississippi. She was a thorough stu
dent-conpanionable with and devoted
to Mr.. Davis. l remember that with an
air of protectOrship she superintendent
any allusion that the ex-President made
to public sffairs-a kind censorship that
he humored, if he did not regard it.
At her request, Mr.. Davis has made
Beauvoir his home during the time he
wa engaged on his book. Accepting
this invitation, he hsd quietly dropped
out of the world. have 8 seen a
more delightful household than that
gathered at Beauvoir at this time. Be-
sides Mr.. Davis and Mrs. Dorsey, there