The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-22
A HOUSE WITH A HISTORY.
Sorrows OF Lovo and rriumpho OF Fate.

FERNEY, MADIsoN.CoUNTY, KY, Sep
tember 2.-There are few episodes more
pleasant to recall or more real in the en-
ioyrlent than the few weeks visit at n
country house, filled with gay company
whether it be in winter, with great fires
roaring up the broad chimneys and lights
and laughter and music within, aud snow
storms and sleigh rides and skating car
nivals without, or in tho last lingering
days of -n,er to be in the midst of
pasture lanus and harvest fields, inhaling
the rich, fruity fragrance of ripened or.
chards, all agleam with their mellow
store of late peaches and golden ap..
pies, bending above the long swathes OF
soft orchard grasses beneath; at time
like this, when the golden summer
melts beautifully and imperceptibly into
to be abroad with nature in her fairest
and happiest mood. The long deliciouf
DAYS the exquisite season gives us, go still,
so heavy with silence the faintest insect
voice finds a clamorous tongue, and pipes
and whirrs through the sultry noon.
Overhead, great, soft, white masses 60
sailing across the sky like..cloud ships that
have lost both chart and compass, and are
aimessly adrift in the blue upper sea.
A deep, golden haze enwraps all things
as though tho upper atmosphere were
filled with gold dust-purpliHh lights rest
across the hills and fiery sunsets burn
along the West. 1t is difficult to remem-
Der that beyond that misty girdle the
brawling world-weves break and fret and
chafc, and the sun comes up and the sun
goes down on world of men who care
for nothing more than the sound Of their
roaring.
"No moro. no more,
The worldly shore
Upbraids me with its loud uproar;
With droamful eyes
Thy spirit lies
Under the walls of Paradise"
Set thus in its fair framework is Fer
ncy. Only country house, but not
many country houses have family tradi-
tions 80 fraught with romantic interest
rs this. Surely If the old skeptic could
have looked abroad from his retreat over
such q scene, and let its tender beauty
steal into his soul, he must have shivered
his airy brilliancies at n touch, and "fol-
lowed Nature up to Natures God"
Ferney, in the original was built shortly
after the admission of Kentucky into the
Union. The more modern and the prin-
cipal portion is great square brick block
with granite corners, sufficiently solid and
weather stained to be quito impressive
in appearance. But the rear is the orig.
inal structure, built seemingly in theages
Of "gray antiquity" Ct rough blue stone,
Nitl wall. ii immense thickness, small,
deep.set windows with innumerable tiny
panes, and wide, cumbrous chimneys.
The architectural style is nothing in par
tcular it was doubtless born Of the
IN ho
best means of deience against the lndisns.
Inside the ancient mansion the wallt are
lined half way up with elaborately carved
wainscoting, and tho mantlo-shelyes tow
nr aloft like the pulpits in ancient
churches.
The founder Of the family was Marquis,
a real live one, the friend and compatriot
of Lafayette, who came over to America
to lend her his strong right arm in the
revolutionary stuggle, bringing all his
worldly goods with him, which consisted
Of his title and one son. Both father and
son bore themselves right gallant!y in the
revolution, and when :he war was over the
old man, finding his title did not amount
to row of pins i'll this country, and
having nothing to connect MIN with the
Old World but an accumulation of debts,
settled down in primitive Republican
simplicity in Virginia. Here his impet-
uous young Bon formed O romantic at
tachrisnt for colonial belle and beauty,
defendant Of the great Marlborough.
She was born coquette, and countless wae
the number of her conGuests. Eeas.. the
young Marquis became sn aspiranr Tor
her favor he had his bands full in disnos-
ing Of his rivals, and only bore of the
imperious beauty after wounding one of
her lovers unto death in duel. Shortly
after this tho old Marquis died, leaving
to his son q large tract of wild land in
the part of Virginia that afterwards be-
came Kentucky, which had been BE-
slowed upon him for his services to the
republic.
Here the son came and built kind of
baronial castle that Tas fortress and bar
racks in turn. 1t became the csntre of 8
little settlement, and many were the long
seiges it sustained and the desperate de-
fenses it made against the hostile Indians.
It was here that the young wife with her
baby in her arms was struck by shot
from secreted savage and fell before her
husbands eyes, the little one clasped in
her arms unhurt. After this tho berCayed
husband took his children the long and
difficult journey back 20 Virginia, placing
them with their mothers relatives to be
reared. The baby girl grew up in time with
all her mothers beauty and winsomeness,
and reigued over almos- as many hearts.
How is it that in old times, and especial
ly in Virginia, tho women were able to
do so much damage? Is it because pref
ty women were fewer then, and therefore
one could hold undisputed sway, or arc
there such greater numbers Of beautiful
ones now that if ono is unkind the sligh-
ted lover may easily find consolation in
one equally charming, ready to his hand
Or, perhaps, mankind has grown more
cooily philosophical in the matters of
the heart, and can say with that csustic
old fellow who went squarely down to
,ne bottom of such things:
.'Bo she fairer than the day,
Or than fiowery meadB in May,
If fahe Ee net fair TO me.
What care how fair she be?"
In those times men fonght for O lovely
woman's smiles, and when one was tho
fortunate winner the reiected went
promptly of and blew their brains out
when they had any. Certain 1t is that
the fair women played the principal
parts in The long line Of thrilling roman
ces, with which, as noteworthy cir
cumstance, every Virginia family of any
note, is lowered. This seems to apply
peculiarly to VirginianB, and can hardly
be said Of any other class of people, un-
less 1t be those Of the extreme South.
How common is 1t to remark of almost
any family history of the Old Dominion