Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-01
HRS. HUGHES
En- Route to Rugby College.
Tennessee.
The Long Journey Made at the
Age of Eighty-fOur.
o,Do;rr.,; Commercial, May 2s.I

all his views are drawn from
the members Of the sex he knows we'll.
Then the great English writer. states
man and ph~ilanthropist, Thomas
Hughes, must be a mar who has tor
women, as a class, none but the best
opinions, for Thomas Hughes is blessed
in being able to yet say to one my
mother" Thomas Hughes belongs
now not only to the public Of England,
but to the public of America, and in a
certain sense in all who are connected
with him this public has some claim.
Therefore, when it is known that the
aged mother of Thomas Hastings
Hughes has left behind her her native
island and has crossed the Atlantic
and is on her way to the now famous
colony in Tennessee, pubic curiosity
in regard to her is at least %pardonable.
One would naturally expect to hear
of a person of more than ordinary
character and attainments in learning
of the mother of Thomas Hughes,
and every one would wish to hear how
she looks and what she has to say
about her journey across the ocean
and SO far on land in this new coun-
try.
Since Thursday last Mrs. Hughes
has been gladdening the family of
w. w. Scarborough with her presence
in their beautiful trec-embowered
home at Walnut Hills, and will re-
main with them until Tuesday next,
when her son Hastings will take her
to Rugby.
Mrs. Hughes is eighty four years
old, but no one would imagine she
had passed the three score years and
ten, on looking at her, She is not
tall, but perfectly erect, and with q
certain stately grace in her carriage.
She has yet a clear English COM
plexiou, and beautiful snowy curls
that frame in her face with that ten
der halo that nature knows best to be-
longs to the beauty of age; but her
eyes are the charm of her face, and in
this case are truly windows of the
soul" the light therefrom spreading
over the entire countenance, until
caught in the corners Of the mouth,
where it gains in brilliancy and shines
back to the eyes again. 1t would be
impossible to find any one more bright
and cherry, so ready to look out for
the sunshine and get beyond the
clouds, as is the mother OF the Tom
Brown who passed some days at
Rugby.
She has a voice clear and unbroken,
and speaks with marvellous distinct
ness. She seems to have only pleas
ant experiences to relate of her jour
ney thus far, and has found only that
which interests and delights her. She
even thought the sleeping car she oc-
cupied from Philadelphia here very
comfortable; said she rested well aud
even slept a little, but she added
quickly lest one might think she ought
to have slept a longer time, MY grand
daughter slept all night long, for she
is young, you see. The ocean voyage
had no terrors for her." She men
toned lightly, as not worth recalling,
the fact that she had been sea sick a
few days at the beginning, but she said
that after that she greatly enjoyed the
time on the water; she praised the
captain and the steward and steward
ess, who. she said, we're devoted in
their attentions to her. She remarked
later on in the conversation that the
steward and stewardess were going to
visit Rugby; that she had invited
them to spend there the first holiday
they had.
When asked if she intended visiting
this country, or of remaining here, she
quietly replied "0h | have come to
spend my last few days in Rugby
that will now be my home"
Mrs. Hughes is accompanied by the
daughter Of Hastings Hughes, an
English girl Of seventeen, Of the most
charming type, and who seems NOT
d~ispleased to have come over the water
strange countries to see." HeI
brothers are already settled here, and
one Of them is TO come from Texas tC
Rugby in September to welcome hi,
grandmother and sister. These grand.
children are in a measure also the
children of Mrs. Hughes, for she ha.
been their mother as well as grand
parent since their early youth, and
she believes that where they are will
be her dearest home. This charming
old lady has left to her three sons,
though she has been the mother o.
eight children, seven sons and one
daughter, whose recent loss is the
shadow out Of which she is now turn.
ing to the sunshine again. In hel
great cheerfulness in the bright sun.
shiny CLEANS that shone from her face
she reminded one ofthe beautiful oaks
of her own green isle hat seem Ia
grow greener, straighter and stronger
after each storm. She admired the
quaint old Quaker town Of Philadel.
phia, where she landed and spent
several days. The park especially
pleased her. She said Of it: I'VE
rode twenty miles through the park.
1t is so beautiful and SO large think
it contains a thousand acres" And
that was said 80 admiringly that il
made American listeners feel almost
like calling out the fourth Of JulJ
orator, and tell him he might with
safety before her give his eulogy on
this great country"
There will be rejoicing in Rugby
when Mrs. Hughes arrives. Already
the house she is to occupy is being
put in readiness for her reception.
Mrs. Hughes brought over with
her many of her household goods, the
pictures and the brio. a-brae, and some
furniture that has become like famil
lar faces about a home, yet she has
had the energy, after her long Journey.
to do much shopping in Cincinnati for
the furnishing of her residence al