Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-08
A ROMANCE OF TWO GENERA
TIONS.
A Scene In the United States Senate
Chamber In 1888.
TTn,.,,e,,e 1fnonzfae for 4nyi1

,
On the 23d of December, 1888, the
floor of the Senate chamber at Annapo-
lis was filled to OVERLOOKING by stately
DANES and gentle maidens who had
focked to the capitol as if the eight of
state questions had been for this one
hour intrusted to their wise deliberations.
Washington, the mighty yet unambi-
tious hero of the time, while still the
idol of the public heart, was on this day
to lay down his laurels by resigning to
Congress his commission as Commander.
in Chief of the brave little army whose
triumphs he had directed and whose
sufferings he had shared. Accom-
panied by his aides, Colonel BENJAMIN
Walker and Colonel David Humphreys,
aud the officers appointed as escort,
Washington entered the hall where the
assembled Congress awaited him, every
manly voice among the spectators cheer
ing, and every femme kerchief waving
an enthusiasm of approval and welcom-
ing; but the cheers were hushed into
breathless silence by the first words of
the great hero's digniied address, to
which Gen. Mifflin, as President of the
Senate. made an eloquent and apprO-
pirate reply On Washington's left
stood the valiant soldier Col John
Eager Howard, of Maryland, and facing
Col. Howard, conspicuous among the
foremost group of Senators, was Gen.
Read, of South Carolina, the hero of
this short legend of a bygone love.
How little did either of these young
men, strangers to one another, dream
of the day to come when a son and
daughter of each were to become
husband and wife to the daughter and
son of the other Many were the men
whose names were already distinguished
or to become historic, who were present,
either as members of Congress or as
spectators of the impressive scene, Madi-
son, Jefferson. Monroe; Lee, of Virginia;
Osgood, of Massachusetts; Morris, of
Pennsylvania; McComb, of Delaware,
and Swan, of Maryland. The we'll
known Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
was accompanied by his two daughters,
one of whom was afterwards. as Mrs
Cation. mother to the celebrated trio of
American beauties who became respect
lively Lady Stafford, the Marchioness of
Wellesley and the Duchess of Leeds.
But absorbing as was the attention
given to Washington by the august as
semblage Of heroes and patriots, who
recognized in him the greatest hero and
patriot of any, the young Carolinian's
eyes wandered up to the gallery above.
Mrs. Washington with her young grand
children at her knee, was seated in all
The dignity and legitimate pride Of the
wife who crowns herself with her hus-
bands glory. Grouped around her chair
were the three Calvert sisters, Maryland's
blood royal, the family of Lord Balti-
more; and never was the fame of Mary
land beauty better maintained than by
the contrast g loneliness of the youngest,
Miss Ariana Calvert, with the more bril-
liant charms of her elder sisters, who
had been espoused during all the perils
of the war, both on the same evening,
the one by Washington's stepson, Parke
GUSTS, and the other by George Stuart,
of Maryland. 1t is told of these gentle
man that each received the announce
ment of the birth of a son-born on the
same day, year after the marriage
while on the battle field.
But it was not the rich bloom or dark
eyes of the beautiful young matrons
which so riveted the attention of the
young Southerner that even the sublime
presence of Washington was for a while
forgotten. To his eyes the youngest
sister was much the fairest, and he
gaZed up at.the unconscious young girl
until the friend at his elbow, Mr.. James
MOnroe-too thorough a Virginian not
to recognize the phenomena of love at
first sight-whispered her name in his
ear, and the offer to present him before
the lady quilted Annapolis town for her
home in the country. The offer was
gratefully accepted, and ere the winter
was half over Miss Calvert was aff1anced
to her eager and enraptured young
lover; but not, alas with the entire con-
sent and appreciation of her family and
friends, and thence arose the cloud
which darkened the horizon of this love
legend. AS usual. that passion youth
Carolinian was wealthy, of promi-
nent position and good birth,
and of distinguished education; but the
lady was threatened with decline. She
was also the youngest darling of the
household. Her sisters had married so
well. yet remained in their midst, and
her family grew more and more reluctant
that this comparative stranger should
Dear away Inelr lenQeI anu fragile HOWer
to his far off Southern home to pine
away, and die perhaps, out of sight and
hearing of those who had loved her from
her cradle, and the angered lover saw
the feeble health of his lady love give
way under the conflict of duty with feel
ing, until she became indeed seriously
i'll. But the passionate Southerner was
not to have the woman of his heart
granted to his wishes. The sensibility
which could doom the gentle Ariana
Calvert to an early death could not per
nit her to sacrifice family affections to
her own and her lovers happiness. What
bitter tears and faltering words were
exchanged in their parting none can
tell but the miniatures, given once as
the fair tokens of union, each still re-
tanned to be sorrowful consolation and
reminder of a lifelong separation.