Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-04-15
yrr.ry AND THE RABY.
-. INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF Mrs. Ma
AN son AND HER HOME.

correspondent of the Philadelphia !
- visited the home of "Betty and the !
IN in Virginia, which he describes rs
follows: ,;,os from Or,nce
- twenty-one miles from Fredericks-
% on the north side of the road and
,sit6in fifty yards of it stands two-story
Tnnhle pabled house. This dwelling was
S,,iIt less than year ago. The clap-boards
have NOT been painted, and the clay used
20 cement the stone chimney standing
",,einst the east end and running far up
S9yond the gable is as fresh and white rs
tbe dav it was mixed. EXcellently built
,nlit rail fences surround the house and
enclose garden and calf pen on the
RIGHT. Stretching away to the left are
about twenty acres of newly broken
Ground, scores OF standing StumrS testify
inc TO the grip that nature mad, until re-
Gently, kept upon the soil. Three small
sheds, built of pine slabs, and made warm
by earth heapeG about the foundations,
serve for stock pens, stables ana Da:n'
one or two stacks of hay and straw give
assurance of an abundance oil 1Odder.
Chickens, guinea fowls, and three rather
diminutivc roOstcrS CLICKED, peepeu ana
crowed in the vicinity of the sheds. Two
noisy ours slept in front OF dirty boxes,
their ONLY occupation being to announce
the advent of strangers by intermittent
howls and barkingS.
In the distance one other house, bright
green field of newly sprOuting wheat, and
tense woodland only can be seen. On the
verge of the wilderness, Il territory made
historical by hard fought battles, by heaps
of dead and dying, the roar of cannon and
the crackle OF muSkets, by Grant and Lee,
bv Charlottesville, by Hooker and Jack
son by SpOttSylVania Court House and
fredericksburg, in country too poor for
peace and only fiji for war, this house has
hecn built, and in it lives Mrs. John 4.
Mason, the wife OF Sergeant Mason, with
her uncle, John Webb, Mrs. Webb and
ihe baby. Down the old plank road Union
troops had marched nearly nineteen years
aro To the battle-ground of the Wilderness
only four miles away, when the forest
VA, us dense where Webb's house now
stands as it is on the other side of the road
to-day. \ more utterly desolate and
drearv spot than Locust Grove, as the
locality in which Mrs. Mason lives is
named, cannot be imagined.
"How do :he people live here?" | asked
of nv guide. ION ties and hoOp-pOleS,'
he solemnly replied. knew that railroad
ties on the half-shell and hoOp-poleS, with
caper sauce, could not be obtained in
Washington restaurants, but by DIM of
further questioning learned that of those
who obtained scant sustenance i'll that re-
giOn cut ties and hoop-poleS.
MRS. MAsON's APPEARANCE.
She is about twenty-Seven years old, tall
and spare built, with Il form that no man
would call graceful. Her shoulders are
high, her arms are long, and her hands
and feet are large. At first glance Mrs.
NaSOn'S face would not be pronounced
attractive, but after few moments of
conversation the good points of her cOun
tcnanCc are seen. She has very fine, light
brown hair, brushed smoothly back from
her temples and c0iled in a simple knot
behind, Fastened with an old-fashioned
tortOiSe-Shell comb, Il fair complexion, that
would undoubtedly freckle if much eX-
posed 10 the wind, 4 high, smooth fore
head: eyes that are at times light blue
and again gray, according as their posses
sOr is in respondent or pleasant humor;
an aQueliue nose rather large mouth, with
rosy lips, that in laughing disclose set
of large and irregularly formed teeth; an
oval chin, ending in a slender neck, pro-
pOrtioned to the tallness of her body. She
seems most attractive when She laughs,
and her smile is indicative of what her ac-
quaintances say are her characteristics,
gentleness and Kindness. Tears come
quickly in her eyes when her unfortunate
husband is discussed, and they dry easily
when new subjects are introduced. She
seems to be too delicate for her surround
ings, and shows marks of refinement and
intelligence not common with the female
inhabitants of the wilderness.
Of Mrs. MaSOn'S devotion TO her huS-
band and child, of her distress when told
of his severe sentence, and her hope that
he will be speedily pardoned or released,
the rough woOdSmen in the neighbOrhOOd
bear ample testimony.
The correspondent handed her 1928,
contributed through the Press for her re-
lief, which she received with fearful graf
itude.
THE BLESSED BABY.
The baby's name is Charlie. He is
blue-eyed, t0w-headed, miSchieveOus lit
tie scamp, fifteen months old. lie was
well described by his grand aunt. who
told me that he Efavorcd his ma" Mother
and child were neatly but very plainly at
Tired in hOme-cut calico dresses.