The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-05-26

ro"~. Va".""-
During the war, when the bIoodiest
battles on the Potomac were being
fought. the Southern and Northern
troops fraternized On iiiis spot, and not
shot was fred nor blow exchanged
on the domain of Mount Vernon. II
was neutral ground. The soldiers OK.
changed coffee and tobacco and lolled
amicably together under the trees, then
went back to shooting and killing each
other as soon as they were off the sacred
ground. The most irreverent scoffer
must walk with reverence through the
ancient frame house in which 80 much
OF our history is embalmcd. Hanging
In the hall is the great key of the Bas.
tile, sent to Washington by Lafayette,
and near it is the Generals field. lass
hung on its rack by Washington him.
self and never disturbed. or all the
memories Of Mount Vernon, none are
more interesting than those OF Eleanor
Custis-poor Nelly, Who died at twenty
two, and was her stepfather's pet. In
the room stands her harpischord, an
immense machine. just the size OF
two banks of keys like an organ. Beside
it are some ancient blue chairs en-
broidered by her dead fingers century
ago. In the grounds stands her rose
bush, beside which, tradition says, she
received her first offer, and which the
guileless and credulous of her sex are
persuaded to walk around six times to
bring similar event abont. Ono OF
the ingenuities OF the regents Of Mount
Vernon was to have magnificent Turk
ich rugs made to resemble, as far as
possible, the rsg carpets which were
the floor covering in Martha Washing.
toms day, and for that purpose scraps
OF the rag oarpo'a were sent abroad to
be as nearly simulated as possible And
way up high, under the roof, is little
hip-roofed, dormer- -windowed rookery,
which, after General Wasbington's
death, his widow chose as her own room,
because it was from that window only
that view could be had of the brick
tomb in which the mortal part Of the
general lay,
!ac" and ]. c'-Taii~~.
be Nov \ a. sp.h., 1t Il The
Syracn-e Jc"rnhi r,sips as follows OF
lates and iacc-ma.ing in the metropo-
lis:
For scv. raj wears there has been
Ger sideIu',o nlaui ecturs Of real laces
in tins c,y liy French, German, Eng
lish and irish women. Reproductions
OF Old lLe-s are being made for house
decora'i nna. mni e,qlisite bits for per.
sonal use ore .aru having been Just
completed for lall dress that cost
$50 1t was 10 match some very ele-
CANT old lace flowers, and to make it
quite p"r'ect III color was dipped in
strong HAe. A profitable trade is
made by lace makers III buying machine
r4ade Il POINTS aa they are called,
which are Ioiued with old lace by ex-
quisite daruing the Whole being col
ored hy Gffee or saffron, and sold for
manufactures in vogne 200 years ago.
The alteration and cleaning of lace oc-
cupies great many women. 1t is a
trade by itself. There is great deal
OF fine and expensive lace here-some
women who can afford it having a gen.
uine craze for it. Mrs. A. T. Stewart
has q large fortune in laces really, as
we'll as Mrs. John Jacob Astor. Mrs. s.
L. NJ Barlow, Mrs. Belmont, Sr., and
several others. Mrs. Cyrus W. Field
has q lace overdress which cost several
thousands of dollars. A beautiful b III
dress worn by leader OF fashions re-
Gently was of white cashmere trimmed
with laces that resembled cobwebs,
and white ostrich tins. Mrs. William
Astor, it is said, has 100 Yards of rare
kind OF Valenoiennes lace.
Another craze in laces is to have his
toric pieces. One lady is happy in pos
sessing a white point lace court train
that belonged to daughter of George
the Third. Some OF the laces owned
by the Empress Eugene have been sold
here. Several years ago, before fine
laces were SO common, there was a lady
in fashionable society who always ex-
cited the envy Of her femii inc rcq uaint-
ances, as she almost always wore the
same costume, a magnificent white
round-point lace overdress, and sprays
of diamonds that reached from her
throat nearly half way down the front
Of the dress she had resided abroad,
and had made study and collection OF
rich laces. Being Of a stately figure,
and having the art OF walking graceful
ly, she became the cynosure of all eyes
as she slowly promenadtd scross a ball
loom two or three times in al evening,
but never dancing.