National Republican., 1882-12-26
ARTIST LIFE.
A Visit TO the Home Of Mary Stuart at
Newport
A Glance at Some Of the Products Of
Her Art to be Seen There.
Some Facts About Her Fathers Famous Portrait Of
Washington.
How Miss Stuart Lives, Acts, Works, and
Nrin lIa A
How Miss Stuart Lives, Acts, Works, nnt
Who Her Friends Are.

to see how the idols of an hour COM
port themselves when Off their throne; If
their homes are like other homes, and their
every day duties as generally commonplace
as those of less gifted mortals.
To satisfy this nsatiate craving each bit of
bearing on the early history of
such characters is eagerly sought and greedily
snapped up; has there been a hand to hand
fight with poverty and injustice, prejudice
and meanness, so much better for the victori-
Gus artist; war with rival actors and op-
pressivc, cruel managers but adds another
leaf to the laurel with which, amid dcafcning
plaudits, the generous people crown the now
reigning "star," while to have had the
choicest produsts of brain and heart flung
back at the starving writer only insurcs more
readers and more dollars to the finally tri-
umphant author.
'Tis to this searching inquisitiveness society
owes most if not ALL of the so-called "re-
miniscences which have for several years
flooded the literary field, and It's to my per-
sonal knowledge of this dominant weakness
of the human heart. / am indebted for the hope
that you will find somewhat of interest in
reading the little it is my privilege to know
of three noted women and their homes.
In Newport the garden spot of "fashiona-
BILE America" lives
JANE STUART,
the daughter of Gilbert Stuart, the gifted ar
tist, whose name will go down through all
ages linked inseparably with that of Wash
ington.
Her home is on Mill street, in an old part
of this revolutionary town, and almost within
a stones throw of the Vernon house, wherein
Rochambeau and Lafayette once made their
abiding place, and where Washington opened
a grand ball, given in his honor, with the
most beautiful woman of her time, Jane Ben
son, whose charms were the boast of the men,
whose destinations the envy of the women
young, beautiful gifted, rich witty, feted,
courted-she lived to feel the pangs of hun
ger, to know the want of clothing sufficient to
protect her delicate limbs from the cold-to
agoniZe over the taithlessness of friends, the
tickleness of fortune, and to feel glad for per-
mission to end her sorrowful life in the county
poor house. Her body is at rest, but her spirit
yet moves in its accustomed haunts, and
mournful stories are told of its wanderings.
For neighbors Miss Stuart has scores and
scores of old houses rich in legendary lore and
sumptuous in their wainscotins of rare
wood, broidered by the chisel with many a
quaint device, tiled fireplaces and mantels,
each marvel of the sculptor's maitile art.
Her home is near all these and almost within
echoed back Berkley's voice, and in whose
green acre" are laid many of the goodly
company of powdered, ssruffied, and brocaded
danes and their gallant cavaliers whose
restless spirits yet hold high revelry in places
which in the flesh shall know them oMbver
more. .'si1n ''''.''
The home my pen is so slow in reaching
is in a quaint, irregularly fashioned cottage,
setting back in an exclusive sort of way from
the street and ON an eminence that gives it
quite an air of superiority over its more pre-
tentious neighbors. 1t is approached by half
dozen steps, and fanked by garden, a
charming garden, wherein hollyhocks and
sweet williams, marigolds and shrubs, snow
balls and jonquils and lilacs bloom in joyous
hilarity, and grow in glorious profusion, all
undaunted by the dainty perfections of theiI
more modern and delicate associates.
1t was in August we made
OUR VISIT
an exquisite day, on which the tenderest
peace 'brooded over sea and land, and made
all good things perfect. Ascending the stone
steps, we saw tuttering low, near the ground
a gayly painted parasol at the clicking of the
gate-latch it rose, and we knew it sheltered
lady who advanced to meet us-a tall, erect
woman, wearing a summer gown of gray
diaphanous material, linen at her throat, con
fined by bow of scarlet ribbon, her face
green veil. With the charming courtesy
marking one to the " manner born" she held
forth her hand and bade us welcome, adding
MISS STUART!
We rendered our letter. spoke our names
and gladly accepted her invitation to the
house, which is entered through a three-cor-
nered vine-embowered porch, on which is q
spinning wheel and an hundred -year-old spin
ming chair, a brass claw-foot table, and on the
wall an oratory, similar to those one sees on
every roadway in Catholic Europe. This
possibly, valued for its artistic worth, fol
Miss Stuart belongs to a church not given to
shrines. We entered the square hallway, filled
with exquisite artices-which we were toe
polite to examine too loyal to our woman
nature not to see-and from thence passed
into the low-ceiled drawing-room. All! even
now draw my breath, just as l did that day
when it indicated joy at what | saw, and
now expresses pleasure for what remember OF
that lovely room, lighted by bay window,
not one of the hideOus modern prOtuberances
we know as such, but the kind AN artist would
have called graceful, shapely, and giving an
air of distinction to an already attractive
room. The glass in diamond panes, the
tvo central ones painted black, and illumin-
ated by
THE STUART COAT OF ARMS,
done in the richest colors. Through the glass
the sunshine of this fair-to-see day made it,
way, its light mellowed by the tracery of vines
through which it sfted in an hundred mock
ing shadows; the Wilton carpet of gray
color, made neutral ground for all the dainty
bits ii held ChairsicOvcrcd with tapestry in,
laid tables, q gilt, broidered ottoman, n lamI
table with the Stuart crest in ivory and silver
a cabinet holding many of the articles pre-
sunted at various times by the crowned heads
and titled nobility TO the artist, whose talent
they appreciated and whose genius they hon,
ored-curious candlcstiCks, placques, antique
which made up the perfect whole. On the
walls, in diamond shaped frames, hang several
paintings, some by Miss Stuart, one of
MARY, THE ILL-FArED SCOTTISH QUEEN
and Darnley, her lover-husband of Mary Mag,
dalon; of Visitation nun, whose face (thc
likeness of friend) is the most perfect, and
yet the saddest l ever saw, OF these, her
own work, Miss Stuart spoke with evident
reluctance Whyy The native modesty
marking the true artist, | presume. For OF
her art, in which she eXcels, she is AN enthu-
siast, and from it derives her support
Miss Stuart is above medium height, slen-
der and very erect her hair gray, eyes blue,
and very gentle; an Aquiline nose, aud large
mouth; the most delightful talker you can
fancy; variety in her conversation, and de-
licious originality in her opinions; witty aud
NlNaclOuS, with an lneHhauStlOle lund OF an
ecdote, trille Of cynicism and a sauce of sar
casm, adding fine spice to her remarks,
though not giving the least flavor of i'll
nature. In the use Of her hands aud shrug Of
her shoulders she is eminently French. In
disposition she is very social, aud her home
in summer is the resort ol all that is best N
Newport's most exclusive circles, and in win
ter the rendezvous where gather ~ the elan "
OF old residents, to whom may say she Is
MACGREGOR,
so far as leadership goes. No visitor of note