The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-14

wrinkled parchment for a skin as her face
showed. She was dressed in a bright blue
frock, with long blue pendant earrings and
brooch to match. and light shawl draped
gracefully (?) over her giddy young shoulders.
She had on a false wave and quantity of
youthful-looking false hair She reminded
me of the old woman in Dombey and Son,
clad in the bed-curtains.
The "grotto" was our first point here, but
the water was all out and masons were re-
pairing the reservoirs. The ef1igies, once
dreadful to behold, were made ridiculous by
the loss OF noses, arms ard other members
necessary to inspire fear in mortal breasts.
Mrs. Cardiff was extremely wooden. OF
the forty thieves" one was a fair Indian
maiden, another an image of Punch with a
bunch of cigars in his "gory right
hand;' three others of the forty"
were visible and equally harmless
in appearance; the other thirty-five were
ton. In the "Norino Tower" there were
some things of interest and much trash.
Among the objects OF interest was clock
$50 years old, some seven or eight feet in
height. One OF the attendants set it going
and it played some really sweet tunes-like
an extra-good hand-organ. Next to this
stood an old, old piano, with legs about the
size of my wrist; on it was a cage in which
was stuffed bird. Every few seconds the
sing few notes a very curious
music-box was something should like you
to sect was a little lady-monkey sitting
for her portrait. When it was set going the
lady would fan herself and make her mouth
go as if talking, and every now and then
take sly peep into a little mirror which she
held in her hand. The artist stood before
his easel industriously painting dipping his
brush occasionally into the paint and speak
ing to his sitter as if giving her some direc-
ton; it was exceedingly amusing to watch
them, they were so very like little
people, Above this department was a
childrens museum, containing Chinese and
American lighthouses, two large tables set
with all sorts of edibles made of papier-mache,
but resem bling exactly the real things. In
one end of this room, separated by high
wire gauze, was a collection of antique fur
niture and dishes, tin-ware, chopping- trays,
loom, spinning wheel, ETC.; also, Governor
Bradford's chair and one of the numerous
beds on which La Fayette made it his life
work to repose. l have my doubts
about the bed, and 1 know if Governor
Bradford was addicted to the per-
nicious habit of sitting in that
old rockingham he surely must have been
old. / really coveted some of the old blue
dishes. Ascending the tower via 'hoggerel
Passage" we passed successive apartments
each containing more or less of pleasing or
absurd pictures and brica- brac. The sixth
Stage" interested me much. 1t was 1.-THE
End of Life" The walls of the room were
hung with old and fine wood cuts-"Satan in
Judgment" the Inferno" Dante's Last
Day." and others, the titles of which 1
have forgotten. From this an
other stair led up to the top
and as the inscription may give some little
idea of the collector of all this nonsense, 1
made it my duty to commit it to memory
Seventh stage, which is the last, looking
down upon this peculiar world of ours, and
upward into the dark beyond" A small
wooden gate barred this passage, and sign
Danger" induced US to gently but firmly
pause. So we gazed ION this peculiar yet
nevertheless delightful world of ours
around us and descended through
Donkey Staircase" and came away.
The funny tricks and the toad
stool seats which L. described so graph
ically, are all gone, and the place is fast be-
coming common property. 1t is not worthy
of comparison with Hunnewell Place