Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-11-27

an Ola taillOIHlall, a!SO ueaL SuOI anu ou-
elist, 90 out driving under the magnolia
trees and through the beautiful and sadly
impressive Richmond cemetery. The first
thing these three duelists did was to drive
me to the famous clubhouse there, celebra-
ted not only for its wide.door hospitality,
but for many costly and historical pictures.
That of Pocahontas seemed to abound
everywhere How many Eirginians have
descended from Pocahontas it is hard to say.
But if any ten o,hcr Indians had increased
as she is supposed to have increased it is
safe to say that the race Of savages, so far
from perishinG FROM the earth, would to-
day, numerically 1T least. hc in the ascend
ant over the Saxon.
At this elegant club my recollection IS
that these three :iuelisls ordered brandy
and seltzer, but as they drank only seltzer
they left me nothing bat brandy. had to
drink what was left. for no wise man will
be particular when alone with three duel
iss The conversation IL we sat there took
q historic turn-thc early settlement ofFir-
ginia the great battle Just out at the edge
Of the town at what is still called Bloody
run, the Indians the generosity of Virginia
in giving halfa dozen States 10 the Union,
and receiving, asking indeed, not one cent
for all that boundleas domain. Then we bad
more brandy and seltzer, divided up as be-
fore. BY this time had mustered q little
valor and tried to get my shoulder under
the conversation and lift it up into the AT
mosphere Of the field of honor. but just then
the black boy in buttons called out the car
riage at the clubhouse door and III Il mo-
ment more we were driving toward the
great cemetery under the beautiful magnolia
trees, up the banks of the classic James,
overlooking Belle island. Nearly q mile
Of the most delightful drive on this EARTH
so far as scenery goes, peeps through the
trees-a drop curtain for q theater, IN fact,
at almost every turn of the wheel-and we
drove through the gate, with its great bro
ken ivy covered columns.
Oh, what place to rest in The peace of
Paradise is surely here. Great snar!ed
oaks, green trim.limbed magnolias, ivy,
kind and patient, binding broken marbles
together, covering up the scars OF time,
twining the to1nbs Of the dead together,
reaching out its hands in hope, dropping in
graceful wells Of pity above the great men
gone to rest, beautiful, ptiful. The massive
granite pyramid reared by the ladies OF the
South in memory of their sons, husbands,
brothers, who hlcd and died in the great,
last. best, battles Of America, every one OF
cans, immortal testimony Of American valor
and devotion whatever section won the fight
this grand tribute Of cold gray stone Is also
taking to itself the softenng and subduing
mantle OF vcrdure. Up the four steep sides
Of stone the ivy is climbing. Is nearing the
summit. II will meet there or the topmost
pinnacle some day soon, and, joining hands,
bend down in perpetual pity over the 100000
dead. And it .yas Of this and Of these things
we four talked, very quietly, soft and low,
with long intervals Of silence and of thought. as
we drove on and through this sad city of the |
dead at Richmond that beautiful afternoon, under
the oaks. the over. hanging IVY ana inc great
green maguoli:s. Oncc, twice, thrice led up TO
/ he edge of the duciinG ground, very dclcateiy,
as thought but then the talk would somehow
take Il pastoral turn az some one OF these three
savage duclits would ask NE about the fortunes
Of the far West
Passing the tomb of Monroe, VIC came 10 that
Of Wise Ny hopes of hearing al about these
mems heart experience the field of honor re-
vivcG here and when VIC drew up at the grave OF
Randolph was certain that the time had arrived
for then. to talk of their bloody achievements:
You owe inc a coat, Mr.. Clay Il am thankful
TO God that / you nothing else. cried the
great kcntucbian, as he shook hands with what
is now dust and ashes of the earth undcr our feet
here in Richmond. My fathers and my grand |
fathers graves arc ust here. said the cdltor OF
the Dispatch, softly, lie led me around, hat in
hand to modest array of marble shafts. And
then rs they put me in the carriage and we drove
around through the upper part of the silent city
Mr.. Boirne pointed out the place where he, too
should rest when his work WAS over. We drove
back to Town, aightcd at tho residence OF one OF
the fighting editors. divided up some more brandy
and seltzer as before, looked At good many more
pictures of Pocahontas on the walls and then they
drove me to nv hctc And that is all could get
out of these CORY ducists, do and say what could,
here in the worry heart of their fighting grounds
JOAQUIN MILLER.