Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-27
| REMARKABLE OLD LADY
Visiting and Entertaining Visi,
tors at Mont EagIe.
Cor. Nashville World.

Cor. Nashville World.
Among our guests is a very remark.
able lady, Mrs. Ellen Adair Beatty
She is daughter of Governor Adair
of Kentucky, and lived between Lex
i.gton and Frankfort, at her father
residence, White Hall. Mrs. Beatty
was born in 1901 and, although eighty.
two years Of age, no one would think
| it. She is one of those who do not
grow old. There Is g sweet almost
childlik0 expression In her large,
sparkling eye about whose charms
Bulwer, John Quincy Adams and
William Cullen Bryant have sung.
While wife of Congressman White,
who was appointed Minister to Bel
GUM but did not accept the appoint
ment, she made four voyages to Eu-
rope. She has conversed with the
crowned heads, sat at the table Of
the King before Elizabeth took the
throne. She is as familiar with
court customs as with our own,
and boasts q private interview with
Pope Gregory XVI. Tie Pope she
said only granted interviews to sover.
eigns, crowned heads; claiming sover
eighty in her own right as an Ameri
can she was admitted, and so far won
the good will of his holiness that he
sent her a diamond cross and cameo
head of the madonna. The cameo
she says was given to a historic soci-
ETY., the cross helped TO build Pro
testant church. Mrs. Beatty was we'll
acquainted with Talleyrand, Bulwer,
Coleridge and many other great men.
She recited a beautiful poem written
in her album by Bulwer. In it he
spoke of the soft, black curls lying
carelessly on the pure, white brow.
The curls are still there, though white
as snow, and the beautiful old lady
looks lovingly upon the groupof listen !.
ers gathered daily around her chair,
and smiles half sadly, halt proudly as
one begs some scraps of her history
Yesterday she told US of CicerO's villa,
lying in ruins outside the city Of Rome.
She reeited beautiful poem written
in her album by John Quincy Adams,
and another written tit is supposedly
by William Cullen Bryant, when the
good ship Condor was bearing her to
France. She says she appreciates the
American poem most Of all, and l too
thought it as pretty as any. Her rem
iniscences of her father are beautiful
and touching. She says her fathers
name was too dear for her tU give it
up entirely, so she was Ellen Adair
White, aiterwafd Ellen Adsir Beatty.
On Aar finger is q ring bear
ing the coat of arms Of
the Beattys. She is a most
interesting lady, and declares she is not
at all old, and we are not to think she
is. When asked to give some bit of
her history complimentary to herself.
she bushes like a young girl and says,
that will not interest yOu." or that
lis too complimentary" But Of her
father she never refuses to talk, and
her face glows with pride as she tells
Of mis- presence at the battle of New
Orleans and bis stay at Washington.
| asked her if she knew Henry Clay.
"0f course" she replied, Il knew
him." Her father, she says, was a
Wing, as we're all good Kentuckians
1t Is wonderful how her mind has
retained its well gathered treasures.
but this dear old lady is as fresh and
full of interest as eur most learned
statesmen. As | sit here and think Of
her sitting at tae win
dow here at Mont Eagle the
nelloW light Of the cleaning
falling on the ripples Of gray hair, so
gentle, so patient spa kipd, | think
how few Of US with her brain lshe is, |
neglected to say. we'll known in liter
airy circles) her once marvellous beau
IL. her soci4l standing ard wealth
ceHlA have gone over the same path
With her and stand tc day as she does
upon the sbore-the mystic shore Of
the unknown land-gazing into the
far of land Of the hereafter, listening,
ready, waiting for the sound of the
bOstman's oar that shall carry our
bark over the chilly sea of death
This is one OF those whom pleasure
and prosperity have not sullied. She
has stood tsst rev of US mortals can
stand. Through bonos, through hap
pinsss and wealth she has chung 10 her
God, and is ready to meet him with
clean hands aud ? pure heart.