The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-09
The Present Appearance Of Washing.
ton, Home.

The Present Appearance Of Washing
ton. Homo.
Rut was going to say word about
Mount Vernon Its lawns are now full
If the early spring, a green slo ris NC
from the / otomac 1t is a pleasant
sail down from " Washington, and every
day now grou sof pleasure seekers can
oe found on the stea re going down to
spen the day about the moss-covered
walls of old Fort Washington or on the
opes of Mount We non. The latter
was not so grand house in its day as
arlington, where the ees Ii ed, but n
NV opinion it is the handSomest sight
along the II err. v it'll a property fl ing
the roto nae for nearly nine miles. sew
eral hundred slaves, and home like
Mount Nernon. it is no wonder that
y ash ngton was regarde in his time
as a lucky man. " hen the Lad cs' AS
social on bought Mount Vernon OBJ
tanned two hundred a res of land, who I
is even now fert lie, and the lily acres
under cultivat on IA ses great uantit e.
of garden .'ssss.'' which finds really
markets in Alexandria and \ ashins ton
The property is kept up in better con-
iii ion than had Leen ed TO expect.
True. the ladies' have been obliged to
give up the time-honored n h which
thy formerly served TO visitors, Tut
the house and grounds ae
well cared for. The upper floors
of the house are getting tri lie
>haky. "Onlv forty or fifty ladies
and gentlemen will 90 upstairs at
once" drones the guide, but no at
tention is paid to him and if the
;imberS creak some they are in no
danger O. Civ ing way. To stand in the
little DOM with It's two windows look
ing down over the Potomac, and look
upon the high-pos ed bed where Wash
ington d ed brings fe ling which no
man can be insensible to. Then to
grope through the barrow passage into
the guest-chamher, with its quaint fur
niture and window darkencd by the
great pill airs of the piaz a, to step
INTO the Lonely room looking out
in the co ut ard where Nellie Lustis
used sleep, and on whose wide set
tee have no doubt she often dreamed
away the sum er days. and thought Of
her stepfather away off at the wars.
And dow nstairs in the little n sic-room.
between Mrs. Washington's sit ing
room and { e par or, still stands the
old-fashioned far sichord on which
Nellie Gusts used to play. l never
did think that she WAS the demure crea-
ture that many writers have made her
out TO e. he was more like r mp
ing girl, who liked far better be d.
ing n rowing upon the river than to
sit at her. harps chord. but We can
imag ne Mrs. " ashingtou having an
eye out for her daughter. as sitting
in the next room she worked out in
her thoughts the problems of tie
V Jung girls futu e. If anything
serves to separate " ashington f, ON t e
formal. hi torIcal part of his career. it is
the home life which V sit t, mount
Vernon bri rs so vivid V to md.
Next TO Mrs. Washington sitting room
is the d ming room, opening into the
open corridor e ding to the Kitchen in
the adjoining building. The frescoing
here is fall ne some and the furniture
has all been tax o {, bat it takes no
reat stretch of the Imagination to i'm
agine ashington sitting at his table
with the western sun stream nc and the
servants bring ng from the great kitchen
the colored cooks greatest achievement
in the culinary line. 1t was there that
hushrod ashington. Associate Justice
of the supreme Court. entertained ! a
feyette when he latter re urned to this
country, stopnin in his triumphal pro-
gress through the tates to visit the
tomb of his old commander. Up stairs
the chamber which he occupied is still
ca led the Lafayette room. Bushrod
Washington took a great pride in the
pla after t came t, rim, and many
Improvements were made by him. He
gave up tn old ice pit, fifty feet deep.
which Wash ngton built. and onstruct-
ed anoth.r nearer the house. He re-
pair d the buildings on the farm and in
creased the size of the gardens. But
while he did tn It never seemed to oc-
cur TO him to impro the noisome tomb
in which Washington was first b lied,
and 1t Vas not until aftertae Ladies' As
soc alton obtained permission that the
new tomb was built. and the old crypt
in e de-hill left TO crumble. The
flower garden, bordered with box, was
his delight. although he would ha lily
recognize it now. with the large con-
Servatory overshadow nc it. The i'm
mense ward acS of the house. sur
rounded with its high bri K wall. the
trees hanging over it. tie oil wood n
cabins for the holsr servants, with the
Old mansion in the center, need only
troop of negro children and one or two
old aunties to make one forget all that
ha happened and believe that behind
the opening door he may almost expect
TO see teorge " aShington, wrapped
about in tn clothes Ike tho b NO up
in the glass cases INSIDE the house. n
the spring and all scores of ashin :
Ionian> drive their teams in the Alex
andria fe ~. a ID then go err the old
country rOAd tetSe that old burgh
and Mount Vernon. There is nothing
especially attractive about it. save the
Fragrance which hangs abort anr road
through woods and shaded all The way
! ct. YOU cannot drive its lengt wi bout
meeting carriages full of SIR myers,
who are led V an attrac: on to viSi the
corners which are associat d with ash
ingt ms hom life. and If the GoTern-
ment, instead of building re Washing
t II mon ment, had DO ght Mount YER
non and dedicated it for the use of the
people for all me, I think the invest
llent would have baen fully as well APP
preciated. - Troy (N. ~ Times.
Sunda, Night in Chinatown.