The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-10
A CHAT WITH JEFF. DAVIS.
Silent on Public AfsaIrs--How lie Passes
his Declining Years.
,Spccial to the Ncy York IEcraM.

Silent on Public AEairs--How lie Passes
his Declining Years.
Special to the Ncw York Herald.
ATLANTA, GA, August 30.-A cores
pondent of the Constitution paid an in-
teresting visit to Jefferson Davis at his
plantation in Warren County, Miss, and
tie paper prints to-day several columns
descriptive of the man and his surround
ings.
The correspondent as lie entered the
doors of the Brierield mansion was met
by Mr.. Davis, by whom he was greeted
most kindly. But moment of expla-
nation was necessary, when an introduc.
ton to Mrs. Davis added another to the
little group. Mr.. Davis YVES dressed in
a black alpaca suit. He stood erect,
with firm position. When he sat down
upon the deerskin chair, which is his
favorite, it was in an upright position,
his shoulders we'll thrown back, one hand
resting in the other aud both called into
play as through conversation he used
them in graceful gesture. His face fur
nished pleasant disappointment. His
pictures give one the idea of dark vi.
saged, dyspeptic man, of hard face and
unapproachable manners. On the con-
trary, the original shows kindly eyes, a
fair face and mouth wreathed in gen.
tie smile. During the four hours spent
in his presence this kindly smile and
pleasing manner never left him. In his
conversation, too, the same fact was no.
ticed. OF those whose conduct in the
war did not entitle them to his respect
he spoke in terms of kindly interest, re-
membering only the good that was in
them. Mrs. Davis, whose social quail.
ties will be remembered by the brilliant
society in Richmond, Of which she was
for three years the centre, looked in ex.
cellent health. She is stout lady, and
her face shows at once decision and wo.
manly character. In conversation she
was quick, intelligent and extremely
thoughtful, censuring none, mindful of
those who had befriended her family in
the days of trial and evincing great in.
terest in the families of the men who
had fallen for the Confederacy.
OUT OF PUBLIC LIFE.
Mr. Davis said that he had left the
war behind him, and with it public life
he courted the privacy Of his home and
did not intend to be drawn into contro-
versial topics. Nevertheless he con.
versed pleasantly on matters Of q literary
and philosophic nature, to which he de-
votes much study. Both Mr.. and Mrs.
Davis inquired afectionately of many
Georgians whose memory they cherished.
Mr.. Davis's favorite author is Sir Wal.
ter Scott. Among poets he regards By
ron the greatest. Moore is the perfection
of harmony, while Burns expresses hu.
man feeling. The three-Byron, Moore
and Burns-nlake complete combina-
ton. Bulwer, among modern noyelists,
is perhaps the greatest.
One more topic your correspondent
takes the liberty of giving, since it shows
Mr.. Davis in the light of a close Bible
student. Referring to the revised edi-
tion, he did not see that the revisers had
removed the few material errors which
were to be found in the King James edi-
ton, yet they had made many changes
which only shocked the conservative
conscience of Bible readers, while the
change was productive.of no correspond.
ing good in the text.
A PEACEFUL OLD AGE.
To put in small space my impress.
ions gathered at the two homes of MIR.
Davis will require but few words.
Mr.. Davis is rs years old, in the best of
health, cheerful, contented and hopeful.
Mrs. Davis is also happy in the love of
her husband and the sympathy which
she receives from every man and woman
in the South. They have two children,
the eldest being the wife of Mr.. Hayes,
of Colorado, herself the mother of three.
The second, Miss Winnie Davis, is at
home, and source of comfort and joy
to her parents. Their home at Beauvoir
is charming retreat, retired from the
hustle of the world, yet cheered by the
visits of Northern friends, Southern
sympathizers and Confederate veterans.
Their home here, Brierfeld, is long,
single story white building, with wings
at either end in the shape of double I,
with verandas between supported by
heavy columns and painted entirely in
white. There is plantation of twenty,
four hundred acres, the richest of Missis-
sippi bottoms, from which Capt. Hughes
says six hundred bales of cotton will be
gathered this year. Mr.. Davis generally
visits this place twice year te look after
his interests. Whether here or at Beau
voir, Mr.. Davis is equally accessible to
his neighbors-kind, gentle and courte.
Gus. He is man of studious habits, at
the same time devoted 10 the field. He
rises about 9 o'clock in the morning.
reads his mail and answers it, then de.
votes the rest of the day to receiving
visitors, riding over the farm and enjoy
ing the works of nature. He is skill
lul euchre player. When several neigh.
bors drop in for the evening Mr.. and
Mrs. Davis both enter into the game
with zest, and thus the hours are whiled
away.