The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-09-21
The Child of the Confedcracy.

Jefferson Davis's youngest daughter
who has been called "the child or ,bo
Contcdcracy," because size was born ,t
richmond while her father ruled ne
PRESIDENT OF the Confederate Statcs-is
on visit to the family Of Gen. "Runv,,
Ice, who lives few miles outside &c
this town. Until last week Miss Dov;s
had iived, ever since the war, at her
inther's home. Beauvoir, Miss. 4 few davs
ago she came to Richmond with her
aunt and after calling on some Of bor
family friends she set out for Fa;rf,x
County for visit to Gen. Lee, who il
one OF the Confederate Presidents clos-
cts friends.
Many A'exandrians have gone out 10
havenswood, Gen. Lees country sent 70
pay their respects to this "chld of tho
Contederacy.'' All speak Of her admir-
ingly. Miss Davis is typical Southern
beauty. She is just tall enough to be
commanding in appearance, and has
w'llowy, graceful form, which is clad
with a richness and taste that are SIR
Prising, when it is remembered tbat
this roung girl has lived all her life :,
the retirement Of a country house Hor
'ace IS long and somewhat inclined to
ieannesS, but its every lineament be-
speaks the patrician. Her complexion
IS rich olive, her eyes hazed and her
hair black and curling. ALTHOUGH sill,
very young. and without society expert
encc, she looks like queen amonc
women as she stands receiving her
callers. From her conversation il an.
pears that she chcriShes the same senti.
ments as her father in regard to tho
Lost Cause" She regards it as a sacred
theme and considers the Southern pco.
ple as martyrs to Northern greed and
jealousy. That she should imbibe such
sentiments is no moro than natural.
Every since the war she has been at her
fathers side, his chief support and con-
ISOLATION. tie educated her personally.
gave her his views Of life, and fasbioned
her in the mould Of the ante. .bellnm
Southern lady.
1t is said by those who know Misc
Davis we'll that she helped her father
considerably in the preparation Of his
recent history Of the war Her studies
from youth had been directed in the
line of Southern war records and politi.
cal history, so that when it came To
preparing the work she was valuable
assistant. Her aunt SAYS that the old
Confederate leader relied on her almost
entirely in the matter Of collecting and
arranging statistics Of the war and en-
ployed her as amanucnsiS most of the
time while preparing the work. Nothing
pleased her so much rs hunting up facts
and theories to defend the South and
the policy of her fathers administration.
Her favortc retreat at home is in the
big library, which consists almost ex-
ciuSively Of the war records and histo-
rleS Of the United States. Here she
reads to her father several hours daily,
while the fallen chieftain listens, no,A
and dreams OF the past 1t is said that
he fairly dotcs on his handsome child
cannot bear to let her ont of his sight.
1t was only after long struggle that he
consented to her trip to Richmond and
Alexandra. She sccms equally devoted
to her father, for she has refused several
advantageous offers Of marriage from
wealthy MISSISSIPPI planters, in order to
soothe his decling years by her pres