Connecticut western news., 1888-04-04
4 VISIT TO ALEIANDRLA, "A.


 days since, my friend Miss and I started out for trip to the sleepy old town of Alexandria, about eight miles distant from this city. Leaving the Baltimore & Potomac station at o'clock we soon found ourselves in one of the quaintest and most interesting places in The Old Dominion. As soon as we arrived we went directly to Christ church, where Washington worshiped in the good old days, 100 years ago. and where in more recent times Gen R. E. Lee attended service. We saw the queer old double pew which Washing ton occupied the only one of it's kind In the church, for, as tradition goes, no one but the "Immortal George" had money enough to pay for double pew, and 50 they turned the rest into single ones. The thought flashes through my mind that a much more simple plan would have been to lower the rent, but, not liking to interrupt our guide in his sing-song utterances I refralned from expressing my views. We also sat down on the identical cushion which, as we were assured, was used by the Hero of the Lost cause," and it required no stretch of the imagination to believe the truth of this statement, but so great ly dilapidated is its condition it will be necessary ere long, I fancy, to stretch the powers of vision to perceive 1t. On either side of the altar, which. unfortu- nAtely, has been modernizad so as to be entsrely out of harmony with the rest of the edifice, Is memorial tablet, one to Washington and the other an exact reproduction of the first, to Lee. Thus do the people of Alexandria respect alike, the one whose efforts, being crowned with success are called revolution, and the other, whose endea- vors, followed by disaster and defeat, are stigmatized rebellion. Next we climbed to the top of the belfry aud from that height looked over across the Potomac at the stately spires and beau tiful buildings of Washington, which stand on spot where, when this place was busy tobacco and cotton mart, were nothing but swamps and forests.
 Descending from our perch, and bestowiug on our guide the expected fec, we went out into the graveyard which surrounds the church, an spent half an hour in spelling out the querr old inscriptions on the tomb stones and laughing at the ab.urdities of spelling, grammar and metre. We copied few, and from these will sub init. without comment, two of the qnaintest.
 !" Who afY1ictions sore long time he bore
 Physicians was in vain
 Till God was pleased, death should him cieze,
 And ease him from his pain"
 s.Al you that cums my grave to see
 Prepare yourselves to follow me.
 Repent and turn to God in time
 You may be taken in your prime"
 From the church-yard We turned our steps toward the Brsddock house, su called from the fact that the unlucky Britisher started from this mansion on tue disastrous expedition which ended Y in his defeat and death. It, like the { Province House in Boston, has been aurfounded by a hotel. and SO stands iu ohe court yard of the building of more recent date It is large, old-fashion ofa house, with wide hall. broad stair ssase, rooms adorned with qnaintly carved wood work, and delightful wIn ' slOw-seats, anti of cburse having the ssxscious piaZzi. which Is feature oi Mntl Southern mauors of that day. We <noioye ed rambling over 1t and calling tc nind the stately danes with quilted Doeticoats, powdered wigs. and patches Ind the gallant gentlemen arrayed il &tsfk stockings, knee brooches and color 3l " pigeon tail coats, who used te