The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-28

their hearts for those so long put out of sight
We turned away ut last to pursue our walk to
the house, a low long building with piazza
all along the front, the flooring of which is flag
stones, and there is no railing, for the piazza is
only one step from the ground. There are
three doors on the front, two of them leading
to rooms and the other a hall that goes right
through the house. OF course it is very old
fashioned, and the stair steps are so narrow
that only one person can ascend at q time.
Each room on the first and second floor is In
charge of state; for instance, tho ladies from
Georgia have charge of the Georgia rooms,
and so on. They are all very interesting to
visit, but the room in which Washington died
is the one that you stand longest before.
There stands the old high-posted bedstead
with the steps beside it to climb up on the
old-fashioned valance that hangs around the
bottom, with its little narrow fringe; the high
old tester with long curtains attached, and
there stood Washington's old round-top hair
trunk; in a case was n suit of clothes and also
his sword, and many other old relics. After
going through the house We went all over the
garden,and / enjoyed the old-fashioned garden
more than anything else it was perfect type
of n garden of the olden times. I knew that
the house and everything in it had passed
through many hands, but this dear old garden
with its wealth of old-time flowers and plants
was just rs it was in Mrs. Washington's time,
and L walked over and over it and drank in the
perfume of the mock orange and syringas, old
fashioned blue flags, blue bells OF Scotland,
old-tlme roses, sweet lavender, and hundred
others that you seldom see in our gardens of
the present day. The large beds or squares
were bordered with lockwood that has grown
" Al, -,
was planted by Mrs. Washington herself. Now
and then there was lovely wild rose that
grew almost across your path, covered with its
delicate pink blooms and filing the air with
its fragrance 1t was all so lovely that it was
hard to leave it, and tho memory of that old
garden with its shrubs and flowers, tho lazy
hum of the bees as they flew in and ont of
some sweet blossom, the scent of myrtle, haw-
thorne and other odorous flowers, the sweet
chirp of birds, the narrow walks bordered with
box plants, the bright sunshine and halmy air
OF perfect day in May, the pleasant chat with
my escort as we wandered in this labyrinth of
sweet smells and sounds, all alone away from
the restless world, in this place Of perfect
quiet and repose, willlinger long in our hearts !;
indeed it win never fade away. There are
some days in our lives that can never ha for
gotten; this was surely one. But bark! the
shrill whistle of the boat is heard, and we all
hurry along to be in time. AS we como in
front of the house the view down tho river is
beautiful, and away off in the distance we see
our boat approaching, and the different groups
that are dotting the smoothly-kept lawn be-
gin to put up the lunch baskets and slowly
rise, and we leisurely wend our way down to
the river side, looking back ever and anon as
Imagine our first parents did as they quilted
the lovely garden of Eden, and like them We
were 10th to depart. But there must be an
end to all things and this pleasant trip is over.
If you haze enjoyed my descriptions of my
travels even half as much as / have the
travels. am more than repaid for my letters.
And now for home, at last the dearest spot on
earth and the one to be most appreciated. /
expect you will be glad this is the last letter
away from home, for / am afraid you have
long since tired of what Aunt Susie has seen
in her travels, but as l told you in the begin
ming OF my letter, ! will let You have a long
rest now. AUNT SUSIE.
oft fOr ~,