San Francisco vindicator., 1889-02-16
The Kentucky Blue-Grass Region.

So far rs know, there is nothing
like il i'm the world. Comparison Of it
with England il often made in the Use
at the words ''gauien" and park
The !audScapp is as unlike the finer
parts Of Old England as it Ia unlike the
most carefully tended parts or New
England. 1t has neither the intense
green, the subdivisions in hedges, the
boskv lanes, the picturesque cottages,
the nirpness of minute garden culture,
Of England, nor the broken, mixed
lawn gardening and neglected pastures
and highways, with the sweet. wild
hills, of the Berkshire region. 1t is
an open. elevated, rolling land. Civ
ing the traveller often the most ex-
tended views over wheat and clover,
henp and tobacco fields, forests and
bluegrass pastures. One may drive
fora hundred miles north and south
over the splpniit maCadam turnpikeS,
behind biuodrd roa,lsters, ut an easy
trn-mile gate, and see always the same
Sight-a smiling agricultural paradise.
with scarcely foot, in fence corners,
/ by the roadside or in low grounds, of
| uncultivated, unCared-fOr land. The
open country is more pleasing than
/ tue small villages; the houses are for
/ The most part plain; here and there is
"A negro cabin on IL cluster Of them. apt
TO be unSightly, but always in view
somewhere is q piantati0n-nOuse, more
ar less prelentious, generally old
| fashioned and with the colonial charm.
These are frequently off the main
thoroughfare, approached by private
road winding through oaks and ash
trees, seated 0n some gentle knoll or
slope, maybe with a small hower-gar-
den, but probably with the old senti-
mental blooms that smell good and
have "reminiscences, in the midst Of wav.
inr fields Of grain, bluegrass pastures
aud open forest glades watered by a
clear stream. There seems 10 be in
finite peace in the house so surround
ed. The house may have pillars
probably Il colonial porch and door
way with carving in bass-relief. a wide
hail, large, square rooms, low studded
and general air of comfort. What il
new in it in the way of art, furniture
or bric-a-hrac may not be in bad taste
and NAV "sweur" ut the old furniture
aud delightful old portraits. For al
most always will he found some pOr
traits Of the post Revolutionary period
having a traditional and family inter
est, by Copley or Jcuett, perhaps
Stuart, maybe by some artist who evi
IDENTITY did not paint for fame, whlc
carry the observer back to the cOlOnia
I society in Virginia, Philadelphia. an
New York.
In Il country house and in Lexine
+ ton | saw portraits, life-size and minis
lure, Of Rebrcca Gratz, whose love
ness Of person and character is sti
4 tender recollection of persons living
! She was "a great beauty and toast i
l her dny. 1t was at her house in Phi
: adelphiu, u centre of wit and gayet'
! that Washington Irving and Henri
} BrgvO0rt and Gulian G., Verplanc
=. often visited. she shone not less
New York society, and was the mos
;. intimate friend of Matilda Hoffman
;. WHO was betrothed to Irving; indeed
i was in her arms that Mathda dies
p, fadrlpss ALWAYS to- us rs she was
4 Irving, in the lOvellucss of h'
K eighteenth year. Tne well-founde
tradition is tnat Irving, on his first Wis
j 10 Abbotsfoul, told Scott of his OW
d Inss. and made HIM acquainted vii
the beauty aud grace of Rebecca Graf
and that Scott, wanting at the mome
To yiu,hcuIe a race that was aSperse
used her AS II model for Rehecca
70 lyanhup.- Charles Dudley Warner
l. H4rDer'8 MtqHzlse.