The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-05-22


Green Mount cemetery, at Montpelier, Fri
day afternoon of last week. prayer and
n hymn, under the sunniest OF Mays bright
skies, and the patient sufferer passed
through the blossoming turf of spring-time
to await that resurrection OF which the
bursting foliage and springing flowers of
the season were the visible pledge and token
The Springfield Republican pays the follow
ing grateful tribute to the deceased: Mrs
Wood was woman of lovely nature and
rare personal grace and attraction, which
she retained despite the wearing burden Of
an invalid's life from progressive paraly-
Sis which she has suffered for many years.
She had fine mind and was interesting in
conversation among those with whom she
felt at ease, and her friends found the best
there was in them helped by talk with
her. Those who were privileged to meet
Mrs. Wood during the seasons, ten and
twelve years ago, when Mr.. Wood was
painting portraits in this city, will remem-
Der their brief acquaintance with pleasure
and will deeply sympathize with the artist
in his bereavement"
In the following appreciative sketch Mr..
Charles Paine of New York, supplies much
| that must be lacking in any characterize
ton of Mrs. Wood by stranger pen:
Forty-hve or more years ago the members
of the younger portion of society in the
towns of Montpelier, Waterbury and North
| field recognized as one of the most cult
waited and intellectual women of the state
Minerva Robinson, who soon after became
| the wife of the young artist, since the emf
nent painter, who built the picturesque cot
| tage of AthenwOod for the home of his
bride, to which they have resorted for a re-
newal of the honeymoon whenever fortune
would permit, so that the citizens of Mont
pelier have retained, many off them, a ia
miiar recollection of the sweet lady who
was last week laid to rest in the peaceful
! home of the dead. Yet it is scarcely prob
able that many, if indeed any, knew of the
remarkable character of one who moved so
| silently and retringly through life-seek-
| ing not to be known except by few init
mate friends, To these she revealed her.
self as a most beautiful soul in a most
beautiful face; filled with knowledge of
all philosophy, history and romance, which
| had been distilled by her reflections to adorn
her conversation and instruct her listeners.
| Although stricken many years ago by paraly-
sis, which confined her to her own apart
ment, her courage in study and her energy
in the pursuit of knowledge were MOI in the
least affected by the calamity: indeed she
seemed to find in the conpanionship of
books the compensation for any deprva-
ton. Above all, she preserved the most
gracious consideration for those around her,
without an indication that she was a suffer
ing person. In art, in literature and in mat
tiers of taste her sense was exquisite and her
judgment sure, and she felt afar the APP
proach of evil. AS a girl she was of the
purest and happiest spirit which after
wards being refined by suffering and per-
fected by knowledge, was more fifty pre-.
pared for that translation to the region OF
the blest than any whom l have known"
This memorial would be incomplete with
out the story of Athenwood, the artist
country home. Leading out from Mont
pelier southwark, across the Winooski, is a
deep wooded glen. On its westerly de-
clivity, at point remarkable for it's pictur
esque beauty and the outlook it commands
of the valley to the east, the village below
and the hills beyond, in the year of his
marriage Mr.. Wood built rustic cottage
Its gothic gables were reared in artistic
harmony with the spreading elms whose
branches
Dark shadows wove on their eria looms
Shot through with golden thread"
1t was the ideal home of the poet and ar
fist, and its christening disclosed the poetic
as its architecture the artistic, qualities o
the mind of the designer. Mrs. Wood
Familiarity called Minnie perpetuated il
fact the fame of Minerva, the Latin goddess
among whose attributes was the patronag,
of the liberal arts. In the Greek this di
vinity bears the name of Athena The cot
tage's sylvan surroundings completed tn,
derivation of Athenwood, delicately de
vised compliment to the artists bride anC
the art to which he was welded. Here tn,
unclouded years of the young couples earl!
life were spent. Linked with the spot ar
The ground was part of his fathers estate
and thither, the counterpart of Whittier
" Barefoot Boy" he drove his fathers an,
his neighbors' cows. In some lines of rar
grace and beauty Miss Julia Wallace o
Waterbury, the early friend and companion
of Mrs. Wood, has commemOrated a pa
thetic incident in the history of Athenwood
She has so POLITICALLY pictured the artist
cottage and given so charming glimpse o
its home life and its mistress gentle traits
we can not forbear to reproduce her verses
The poem is entitled " Athenwood, or
+ Legend of St. Minnie" Omitting the pre-
liminary numbers the narrative begins
Just across the sparkling river,
Where yon hill road winds away,
} Lightly lifts the graceful elm.tree
Many a slender waving spray
Where the tiny song birds rally.
! Chipping from their leaty screen,
, And the mountain breezes daily,
Coming down bright rayine,
There above the village murmur
, And the din of mill and forge,
, Stands an artists quiet dwelling,
In the green and narrow gorge.
on a saItry day of summer,
Sank beneath the wayside tree
one who sighed, in foreign accent,
Mary, mother, pity me-
Twas a sad and weary woman
With child of tender years
ON her feet the soil of travel,
ON her face the stain of tears
! Surely she can toll no farther
| Meath the bright, Implying sky,
bI we're TSf th We t6a i%e sh6ad die
Hers had been a happy bridal
A In distant fatherland
Hers a husband brave and noble.
Firm yet gentle, hopeful, bland,
Tyranny proclaimed him rebel.
For patriot heart had he;
l They, in want, had fled from peril
He was buried in the
In her land of cross and convent
| Sweet Madonna, pale and fair,
A Shrine of saint or tomb of martyr,
Wins the stricken soul to prayer.
4 Now she scans that peaceful cottage
Gray its walls and sloping caves
Lifting up its modest gables
5 Carved In pendant Oaken leaves;
? Rustic porch, with open portal,
{ Arched windows, diamond pane
I Sure 1t bore no slight resemblance
. To some humble, rural fame.
4 Was 1t not wayside chapel,
Built in form of holy cross
Was II hermitage, or dwelling?
, Long she mused and much at loss,
4 Till an organ tune came swelling
= On the silent summer air;
+, Quick she mounts the rocky terrace,
Lifts her child from stair to stair
II ] In . ,aa oftlv aha da1 aria