Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-22
a PALATIAL HOME.
THE INTERIOR OF NEW YoRKs
GRANDEsT DwELLING.
Meentficence Revealed by n Visit
to Mrs. William H. vanderbilt's
Residence on Fifth Avenue
Apartments Fit for Royalty.

Apartments Fit Tor NOy6tty.
BEYOND any question, the most SUI
pcrb house in New York, in point of
Costumes and spleudor, is the Wander
bilt palace on the corner of Fifty-iirst
street. We went all over it tho other
morning from hall to roof tree, a sort Of
triumphal progress from cover to cover
of the Arabian Nights, with such be
wildering magn;ticence here, there, and
everywhere that only the most colossal
mind could manage to carry away any
dciinite idea of it all. A trim man
servant threw open the front d oor, aud We
went up q few steps till We stood in the
vast square hall, open straight up to the
roof, with two galleries running around
its sides, QUO above the other, and filled
with glow Of rich. soft light that
fell through the stained glass win
dows with peculiar effective.
ness. Every inch of that wall is
decorated by master hands; gilded,
carved, painted, till its dmmest corner
is chef d'euvre of which King or an
Emperor might be proud to boast. An
enormous rug covered the inlaid floor;
there were silken hangings here and
there, carved chairs and scttces, palms
and plants, and large portrait OF Mrs.
Vanderbilt herself in one coruer. Now
and then noiseless servant came and
went. The great house looked homely
and cosey in spite of its luxury, but
there was no sound except those Of our
own voices and that OF our hostess, and
it seemed as if we had suddenly come
upon that enchanted castle in which
beauty once slept for hundred years.
"Aot so, however, when we went
thence into the picture gallery-thc
famous picture gallery where there are
gathered the masterpieces OF the time,
acquired with infinite care anG judy
mcnt aud patience by collector who
bought, not ms tho Philistincs, but as a
true conno!sscur. The two great rooms
were still and empty> One of them
opened on conservatory. The morning
light lay in n flood of sunshine on the
floor, and brought out the very best
points in every painting, as we wandered
about in dumb delight from Corots to
Daubignys, Dctailie, to Tadcmas,
Meissoniers to Nlillais. forgetting in the
Joy of seeing those marvellous things
that every one had cost little fortune.
There is library, exquisite beyond
description; drawing.room, filled with
artistic foreign furniture, its walls deco.
rated by celebrated artists, and its brio
a-brac worth n Kings ransom n Japanese
apartment, unique and curious, now
used us a billiard room, its ceiling oddly
wrought of bamboo, and everything in
it Japanese; dining room in richly
carved oak. No words can paint this
gorgcousness. Whole volumes in folio
might be written without giving the
Gui Ht n nf 10 al
they could not convey the subtle convic-
ton that steals over ono to The effect
that here is u palace which Is also Il
home.
'In the dining.room there was ser
want laying the cloth for lunchcon-a
luncheon for two, rs there is no ono
left ut home now except Mrs. Vanderbilt
and her son, George. 1t was such Il
cloth or the finest dnmnsk, with an
open insertion of lace just above its lace
trimmed hem, and a huge embroidered
monogram in tho center, and the man
who was busy about it stopped to take
us into the buffers pantry, where every
thing was on Titanic and very com.
plcte scale, and there showed us tho
great safe, behind whose pondcrous
doors, that swung reluctantly open, were
such treasures of silver rs might well
make Tiifany's hide its diminished head
and feel quite low in its mind.
$50 we might go ON forever. Mrs.
Vandcrbilts own apartments look out
upon Fifth avenue. She has bcdcham.
Der fit for the Princess who WINS bruised
by sleeping on pea under seventeen
feather beds. One thing in it is dress.
ing table, with great mirror set in
silver, and strewn with silver toilet arti-
Giles Of every description. II is covered
with old pink plush, and over that hangs
large piece of exquisite point lace,
which once belonged to the ill-iated Marie
Antoinettc, and is worth mauy times its
weight in gold. The bed is OF carved
and inlaid wood, four posts and q
canopy, and it is finished by IN en-
broidered satin coycrlct. Next this
chamber is boudoir or sittng-room,
where a coscy open fire burns on the
hearth. A pretty workable, with ils
every implement in silver, stood invit-
ingly open, and on the various tables
scattered about were books and photo
graphs, magazines and newspapers in
lavish profusion. AS for the dressing
rooms they are lined from floor to cell.
ing with vast mirrors, and fitted with
baths OF silver set in precious stones. At
least it seemed so.
THE most fascinating room in the
whole house is that they call Georges
Library But time does not suffice to
tell of its wonders-its book, aud books,
and books, to drive abibliomaniac fairly
crazy.
SO, dear! 1t is great privilege to
go over the house of millionaire. There
was time when we used to sing Justly,
:! want to be an angel, and yet since
that cventful morning we have changed
our tune, and put it now, Il want to be
O Nanderb ltV"-Prouidence Journal.