Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-06-05
A Virginia Ghost

The horizon 90 Gbe rickety CID worm fence,
thinking SO lntcntiy that he haG not spoken;
hut uow ne seemed to sudd1E:% remember
something, and looking up, said :
"Hev you never heerd O. toe ghos' o
Gseenwsy 2"
Yes, we mad, but this irquiry was excit-
Ing, for We were nos eyiihir thrse miles Of
that historic old conyt. And though we
krew 1t perfectly we'll, we listened while
he tcld US all about 1t, but 1t took an hcur. 1t
wae then high noon. md throwing upward
glance at the sun, he rsokoDed sit
wur mos time fer dinner" and then passed
away after having duly invited as.
Over to the weet at sundown on that
same dag, we drew rein before the site OF
th @ preeent "Greenway Court"
.Yus, sub Every evenin', jes I'll take
de cogs outen de field ole massa kneel dere
en- de sroun' in de dawk sn cry; TO- dee
ray be love- pretty lady in Ole E1glan'
when he wur q young msD, an' dat's why
| he come 10 ole VirgiDny ccuntry-'cauee
she did'n' keer fo' h!n. Aad dee say he
neber loved 'nothes'n al! his life.
"Yes, sub en- VI you not feerd go out
vi me to take DC cattle en- de fel' and jes'
| we come home you'u see ole uoassa oryin'
dere."
The speaker sat on the door Of an old
stone building whose quaint architecture and
mouldeiipg walls bespoke the uss of many
| generations.
1t wss Just sunsst, and as the last rays of
ligh. fell end died Oh the fece of this old "un-
canpy" negress, putting away at her pipe
and dreaming over the scenes OF brighter
Rnd happier days, we found II not haTd to
believe her story. Indeed, we fancied as
| We stood there and night gathered SO quick
| ly around Us, that through tie window we
could see the old map sitting of his desk
aud writing, for THE was the Office used by
that remarkable old gentleman, Thomas,
Lord Fairfax, Baron oi Cameron.
SHALL not attempt to tell yen the charsc-
ter of this cid royal9t; he is well.known
| as the tell gaunt gentleman, with his bursts
of wit and hnmor, his spells OF melancholy,
as stern cid king over, tho friend Indeed
and In need OF the poor young Addison,
and the former preceptor of Washington,
| whom be employed in his youth to survey
the immense tract of five million acres of
land In this pleasant Valley of Virginia,
We promised the cid dsrkey, after listen
ing some time to her strange mutterings,
| that we would likely come sgaia after tea
| and go with Ter to the fields (for abs insist-
| ed that wss necessary to ees the ghost OF
old Lord Fairfax.
| Here, at about mile fsom ths present vii
| laga Of White Poet, he built the great broad
gablsd Lodge, hnd calling it "Gresnwsy
Court" passed the iemaiui1g days OF HE
lonely life. &c always lived bachelor and
cared little, they say, for the society OF the
falr zsx, trying hard by life ofactivity and
revelry end seclusioo 10 kill tbs memories
OF the unrequited love Of bis youth yet en-.
| deavor es be would, there Were moments
ghen the old love would triumph, and 1t
was in an hour oi sbs kind whsn the old
fellow returned one evening from Winchei-
Ter, 12 mlles away (wher6 ne also hsd an o.
| fcel, to look, as is afterwards proved, for
! the las. time upon the sceaes at "Gfeeoway
| Court"
Oo this evening at about dusk, he walk
ed down over the deWy lawn TO the coEDer
| of Tie yard and there kneit beneath the tall
oedara and wept for q long hour, mutterlng
| brokenly the name of HE only love OF long
ego. Then returned to the house, restless
beneath those hooda of remorse and Giaap-
pointment, mounted his horse and rode to
| Winchester, from whence he never return
ed.
There occurred, few days af.erward,
that pathetic ecene between him and his
faithful servant, when, sick IN heart and
BODY, he heard the exuting populaoe shcut-
! in the street over thu nawe o! the SURRENDER
OF the English armies, snd exclaimed {:
Take me TO bed, Joe, IT is time icr me TO
die" and passed away. That Washington,
| the curly haired boy who had ep0rted over
his Lawn hare at Greenwey, had led the
Americans to a final victory over the En-
glish and s1sir king was toe much for the
4 t,5 5oo f-r sY,f m
die.
In secluded part CT the old burying-
ground ut Winchester, e simple sao marks
tbs place where he rests, alone.
The COWS stood silent in the bern-3ard
awaiting the hour when they were to be
again set free. The lsst faint glimpse OF day
was diving on the Virginia hills. We stood
there, at the appointed hour, nervously
ewsitipg the movements Of tee Degress who
was gtir,ing about In tbs dairy beneath the
hiIl. Wandering pear old places of this
kind. certain feeling Of awe and unrest
oyertakes you, and try SIS you will to suG-
press them, the chills will creep up the back,
and unconsciously, mechanically you look
behind you. =,
As ne stood .hera In the twilight, with
tho crest tsil trembling shades lowering
over tho old court in veil of mystery and
darkness, with the village bells mile away
toling isintly on the quiet air, we thought
and felt that 1t would lot De difficult mat
ter to see the little old lore, periwigged and
beruffled, without the aid Of the old darkey.
Not q sound was stirring now. We we're
growing very uncomfortable wondering why
the old woman did not come.
Presently we heard the great bnrnyard
gate creak on its rusty hinges, and though
ge could distinguish nothing bat shad-
ow moving, we felt sure she had come at
'''sS "Sook ! Sock ! 500. o-kie !'' This quaint
ffnIdS cali assured US, for the tone In which 1t
was uttered ccnld come from no one else.
rhoH ~. "a n9ESs heosn to move ard following