The Worthington advance., 1890-11-06
iQUIET MOUNT VERNON.
! Humorous Anecdotes Totd BY
Colonel Hollings6ord d.

C0IOnel dOu100s1O<0 Isl
Eneideats Connected with tho Modest
Iltt;s Mansion ON the Hanks Of the
Rotomae-The One Neutral Spot zs.
During the Civil War.
Persons familiar with Mount Vernon
during the time Of Colonel Hollingsford
miss the stories of the humorous super
intendent in revisiting its different To-
calities, and feel that pilgrims who
have not these associations loso . great
deal. Indeed, writes Mary Lansing in
the Youths Companion, the stories
told Of each narration with the relish OF
fresh anecdote haunt the spot like
whispering ghosts. .-:.....ss /.
Who that approaches the house and
pauses At Washington's favorite resting
places can forget the reverential pride
with which the worthy Colonel repeated
tho fact recorded to the glory Of the
Nation, that through the long civil war
Mount Vernon was tho one neutral spot
where Unionist and socessionist met a.
brothers, and where all sectional strifes
were forgotten? = J.. -: ..~: =
:, Upon reaching the tomb, as If to apols5
ogises for Ata a. 5simplicity, the, Colonel,
would tenderly say: And you remem-,
Der, Washington said in his will: And
the tomb shall be of brick"
Then pointing to the eagle within. the
tomb, he would tell you with great
thrill that the only desecration Of the
spot committed during the war, though
the soldiers of both armies met daily be-
fore it, was that q relic-hunter climbed
over the gate and carried away one claw
Of the eagle"
"Not in malice," he would add, "for
he boasted of it ON his return to Vir-
ginia. He took it simply as a relic
hunter"
Then the Colonel's mirthful humor
would bubble over the seriousness of
the scene, and he would say with IN
unforgettable twinkle: II say distinct
~, relic-hunter! was asked the other
day who Alec Hunter was?'
From this place he would point out
the ice-house which gave rise to Mark
Twain's famous story of tho lady weep
ing there in passionate sensibility, mis-
taking it for the tomb; and the spot
where Washington threw the silver dol
lar across tho Potomac clear to the other
side, linking with it the story Of Mr..
Evarts, who, when asked if he believed
it, replied quickly: why, yes! A dol
lar went q great deal farther in those
days!"
Wandering on, he would point out the
storied shrubs and trees, the magnolia
planted the year that Washington died,
which. only ninety years old now, Is
coeval with the century; the trees
planted by the Emperor of Brazil, Dom
Pedro, and by the Prince of Wales.
."They died and were planted again;
died; planted again; died. Royalty can
not flourish on this soil; but look here"
he would say, 1.-THE temperance ladies
planted this and it lives and fourishes,
and, every day, we give it little drop.
They wish me to say, however, that the
bottle of Washington's which General
-s saw taken out of the wall probably
contained-vinegar!''
There were all sorts of things taken
out of the wall after the falling of the
ceiling in the banqueting- room, in 1883
or 1884, slippers, snow-shoes, belts,
skeleton of mouse in bottle, ETC., all
of which were displayed as curios.
The "hatchet story" Colonel Hollings-
ford maintained, belonged to an earlier
day than Mount Vernon, and the scene
of it he laid forty miles further down
the river. on the farm where Washing
ton was born and where the veritable
hatchet was plowed up from the soil.
His version of it was very different from
the traditional cherry-tree story. Wash
ington, 50 he said, had little colored
servant who was the partner Of all his
! childish pranks, and when the father
solemnly asked about his favorite tree,
George boldly replied: "Ike did it with
my little hatchet-"
In the Colonel's story-bag there were
many pleasant anecdotes of Parson
Weems, whose Life of Washington"
was the delight of early days, and
among them there was ono which he
told with infinite zest when he would
find himself among party Of church
men.
The good parson preached on one occa-
sion at a little neighboring church about
i've miles distant from Mount Vernon.
The coach was sent at the close Of serv-
ice to bring the parson to dine with the
family of Washington. Riding alone
and loving to talk, he fell to catechising
John on the coach-box.
"Are they religious people at Mount
Vernon?" he asked.
"Oh very, very, NASSAU was the re-
ply; :,
at Mount Vermont"
."Oh, every denomination, every de-.
nomination at Mount Vernon"
"Ah! and what may you be, John?''
"Me! O massa, hain't any religion
at all! rs an Episcopalian.'
Perhaps no story was dearer to his loyal
heart than that of the superb mantel in
the banqueting-room, carved in Italy Of
the finest Carrara marble. On its long
voyage from the Mediterranean shore it
met with many per;ls, and was captured
by pirates who then rvamed the high
seas in search Of piunder.
The old adage says. There is honor
even. among. thieves" and it Is not
Probable there beats . human heart
that has not some good in it, II rightly
touched. So when these wild pirates saw
tho honored name of "Washington''
upon the box, reverence and love over
powered greed, and they shipped it at
once to Washtngton's address.
A Woman Physician in China.
DR.. King, an American. woman, occu.
pies the somewhat enviable position OF
physician-in-ordinary to one of the most
distinguished statesmen in China. Her
practice in Shanghai is large and valua-
BILE, and some of her successful surgical
operations have elected the warmest
praise from her brother. physicians.
There is = great field in: China for the
woman doctor, and those who are strug.