Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26

W0rdsmorfh.
ssT'LL NOT STAND THESE OUTRAGEOUS
L carryings-on any longer. I'll not stand
itv
Tho excited speaker was Mistress Alice Head
leigh Of Headleigh Hall. And when Mistress
Alice said that she would not stand anything
you might be sure she meant to ait down on
it"
She Was but a little tiny mite Of woman,
too; not yet twenty years old. with baby face,
with fair skin, red hair, blue eyes md small
features-very sweet and lovely to look upon.
But she was given to express her will freely,
and to have 1t obeyed promptly. 1. is mis-
take to think that your TALL muscular female is
the strong minded woman and tho family auto
crat. She Is not ut all that. 1t is your fair,
soft, babyish little angel who is really the hus-
band tanner and the household terror.
Mistress Alice Headlight was the owner Of
Maj. Hercules Huntington Headleigh and OF
his house and lands, his slaves and cattle and
everything that was his including a brave,
honest, generous heart.
And this is their story:
In the early days of the District. at short
distance across the Eastern Branch bridge
upon thickly wooded hill. overlooking tho
river and the young city OF Washington, there
stood an old gray stone house, the center of an
III.
was Headlight Hall, which had been in the
possession Of the Headlight family from the
first settlement Of this part OF the country. 1t
was soon after the peace Of 1915 when Her
cnles Huntington Headlight came into his es-
tate he was a man of whom the worst that
could be said was that he was too fond of con-
VITALITY, and even that was an inheritance
from his joyous race. His father was killed at
the battle of Bladensburg. He himself had served
through that war and at its close had been mus
In lva IL -
he retired to his estate across the Eastern
branch. ITO cultivate his paternal acres?
10 raise tobacco and improve cat.le?"
Not at all That he left to his overseer and his
negroes, while he himself lived free and easy
and conyivinl life: kept bachelors hall" and
instituted series of revols that caused the pro-
fame to play upon the time-honored name and
pervert Headlight Hall into .Headlons Hall"
such revels rs would in our days of sobriety
and temperance be considered Every bad
form, but, in the days OF our grandfathers OF
fast living and hard drinking, were dignifiod
by the name OF ''princely hospitality" Very
popular were the stag suppers' Of young
Mai. Headlight, not only amonGhis young COM
panlons OF the neighboring plantations, but
also among the members OF Congress. who
during the session. were accustomed to vary
the designations Of fashionable life in the city
by crossing 1.-The branch" and making "a
night OF it at Headlight Hall. They we're
always sure OF welcome, however unexpected
merry troop Of horsemen, sometimes as a
| sleighing party. always sure Of an uproarious
greeting and q cOnvivial night in house where
there was not lady or even white woman to
act as a restraint upon their late hours or noisy
songs and carousals. This was bad enough,
but really there was nothing worse. Young
Headlights housekeeper was an old colored
woman, who used to rate her master in good
round terms for his misdemeanors and tell him
plainly that she was ashamed to let people
know whom she belonged to.
People began to wonder why young Head
leigh did not marry. He was thirty years old
and very handsome fellow-tali broad
shouldered, dark-eyed. And more than one
sweet girl lowered her ewes and voice when
casually speaking with him at church. fair or
races But he was proof against such soft WOO
ing. He was not "a ladys man." He did not
intend to put his neck under the matrimonial
yoke.
But his time came at last. When a down
right siege was laid to his heart, hand, fortune
and freedom by dowager with house full of
marriageable daughters, every one of whom
was as redoubtable as the mother. He felt
himself in deadly danger of falling into the
hands OF his most dreaded bugbears-a wife
and mother-in-law. He cast about in his
mind wildly for some means of escape from
imminent slavery. He thought of running
away; of going to sea; of going west of going
anywhere, anywhere out of the world" where
possible mothers-in-law went about like roar
ing lions seeking whom they might devour"
But he hated travelling almost as much as matri-
mony.
One day he clapped his hands upon his knees
and cried out:
Il have it. If must marry, sooner or later
m blessed if don't go and marry little Alice
on hand! Then they will let me alone. She's
as good as no wife at all She's a nonentity
won't bore me, won't interfere with me
IN any way, and, above ALL won't bring me a
mother-in-law, or any other nuisance-in-law to
interfere with my freedom"
Little Alice SOmervile was his cousin and his
orphan ward. She was the heiress of Sunny
Slope. small plantation on the Eastern branch
Now, at the age of eighteen, she was n parlor
boarder in the Young Ladies' Academy in
Georgetown, where she had been educated.
He lost no time in going to the boarding
school and proposing to Alice. He was her
honored guardian. She accepted him.
He gave grand bachelors supper at Head
leigh Hall at which he announced his approach
ing marriage. 1t was a shock! But his guests
DID the proper thing in the way of congratu-
lating him.
Two days later he married ''sweet Alice" and
brought her directly home to Headlight Hall.
On both sides 1t was cool blooded a marriage
as II 1t had been arranged" by aristocratic
parents. But he was by no means prepared for
the position she promptly assumed as both
mistress and master of the house. and still less
for the ascendancy she speedily gained not
only over his free agency, but over his free
Will. The truth Is that during the HONEYMOON
he fell deeply in love with the wife he had
married in cold blood q protection from
calculating old women with manageable
daughters, and lie became the slave OF her
whom he had taken to secure his freedom
As 1t was late in February when the bride was
brought home and Congress adjourned OH
the 18th OF March. there were no more sudden
inroads from Washington by riding sleighing
parties to make q night of it, at Headleigh
Hall that season. And the young planters in
the neighborhood came only in the daytime
and In company with their mothers and sisters
to pay their respects to the newly married pair
The only festivities were dinner and dancing
parties given and returned until the arrival OF
Lent put an end to them.
But the bridegroom was so contented with the
company OF his young wife that he wanted no
other until early winter brought him rival in
her affections in the form OF boy baby, of
whom he was naturally very proud, and with
whom In company with the mother he liked to
pass much Of his leisure time But as he grew
accustomed to his honors ths Charm Of novelty
wore OF.
Congress was in session: and ono night
In December, when the moon shone brightly
and the snow covered tho ground. Maj. Head
leigh sat in his den down stairs with his dogs
and his guns and his pipes and tobacco and
Mistress Alice sat in her chamber reclining in
an easy chair with her baby in her lap and her
NANNY" at hand to wait on her. the holy
silence Of the night was broken by tho merry
sound Of sleigh bells.
The major iumDed nm }ovonslv IA yneef The