Tombstone epitaph., 1891-02-15
QUIET MOUNF VERNON.
Humorous Anecdotes Told bv
 Colonel HoaingsSord.
1neidsats Connected with the asoa..s Litt &zasioa on Che Isanks of shs P0toaase-The One Nsstrai Spot
 During the Civil War.

! turing the time of Colonel Hoilinesford miss the stories of tho humorous super l intendsnt in reyisitihg it's different lo- | aaiiJiss, and feel that pilgrims whs l nave not these associations lose a great ! deal Indeed, writes Mary Lansing in ] the Youths Companion, the stories 1 told of each marathon vgith the relish of ! fresh snecd0Je haunt she spot like l whispering ghosts - ] Who that approaches the house and { pauses at WaShingUons faYorIte resting ! places can forget the reyerential pride ! with which the worthy Colonel repeated . the fact recorded to the glory of tho ] Nation. that through the long civil war l Mount Vernon was the one neutral spoT where Cni0Rist and seoessionist met Ss : brothers, and where all sectional strites were forgotten? .' 7 Upon reschiHg the tomb, as if to apol- ogize for ius simplicity, the Colonel would tenderly say: And you remsm- ber, 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 a great thrill that the only desecrstion of the spot committed during the war. though the soldiers of both armies met daily be- sc-e !c, -@s shat ToiiIO-iIuntssr climbed over the gate and carried away one claw of the eagle"
 Not in malice" he would add, ''tor . he boasted of it on his return to Vir- ginia. He took is simply as 6 relic hunter"
 Then the Colonel's mirthful hGmor would bubble over the seriousness of the scene, and ha would say with an uniorgettab,e twip'-ie: II say distinct F, reHc-hunter! was asked the other lay who Alec Hunter wasp
 From this place he would point out the ice-house which gave rise to Mark Twain's famous story of the lady weep. ing there in passionate sensibility, mis- taking ig for the tomb; and the spot where Washington tbrew the silver dol lar across th3 Potomac clear 70 the other side, linking with it the story of Mir. Eyarts. who. when asked if he believed 1t, replied quickly: Why, yesl A dol Lar went a 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 uot flourish on this soil; but look here" he would saT, the temperance ladies planted this and it lives and fourishes, and, every day. we give is little drop. They wish me to say, however, that the bottle of Wzshinguou's which General - saS taken out O. the wall probably eOntained-Vinegsrl'
 There were all sorts of things taken out of the wall after the falling of the ceiling in the b&ne siHg-rOom, in 1883 or 1884 slippers, sRow-shses, belts, skeleton of a mouse in bottle, etc, all of which were displayed as curios.
 The ''hatcbet story" Colonel Holiings- 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 vas born and where the yeritabls hatchst was p!Owed up from the soil
 His version of was very different from she traditional eherry-tree story. wask- ingSGn. 70 he said, had little eolossd servant who vas the partner of all ais childish PraHks, and when the Efstker soismHly asked about his f&Eorite tree, George boldly replied: Ike did it with my little hatehet-"
 Ia ths ColoneI's story-bag there vsss many pleasant anecdotes of Parsoa m was the delight Of early days, and lmOng them there was one which he old with infinite zest when he would and himself among a party of church. men.
 The good Tarson preached on one occs- sion at little neigh5cring church about five niles distant from Mount Vernon. The coach was sent at the close of serv- ice bo bring the parson to dine with the family of Washington. Riding alone sza loving te tsik, he sell so catechising John on She cOach-bOx.
 ''Are they religious people st Mount VeEnoEF" he asked.
 '-Oh very, very. massaf- vas the re- plg.
 ''Well, what denomination are they Nt Mount Vernon?r
 '-oh, every denomination, every ds- EseiRation az Mount Vernon"
 "Ahl and what may you be, John27
 ''hsl 0 massa, I hain't any religion a. all Fs an Episeopaliap.
 Perhaps nosfoFy wss deareF to bis loyal heart thaH that of the superb mantel ia the bAnguetiag-r g-rCoul, carved in Italy Of the finest Carrzra marble OH it's ions voyage from She Mediterranean shore st met with many perils, and vas captured by pirates who then roamed the high seas in search of plunSes.
 Tho old adage says: There Is honor even among thieves. and 1t is not probabie there beats human heart that has not some good in it if rightly touched So when these wild pirates saw the honored name of Washington upon the boz, reverence and love over powered greed, and they shipped 1t al yzee to Washington's address