The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28

Georgetown. three miles away, with a des-
perate.y bad road between IL is refreshing
In the chorus OF discomfort which rose when
tie officials and their families took posses.
sion 10 discern one voice Of announcement
and praise. Mrs. Adams, the Presidents
wlie, confessed that things looked pretty
badly, but wrote: 1T is a beautiful spot.
capable OF any improvement, and the more
l view It the more l am delighted with il. ~
Inc President, too. seemed to be hopeful,
ana MS frst message to congress from the
new white house called down blessings on
the new city.
PRESIDENT ADAMS KIND WORDS.
May this territory" he said, "he the
residence Of virtue and happiness. In this
CITY may that piety and virtue, that Wis
dom and magnanimity, that constancy and
Sef-goyernment which adorned the great
character whose name IL bears be forever
held In veneration. Here and throughout
our country may simple manners pure
morals and true religion flourish forever
simple manners and q simple mode of
NE were quite necessary TO all " sshing-
tonlans then, but TO David Burns they we're
natural Ia the small gathering of people
VINO were already on the spot when congress
ana the President arrived there was no man
70 whom 1t was a more important event
than 1t was to David Burns He was now
OLD and decrepik The daughter whom he
had wished to bring up in secluslon was a
beautiful young woman, destined soon TO
become a reigning queen Of society and to
leave behind her a name moro widely known
even than old Burns own.
Christmas came and congress took a
weeks holiday, and the little city made
merry as best 1t could. It was at any rate.
an established fact now, and the people who
owned 1t could make or mar it according as
they saw fit.
NOT MUCH SOCIAL ENJOYMENT THEN.
There were very few people in Washing
ton then, and the social amusements at a
eongressman's disposal were few indeed.
he was not accustomed, either, to such a
primitive life, for during the ten years pre-
cedlDg the removal to Washington congress
had met in Philadelphia, then probably the
most cultivated, as it was the most
luxurious, city in the country. All at once
the senators and members found them
selves in place where IL required a strug-
gle TO get the necessaries OF life and where
tnere were as yet no luxuries attainable at
all. The few people who constituted the
residents of the city thus must have seen
each other frequently, and the cottage of
DAVID Burns was much resorted to. He
was now enormously rich, but he lived sim
ply. lie continued to celebrate his Christ
masses In his cottage. He might have built
as nne mansion as any in the neighbour
hood, but he did not care to, or perhaps he
felt too old. Christmas of 1901 passed as
had Christmas of 1900, except that
now the cottage was being sought
out by gallant young men who wanted
to see the beautiful heiresS. Maria Burns
bier father saw no more Christmases. He
had seen a nation born and grow to vigor-
Gus life; he had seen his broad acres yield
golden crop of houses and streets. he had
seen his old wife die; he had seen his only
son. his pride and joy, die. What mattered
ell the improvements that had comet Was
he any better off than be had boon beforel
The profit was for Others than old David
Burns. He died in 1902, and when the
next Christmas came around there was no
one of his name to rejoice, for the ''heiress
OF Washington" was now known as Mrs.
John Peter Van Ness.