Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-24

IA.
tides. The little boys, jefferson and Toe
ehmbed up 70 tho lips Of these " nretty
ladies'" and showered kisses on then TN
entaolature was Apollo in his chariot In
o0Sso refaec0. Another was A charmino Gov
cepnon OF Cupid and Psyche, with Gnido's
aurora Tor the entablature. A ladv more
IN love with art than learned In nro.
n,ounelhg gaZetteers, said, with pleasure
SHINING through her eyes II do 40 love
Cupid and Pish, sometimes FORGET I snv
one Is talking TO me in gazing al them y
Ire tastes, and to some extent the occn-
pations and habits, of the master of n
house, he, az IN this case, assisted Tho
Wchitect IN his design, are built in the
eTiok and mortar, and like the maiden's
blood IN the great bell, they pro-
claim aloud sympathy OF war with
those whom II shelters One feIt
here the pleasant sense of being in the
nome OF cultivated. liberal. fine gentle.
man, and that he had dwelt there in peace
tul Interchange Of kind Offices with his
neighbors. The garden, planted in cherry.
apple, and pear-trees, sloped in steep ter.
races down the hill to Join the plain he
low. To this garden or pleasnnce came
always in my minds eve lovely woman.
seen only by the eye Of faith, as she walked
there IN maiden meditation"
Every old Virginia gentleman of good
social position who came 10 see us looked
out on the grounds and said
Win a tone OF tender regret something
hSe thls:, This house was perfect
when lovely Mary Brockenbrough used
10 walk there, singing among the
flowers -; and then came a description
OF her high step, her dgni6ed mien, her
sweet voice, and tho other graces which
take hold of our hearts with gentle touch
and hold them with q grip of steel. At
hrst II seemed odd and we regretted our
VISITORS disappointment. but after awhile
Mary came to us, too, and remained the
tutelar goddess Of the garden. Her name
became q household word. Whether
Mary would approve was a question my
husband playfully asked when he liked
the arrangement of the drawing-rooms.
NExT-DooR SEIGHBoR.
Mrs. James Grant lived in another fine
old house next door 10 us, and with her
we formed a lasting friendship, which was
testified on her part 10y every neighborlv
attention that kind consideration could
suggest. If Mr.. Davis came riding up the
street with General Lee and their staff Off
GERS gathering after them Mrs. Grant
heard them and sent come dainty which
her housewitelY care had prepared or fruit
from her farm on the outskirts of Rich
mOnd. If our children were i'll she came
full Of hope and kind Offices TO cheer us by
her good sense and womanly tenderness.
Tho very sight Of her handsome face
brought comfort 10 our hearts. She fed
the hungry, visited the sick, clothed tho
naked, showed mercy TO the wicked, and
her goodness, like the city set upon the
hill, could not be hid" her brothers,
the Crenshaws, had great 1ourng-mills
near Richmond and made a noble use Of
their surplus IN their unOstentatiOus
Quaker fashion. When -four became
scarce and so high-priced as to prohibit
the use of II TO the poor they dispensed it
with a glad alaCrity to all who were in
need. There were numbers who received
It gratultOusly and daily in small quaint
consumed everything about them the mills
were untouched, and we who believed IN q
special Providence thought they were
saved through the righteousness Of their
owners.
SIMPLE AND SINCERE.
On my first introduction to the ladies Of
Richmond 1 was impressed by the SIM
plicity and sincerity of their manners,
their beauty, and the absence of the glozo
acquired by association in the merely
" fashionable society," They felt the dig
nifty attached to personally conducting
their households in the best and most eco
uOmiCal manner, cared little for fashiona-
bile small-talk, but were full of enthusiasm
for their own people and considered wise
" and answered clearly any praCticalques-
ton which would tend to promote the
good of their families or their country.
/ was impressed by q certain Of
fshness IN their maner toward strangers;
they seemed 10 feel that an inun-
datiOn of people perhaps of doubt
full standards and, at best, of different
methods, had poured over the city,
and they reserved their judgment and con-
hdence, while they prodered large hospi-
tally. II was the manner usually found
in English society toward strangers, no
matter how well introduced, wary well
come. In the more southern and less
thickly settled part Of our country we
had frontier hospitality because 1t was
of the case. in Virginia where
the distances were not so great ind the
candidates for entertainment were more
Numerous, 1t was of necessity more re-
stricted.
We were fortunate in finding several old
friends in Richmond. The Hsrrisons, of
Brandon, and the handsome daughters of
Mr.. Richie, who had been for many years
dear and valued friends. During our stay
there we made other friends who, If
never have the good fortune TO meet
them again, will remain 10 me q blessed
memory. As revert TO the heroic, sincere
Christian women of that self-sacrihcing
1t is impossible TO specify
those who excelled in all that makes a wO-
mans children praise her III the gates and
rise up and call her blessed, and this tri-
butte Is paid 30 them out of a heart full of
tender "reminiscences of the years we dwelt
with them in mutual labor, sympathy, con-
fdence, and affection. They clothed and
cared for their own households, sewed for
the soldiers, made our battle-hags, and
sent their dearest aud only bread-wlnners
TO Give their lives for them. They red the
hungry, cared for the orphans, deprived
themselves of every wOnted luxury to give
il to the soldiers, and were amid their de-
privations so cheerful, as to animate even
the men with hope, When all was lost
thew awaited their fate with as much silent
COURAGE as was evinced by the men. The
exception was a woman who did not nurse
AT some hospital. / did not, because Mr..
Davis felt il was best for me not to expose
the men TO the restraint my presence
might have imposed, and in lieu OF nursing
| issued provisions which had been sent TO
me from the Governor of Virginia and
other persons charitably inclined toward
the families of soldiers.
HELP IN THE HOSPITAL.
Among IUOsb WLlO AdbOAth III bAAD LL.ti-
.als recall now with great clearness Mrs.
Lucy Webb. Miss Emily V. Mason, Mrs.
Phoebe Pember, and as well, Mrs. James
Alfred Jones's beautiful young face, in ato-
5acco warehouse which had been convert
III into u hospital ward for desperately
wounded men. She came forward with
bowl of water and a sponge with winch
he had been wetting the stump Of sui
.eripr soldiers arm. The atmosphere
vas fehd with the fostering wounds,
md must have oppressed her great ~, for
She was Gs fragile as she was beautiful; the
ears brimmed over her lovely eyes as she
sxclained: "Oh, Mrs. DAVIS, there has
been a case of pyamia here, can nothing
be doneYn We took counsel together tor
, moment, and then went TO my husband,
Who had the wounded men camped out
md fortunately only one died. -,
Here [ saw remarkable instance OF the
position our private soldiers occupied at
lome. Some money bad been sent to me
rom Vicksburg to relieve the boys from
Warren county" Hearing that there were
.eyeral at this hospital. / walked from one
md TO the other and tried in vain TO hnd
nan who desired pecuniaIy aid. One FAIR
lsired boy, with cmaclated face and arm
80 oteave looked M and whispered: