St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-09-09
yzsHT TO MOUNT VERNON.

A trip to Washington is incomplete without 4
visit to Mount Vernon. Not only Is TINS urGea
upon you i'll the guide books OF the city, o a
Washn gtonians all agree in suggesting 10 inc
stranger the necessity Of SUcn NlSlt -,
You can easily reach the hal!oWcd spot. Ine
route is by rail or river, the latter peihs i,Hst
frequently adopted by the travelling puollc.
Leaving the city at 10 a. III. by, steamer you 90
down tie Potomac and in one hour and quar-
ter reach your stu ra down o1 the Pote
mac is delightful and exhilaratinS AS the boat o
glidcs by the city cnllvened by the music OF tne
band, one is unconsciously Ntted from tne low
level of the ordinary life into the realm OF
dreamlaud, and the Imagination is given unDrl
died license to revel among the many incidents
connected with and growing out OF the spot you
are about to visit However excited your ftncy
may have grown, however great your autlclP1
tons under the magical glow OF your surround
ings, your actual experience after the Visit
proves cOnclusvey that your expectations
wei e more than realiZations, and your Visit has
not only been an agreeable and pleasant one
but has furnished you with an OBJECT lesson, by
Way of illustrating not only that virtue Is It's
own reward but that 1t Is no slight tnlng 10 DC
loved, honored and esteemed by ones country,
| men while alive and gratefully remembered
when dead.
Not only have our people honored George
Washington by giving his name to the hatlou's
capital not only have cities and towns lhhu-
merabe adopted the same Idea, not only mas
the latest admitted State i'll the Union borne the
proud title of lis name, but everywhere
| throughout this land from Maine to California
and from Minnesota TO Inc GulI our people W"
| in acknowledging his great worth and eminent
| virtues. Mount Vernon is one OF the Inks IN
| this chain of grateful remembrance aud more
than any other PLACE vlvldlS recalls 10 the
| American youth the transformations greatness
| of the Father OF His Country Here 1t was
| he retired to spend the balance OF his days IN
| quiet and retirement, after having been deciar-
ed " the first in peace, the first IN war, ana the
| first In the hearts OF his countrymen; mere IL
was he died here it was he was buried, and
here it is that til 'usands upon thousand OF his
spot and keep his memory green in their souls
The world has not seen nor the MUD or man
conceived parallel case In peoples
history; and one risks very little in making the
assertion that so long as the American people
have any history to write, the name, the ME,
| the character, the services and the patriotic
and unselfish example OF Washington will be in
terwOven into the same.
But AM DEPRESSING Landing at the wharf
you follow the footpath up the cminence from
which Mount Vernon looks down upon the river
below. The first point of interest yOu arrive at
Is the grave of the immortal hero and his vile,
who sleep side by side IN Il plain tomb OF white
marble, SUI mounted by brick vault, and open
doors Of barred iron, from which the visitors
can look upon the graves without coming i'll
contact Herewith. Beside these are scve4a al
other marble shafts and monuments covering
the graves OF kindred Of these dead, notably
among which the wri,cr remembers lovely
white shat surmountlnG tie grave OF MIS-. e.
NJ. Com I'D, OF New Orleans, IL relative or the il
lustlious dead. All OF these tombs are remark.
ably well preserved, and particularly IS this The
case with the tomb OF Washington and his wife,
| Leaving this spot The pathway leads direct 10
the house by Way OF the south entrance. just
before reaching 1t you observe to your lett tie
barn erect ed in 1893. This is brlch structure
covered with shingles painted red and is re-
markedly well preserved On the same side
are tie buildings usually attached to a farm,
such as the Kitchen. panty, smoke house, serv-
ants rooms, etc The house Stauds upon pla-
tcau and faces the Potomac on tile east; it has
also a south entrance with a Verandah ever
On
cious gallery extending Lie entire lens,il OF the
building, wiulsu the intel ior Is not at all unlike
our olt-fasilioned southern homes. PMticu,
larry is this the case IN The number OF small
apartments and tie low ceilings i'll all OF them.
The entire properly is kept mp i'll such a way
as to impress the visitor with tho idea that he
is really visiting the home OF Washington as it
existed whilst he lived, and it is no eXaSgcra-
ton TO say that snch surroundings cndOw the
mind With the fanciful idea that tho immortal
dead are about the premises dispensing the hos
FATALITIES of the household.
Hero stands the well with the old oal1cn
bucket inviting one to drink from its waters,
there the kitchen with the old negro servant to
servo you TO a glass of pure milk. Wonder the
barn, with the carriage and horses and driver.
Bey ond, the garden, with the gardener at work
among the fiOwtry beds; and last but not least,
the berry Ginning the dinner hour, calling
about the house tie laborcrs of the place, all OF
which Goes away with Inc desOlatcness and
quiet prevailing at untenanted places. And
light here the writer desires to pay tribute to
the taste, tact and splendid management OF The
Mount Vel non Association, i'll Whose. keeping
the place is. II is to their display OF good udg-
ufent in preserving the Olt traditions Ut tic
spot without supplanting them with anything
new that enhances so much the value of he
place. The grounds, houses, gardens, walks.
yards and trees are kept us nearly alike as they
were during the lifetime OF deceased. The in
terror of the house Ia said to be unchanged. The
ROOMS are maintained the same as formerly,
with the same furniture and the articles apper-
tanning to the several members of the house
hold. He"e is the pallOr with Miss Custis'
harpscnO d and W..sIinst tons flute; there the
family dining room; in tie frOdu the sitting
room, with all SORTS OF relics of he revoluti0n
above, the rooms OF Mrs. Washing ION i'll which
she eXpit ed, Laayelle's room and the guests
room, all bearing the appearance OF lac Occu-
pancy, and so neat and clean as to further ill.,
Vite one 20 pal take o. the hospitality that rus,
have prevailed here when the great man pre-
sided as MASTER o. ceremonies.
In my hurried visit [ could not make very
accurate survey of the many preciOns relics
and mementoes adOrnng the walls and book
cases OF this historic mansion. l however CO.
pied a clause from the will OF Washington,
which is appended to tie foot Of his sword, and
tribute paid to him by the late DR.. Reed, an
eminent English pnlanthropist, in the year
1888, written at his grave and presented to uile
members OF his household. They read as fol-
lows:
junction not to unsheathe them for the purpose
of shedding blood except it be for seli-defence,
or in defence of their country and its rights
and in the lat,or case to keep them unsheateed,
and prefer falling with them in their hands 20
the REIMBURSEMENT thereof"
WASHINGTON.
The Braye-TEe Wise-The Good.
Washington,
Supreme in War, in Council, and in Peace.
WASHINGTON,