Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-10-10
frss grsss.
". W. d. GALLAHER, Editor.
CharIesto,0,,, JEFF erso', County, west Ia.
october 10, 1894.
The National Capital.
MLign C.alcIord b CenllnN.

I
Washington is city planned and built
solely for the purpose Of government 1t
is probably the only capital in the world
which has had such an origin which is
named after nations first leader, laid
out according to his individual views, and
beautifed, to some extent, according to
his ideas of beauty. Washington as it
stands today, may be said to be the ex-
preston of George WashingtOn's inten-
ton and personal taste, and, in a conse-
quent way, of his character. The plan
of the city reminds one of the mans face
with its large, quiet features, its calm
symmetry, and its singularity unobtrusive
individuality. One might almost say
that the face of Washington the man, like
the face of Washington the city, was
characterized by its magnificent distan-
ces." We even feel a little, in spite Of
what we know of his youth, that the man
himself was "planned and built solely for
purposes of government"
Strangely enough, too, the features of
the first President, as we know them from
his many portraits, remind one irresisti-
bly,, by their almost supernal calm, of
some Of these beautiful heads of Buddha
modelled in the far east by the hands of
believing men; and his capital recalls
very strongly the modern and English
portions Of such an Indian city as ALA
habad, for instance The beautiful trees,
the endless, perfectly smooth roads, the
brick houses, the dark faces of the color
ed population, and, above all, the moist
softness of the sunny air on summer days
when it has lately rained, are points
which Washington has in common both
with Allahabad and Bombay, and which
cannot fail to strike one who has lived
long in all three places.
In Washington almost everything is
meant to be enduring, and in one sense,
which is a good sense, there is, perhaps,
no city in any part of the world where
conventional standard has been arbitrari-
ly adopted with such determination and
adhered to with such consistency through
out so long period of time and on the
whole with such good results. There is
no city in the world, l think, where so
many public buildings are Of Greek style
and yet so unobtrusive.
But in these days of specialism it is for
specialists to talk Of architecture, and it
is the province of the novelist to enjoy
such fiction as he can find in the world
and to make it enjoyable for others. 1t
must be, in spite OF its cOnventionalism,
that Washington suggests romance and
breathes the breath of dream life into the
nostrils of dead statues, and in through
the window of lifeless buildings, and
through all the bright air of blazing mod
ernness in which we, the living ones, have
our being. There is romance-let US not
define the pretty word-in the dim, soft
dawn. when the mists of the river are
surprised in their loves with the sleeping
trees in the fresh morning, when the
quiet streets ring with the double trill Of
the song birds, as each in turn and all to-
gether, and none last, they lift up their
little voice in a long, carOling cheer to the
rising sun; in the broad day, wherein
men work am struggle, and quarrel and
make peace, speak words which all the
nation hears and judges, condemns ap-
proves, or laughs at, as all humanity
laughs or looks grave over its own CEN
tralized self; in the red evening light,
when the prospective of the avenue grows
long and fairy Ike, and the brilliant
equipages roll swiftly and smoothly thro'
the sunset air that reddens the horses bay