The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-06-27
JEFFERSON DAVIS'S HOME.

JEFFERSON DA HOME.
Julian Ralph in Harper's Magazine.
By the wood road the back OF
Beauvoir is first reached, and ia
found to be a tract OF ten acres,
devoted to the cultivation OF the
scuppernong grape. The vineyard is
a scene of disorder and neglect. The
rude arbors are rotting and falling
upon the vines, and the young
p%ersimmon and pecan trees that have
been set out there are endangered
by the weeds that grow riotously, to
e1aggerate the suggestion Of desola-
ton. The mansion is around a bend
of the road, commanding the dark
blue Gulf, from behind ample
grounds whose fence separates the
place but does not hide its beauties
from the white beach drive that
skirts the water. The gate was tied
up, and the house was closed, 80 that
had 1t been pointed out to me as
a haunted house, abandoned by its
owners, the scene presented there
would have been exactly accounted
for.
1t has been q noble place, and
could be made 30 again with little
trouble and expense. No house that
l have 8 en- in the south is more
eloquent of the full possibilities of
the ~aristocratic baronial life of the
r2SAsJre before she war. To look
upon it even now is to recall a thou
sand tales and anecdotes of the
elegant life, the hospitality, and the
comfort of the old regime. Tho
main house is a great, square, low
building, with a gallery on three
sides, reached by a broad, high
fight of steps. A great and beauti-
full door leads to a wide central hall
way, through which one could see,
when the house was open, either the
blue Gulf and the distant islands in
front, or the great oaks with their
funeral drapery of Spanish moss in
the rear. Two other similar but
smaller houses stand, like heralds of
old hospitality, n little forward on
either side of the mansion. Both
are square, ~red-rooted, one-story
miniatures of the manor-house. Each
has its roof reaching out to form
a broad porch in front. One is tho
bachelors quarters, for guests and
relatives of hat unhappy persuasion,
and the other is Mr.. Davis's library
and retreat. There everything is as
he loved TO have it arot nd him when
he sat indoors, and out on the beach
is the ruin and wreck Of a seat under
some live oaks where he used to sit
and look upon the broad water aud
reflect upon his extraordinary AMI
buildings is the usual array of out
buildings, such rs every southern
mansion collected in its shadow
the kitchen, the nts' quarters,
the dairy, and the others.
went into the little library build
ing and saw his books, his pictures,
his easy chair and table, sni--be-
hind the main room-his tiny bed
room and anteroom, the bedroom
being SO small that it could accomo.
date no larger bed than a mere cot
which is showed against the window.
His books would indicate that he was
interest in history. In a closet he
kept a remarkable collection OF
prayer-books, and in an open case
were many volumes of novels, which
the care-taker of the place called
"trasb," and accounted for with the
explanation that Mr.. DAVIS main
tanned a sort of circulating library
for the use of his ex-Confederate
soldier friends. The pictures that
still hang upon the walls struck me
as a strange collection. One shows
some martyrs, dead, in a gladiatorial
amphitheatre; one is of a drowned
girl floating beneath a halo in a night
darkened stream; one is a portrait of
our Saviour beside several madonnas;
and only is a military picture.
Thitber came constant visitors, for il
was the sthing to do" in Biloxi-too
much 80 for the privacy and comfort
of the family, 1 suspect; but it is rec
elected that Mr.. Davis delighted in
showing his library to all who called
after ~ O'Clock DON The main
house was seen only by those who
had a claim upon his affections. ]
visited it and found it made up oil
noble rooms and decorated with
fresco work. But nearly all the fur
niture and ornaments and pictures
were packed up or covered as II
ready for removal. The effect upon
, my mind was sad and almost tragic,
) and l fastened from the widespread
scene of havoc and neglect, which
, even then threatened the house
itself.