The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-22

stone, affording one big sitting-room
below, foored with earth, and rude
dormitories, bunked and blanketed,
above. On the first floor the negroes
loved to lie around the great hearth,
with their feet to the fire, and to sleep
that sleep of insouciant beatitude
which was broken only by the familiar
cry of warning: ''Some fool-nigger's
heel a-burningr'
In the distance was the clumsy wind
mill for the grinding of the maze which
was presently to find itself transformed
and famous in coquetries of johnny
cake and pone, and fap-jacks hattered
with golden butter; and beyond, be-
tween the willows by the creek,
glimpsed and glanced the ripping sill
yer of the bay. with its sleepy coves
and inlets dotted with canoes and
barges. and with the slender spars of
PUNCHES in among the cuddling little
isles. where Sambo tonged for eye
shelters" in the sun, and the larger
fisher took his fnny treasures from the
weir.
Here was land flowing with mint
juleps and blooming with delectable
damsels- Mistress Rebecca Lloyd,
beautiful and gracious, greeted the
newcomer with a winsome courtesy
on the broad piazza, and the grizzled
butler, who had ''toted" his young
missus around SO long that there were
still times when he forgot himself and
called her honey" brought you the
beguiling beverage on a silver salver
engraved with the family arms, and
was distressed if your straw refused to
draw. That broad piazza was burned,
with the rest of the noble house Of
Wye, on March l3, 1871, when British
marauding party looted the plantation
and the mansion, and carried off plate,
jewelry, and watches, swords, spurs.
sashes, and cooked beavers, muffs, tur-
bans, and tippets, wigs, and embroid.
cred waist-coats, plumed hats and card.
inals-the whole splendid plumber of
brave apparel and dainty bedeckings.
The fair Rebecca has long since been
choired among the angels, and the
grizzled butler sleeps with his toes
turned up to the mint; but when
crossed the lawn one kindly day in last
December, was greeted as graciously
by Rebecca's later kinswoman, and
conducted into the great hall, which
never yet, whether in the parent
house or in this. was big enough for
the inequalities it has harbored. The
grand old manor-house gave its body
to the flames, but its soul survives in
the later mansion, where its traditions
of courtesy and kindness are piously
cherished.
Near the site of the historic domi-
Gle, fragment of which still re-
mains, stands the beautiful structure,
impressive by its proud simplicity,
which invites the wayfarer to-day in
the name of eight generations of Ma
ryland worthless who have kept house
there since Edward Lloyd l.. the Pur-
itan, in 1868, set up his son Philemon
to be lord of the manor of Wye and
master of Wye house-incunabula ma
jorum. The main building of two lofty
stories, including the hall, drawing
room, parlor, dining-room, and cham.
bers, all of noble proportions, is con-
nected by corridors with one-storied
wings, in which are the library on
the other, presenting pleasing facade
of two hundred feet, looking out upon
the lawn and the leafy avenue, and
over the woods to Wye river and the
bay.
In Gov Lloyd's time there was GER
tain stewart, or bailiff, at Wye. one
Capt. Anthony, of st. Michael's, at one
time master of bay craft in the serv-
ice of the governor. This man was
the owner of a likely negro boy who es-
capped from bondage, and by his re-
markable powers, requirements, and
address became known to the world as
Frederick Douglass. In 1881 Mr.. Doug
lass, being then marshal of the District
of Columbia, was moved to revisit the
scenes of his childhood and his thrall,
and one day found himself on the
porch of Wye house, where he was re-
ceived by the sons of Col. Lloyd, their
father being absent, with that court
esy which is extended to every stran-
ger who finds his way thither. When
he had made known the motive of his
visit, he was conducted over the estate,
from spot to spot that he remem bered
and described with all their childish
associations; here a spring, there a
hedge, lane. a field, a tree. He called
them by their names or recalled them
by some simple incident, and all the
glowing heart of the man seemed to &c
out to the place as he passed from
ghost to ghost as in dream. And
then strange thing happened: stand
ing mute and musing for while, he
said slowly and low, as one who
talks in his sleep, Over in them
woods was whar me and Mars Dan
useter trap rabbits" Mars Dan"
was the governors son. Was it the
mans half-playful, half-pathetic sense
of the grotesque incongruity of the
situation? Or was it glamor?-an the
tremendous significance of a phenom-
email life compacted into the homely
reflection and phrase of barefoo,
''darky."
He plucked flowers from .he graves
Of dead Lloyds he had known, and at
the table drank to the health of the
master of the old house and of his
children, that they and their de-
.cendants may worthily maintain the
character and the fame of their Al.
,estorS.'