Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-21
NO I HIN c.
By VICTORIA CLEMENT.

Broadlawns is much like it's owner. Hill
Hard himself-a fit expression of his origin
his character. his culture. 1t is large, dig
nified, little somber. but noble. Just as
he is genial. though imposing. so the great
house is home. not a castle nor hall
although il is immense in the size and
number of it's rooms and in the length to
which it's low front and ellis extend along
the velvet lawn. This lawn. too. is town
site in itself and lies inclosed in pretty
landscape of wood. so artistically planned
as to suggest that it must be miles away
from the city which in fact surrounds it
behind mere screen of forest. At his
wife's reception on the fine days of spring
or autumn. the throns of callers easily dis
poses of itself in the spaciousness of the
place so as to give no more than a needed
touch of variety and color to the majestic,
park-like domain.
This lady. by the way. is also a fitting fig
ure for thu great establishment, ample in her
fine blooming physique-rather too much SO.
indeed-hospitable and capable in admins
terng its detail of management, an excel
lent mother of two budding daughters and
three younger children, besides keeping
up fairly we'll with her husbands interests
in letters and the world of society in the
nearby city-a healthy, happy, practical,
busy woman.
Her radiation of cheer is a prime neces-
eity for the guests. as the master of
Broadlawns is hab!tually distract and sad.
Yes, this Iordly patrimonial park has be-
come to him as nothing-itS superb low
terrace, tesselated with old Spanish tiles
and flush with TIE matchleSS lawn, its
bosky dells, its lakelet laden with lilies,
It's far-farned conservatory. the winding
avenues with here and there old elms so
placed as to form English etchings what
ever way you lGok-dll are nothing. Moth
ing-even the grand hamboyant hostess
with all her avoirdapo:s is nothing. The
deservedly idolized lord of all. with the
wealth and health of fortunate generations
summed up in his sturdy six feet of man
hood. Is the only one single neigh
bor. VINO knows how empty IL all is to its
posSeSSor-
He listens absently, replies senten tiously,
though politely. and if let alone, relapses
into abstraction His bored look is. indeed,
remarked by most people, ard explained by
men of the world TO be the safety of one
who has deem born to everything, mas been
everywhere, has seen everything and had
everything By men in his own line of
literary and artistic pursuits, it is attrib-
uted to disappointed ambition; by women,
TO the figure and fashions of madam. To
any, Intimate who mas had the hardihood
to probe too closely-even to his best
friend, his family physician. DR.. Palfrey-
Hll!ard has always replied when asked
If he had any alment or anything on his
mind. Nothing, nothing, l tell your
Well 1t Is next to nothing at
all. measured by any ordinary human
means of eStima ting 1t.
Only this: Fifteen years ago. when his
tall and solid daughters were tots in short
clothes, the distinguished and willowy
figure of the lady of yonder house that
looks so like Mariana's moated grange
showing through break in the woods in
such a way as to compose admirably with
the shaver knoll which rises from the
lily pond, crossed the vision of Broadlawn's
heir.
Mrs Henry is artist. and paints with
The devotion of a professional though
She is an heIreSs of untold wealth. Every
thing about her is studied with an artists
keenness for effect, and she has at her
command the resources of a brilliant mind
and broad culture. Her house fronting
Broadia%ns was designed by herself, and
with an eye to preserving, instead Of in
truding upon the effect of unity in the land
sCape of the great estate. The studio was
made the dominant feature of her house.
Its broad windows taking up half the sec
Old story OF its southern front. For the
rest, II is as exquisite in its suggestions Of
It's owners aesthetic individuality as the
solid grandeur Of it's reighborhcod is of
flilhard's. Her husband has never been
an important factor in Mrs. Henry's house
or life. prosperous wholesaler younger
than herself. with a merchants ccnven-
tional responsibility in ideas. manners and
morals, there has been nothing ever to
complain of IN him. or to give him the
least SAVIOR of any kind So, Mr. s. p
Henry may be permitted to drop out of
this drama
At the time the drama opened the
strange. delightful colored-pos figures of
yaFan via Paris had not been invented; but
mrs Henry was one. In effect. Her train
ca gowns, her head dress out of the Old
Masters. her beautiful long wraps were
either meant to make of her a picture, or
70 form part of the composition in which
sne was to figure: Was 1t field of un-
fringe of shrubs or saplings that She was
70 cross TO make her morning call at
broadlawns-for that environment black
velvet would be her only wear. Was 1t a
spring morning, gray with mist with the
LEAKAGE and turf of the tendercst green
to strike the right cord she donned her
pink silk mantle. reaching to the ground
ana heavily trimmed with white fur. Her
the effect of her fine, long, regular Itai-
aan-like features and never bore the slight
est relation to anything of Partisan mo-
olste make save when Sarah Bernhardt
was set'ing the fashions of the hour for
was not Sarah a painter ana sculptor Hike
hersolfc e
Well. one morning. as the towering. man.
" bulk Of Hilliard and the stained glass
ngure of Mrs. Henry were leaning ON the
opposite sides of the turnstile between their
piaces-while Mr.. Henry, good business
s s was shaving himself at quarter past
Soven In order to take the quarter mast
4ight train. and Mrs billiard was in her
3urseryIt occurred to the two artists
SWno OFTEN found an early morning consult
lon necessary to settle some question
Pr aesthetics) that il he were to nlant
iah. straight Lombardy poplar on his side
~ tne turnstiie. and she a weeping birch
with Its fine feminine drapery on her side.
1ne Two you'd compose" to absolute per-
Section 1t also occurred to both as this
Hemortal of their joint work grew, the
yirile poplar would be touched by the
Trembling birch. and then 1t occurred to
lem that. ike their trees. they too were
ecounterparts," the one the perfect COM
4iement Of the other, made for each other
On high and only separated by a hedge
sow, stile and sundry conventions, per-