The morning times., 1896-04-12

horses to it in the springtime, when the
grass is young and sweet.
At the right OF the driveway as you enter
the house lot is the kitchen, also built OF
brick. 1t is one of the flanking outbuild-
ings, and was placed away from the house
probably because that source OF comfort,
the black cook. had so many satellites re-
volving around her, and drawing susten-
ance, light and warmth from her center,
that it was absolutely necessary to give her
elbow room. The kitchen does duty now as
woodhouse, and the chickens crawl in and
roost where juicy steaks and hot corn
bread once held sway.
The main house is built in the shape ofthe
letter H and the heavy square wings are
connected by a wide, almost square, hall,
which does not come out as far as the build
ing line. There are no front steps, and
from the appearance OF the house at the
present day, never were. Those whocametO
make visit assembled by the straight. Sc
overlooking stairs shown in the picture. aud
entered the broad hall with it's vaulted
ceiling and dark-paneled walls. The great
warnrlookng fireplace blocks the further
end, and wide. double doors open into the
passageways between the chimneys which
connect with the rooms in the wings. There
are eight chimneys in the house, and tney
are built santing SO that they come to-
gether in two arched groups OF four each at
| the roof.
| The first floor is flush with the ground
and contains the same number of rooms as
the floor above. The rooms were used for
| miscellaneous purposes connected with
| the outdoor life OF the people of the Hail.
| There was a saddle room and harness room
| and a low-ceiled room where the dogs were
| kept in the winter time. Everyone OF the
| eighteen large rooms in the house has its
| open fireplace and in the majority OF them
| there still remain the great, heayily-CaTved
| iron fire-dogs.
] An effort has been made to furnish the
| house as nearly as possible in the old
| fashioned way. There are large four-Dost
| bedstcads in every sleeping room. ard tail,
! hardwood ''dressers,' with shining brass
| knobs and deiicate!y-carved, slender spin
die legs, for which collector OF antiquity
| would pay a small fortune. In the hallway
| the heavy oak floor is as smooth and even
| as the day it was put down. and many a
| dasbing gallant has led his stately Phyllis
| through the formal figures OF the Virginia
| reel over its polished surface. A square,
! hcavlly-nlade oak table stands in the center
| covered with Old-fasbi0ned glass dishes He'd
| with wax flowersand placed on fuzzy. many
cOlored wooden mats, in precise array.
AN ANCIENT INTERIOR.
Between the deep window seats the walls
are lined with heavy. black wainsc0ting To
| the height of mans waist, ami the panel
ing reaches from there up tOthe ceiling. Be
bind it, in the reCesses Of the thick walls
is the priceless treasure Of the old house
! rows upon rows Of dust-cOveTed books in
heavy. uld-fashioned bindings, iiue the
| shelves. They form what is perhaps the
oldest library in the United States and are
almost beyond value. Tie visitor may
/ feast his eyes. but he must not handle them.
| The first Lees eagerly acquired all volumes
pertaining tp their adopted Country. aud
the shelves are rich in early histories
They thanlhed the pages OF The General
Historic OF Virginia, 'PuFchds. His PIT
srimmes'' and The True Discourse Of the
Present State Of Virginia." All the ROOMS
on this floor are large. high Coilcd and well
lighted. There are ancient egg-Shaped
brass nobs ON the doors with pOnderOus
bolts ana fastelinsS. winding stair
way leads to the floor above and out on to
! the square platforms built between he Chini-
/ neys. There lisa beautiful view upand down
The river as rar as the eye can see. and off
over the rolling pinc-clatF country To the
sUath and west.
Al the northwest corner Of the house i
the square brick dairy. built on the same
! plan as the main house To the hight, a.
YOU face IL, is the laundry, with The rem
Hants OF Il wide brick walk twisting away
tween the trees 10 he spring-hou>e in
! a iitt!e vuney 500 yards away. At the
| back of the house the Kitchen TANKS Jne
corner. and the office OF the oyerseer. the
house servants quarters and the great
stables, with accommodations for over
a hundred horses, stretch away in a long
BRICK row. Al the right OF the house be-
tweCn the laundry and the kitchen, are
four great beech trees. Their branches
tower high above the chimney tops and
sweep across the shingles in the winter
winds, Their very presence beSpeakS Il
time Of long ago. and their mOss-grc WI
trunks. covered with the initials of many
an old Virginia name, vie in giving an ap-
pearances of ancient respe eta bility to the
place, with the pictures of sober. earnest
looking men. bedimmcd with age an.i
darkcnng in their massive silt frames,
which hang on The walls inside.
To the east, the woods, which come up
from the bluffs along the river bank. press
close against the wall of the garden. and a