Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-10-15

are happy and prosperous. nave
often thought OF that talk we had to-
gether when you frst came to town.
| Did the widow Placids ever tell you
anything curious?"
aYes. my good friend. and all the
mysteries have been made clear TO
me-
"showm--he used q provincial ex-
clamation-"an and about the soul tcoE
Well, doctor, what is it?'
mo, no, no. Not that, ! did not
mean TO answer that question.
"That is deep we'll. Well, you keep
on drawing water and you'll get 70 the
bottom Of it by and by. ! met Grant
the other day IN Providence. He's
Joined the church; no he has given
$4,000 towards the New Interest
Church. Electioneering in my opin-
ion. / take no stock In any person 3
piety unless it governs their conduct IN
life. II a man Is Christian at heart
he will turn to the right, and keep
straight ahead, wont he, doctorY
Heaven lies in that direction. Craeky!
he used another proyincialism
,'how that man has altered. He used
TO speak we'll of everyone; now he Is
So suspicious OF everything. In his
view everybody is dishonest, and he
breaches against sincerity all the time.
Now a man, in the general run, don't
talk much about what is continuous.
An honest man don't talk about hon
esty nor a pure man about purity"
Now tell me doctor, what we're the
the mysteries that You have solyed2'
| did so. He punctuated my MARIA
tive with the provincial intersections
Of the old Pokonok7t country and Mt.
Hope lands.
A year and more passed. Congress
man Grant gave a brilliant reception
in Washington Members OF the
cabinet homored it. On his return TO
Providence he was given reception,
10 which was invited but which did
not attend. He was believed TO have
purchased a denomination as congress-
man; he spent small fortune IN the
effort 10 secure second election. But
he was defeated by that very want OF
public confidence that his own conduct
had brought about. In these struggles
and during this period Of self-eyolutlon
in cunning. craft, duplIcity and insin-
certify. his private business had de-
clined, and he. found himself not only
without the promise OF public place,
but threatened with financial ruin.
In these swiftly changing days, near
the end OF his term in congress, ne sent
me despatch: II read
Come. Van Ness Mansion. Wash
ington, June 10TH
The close OF a long summer day
found me in one OF the strangest and
most remarkable houses in all Amer
lea. 1t Ii still standing but its glory
had gone when saw II last, 1t was used
as d public picnic ground. II i3 near the
Washington monument, on the Dor
ders of the Potomac marshes, place
Of reflected sun and beautiful trees.
How noble and stately 1t looked
even ON low ground, as | was lead to
1t from the main way! Its porticoS
were hung with vines. Roses were
erywhere--there seemed to have
been a flood Of them. The gate open
ed upon cool garden of box and
flowers. In the garden was an old
cottage. 1t once belonged to Davl
Burns, the Seotchman who at first re
fused to sell his plantation to Wash
ington for the site Of the city, but who
was also compelled to do so at last
And who world you have been" said
old Davie to Washington, II you had
not married the widow Cnstis!''
The eirlhood Of lovely Marcia Burns
van Ness, who founded the Washing
ton Orphan asylum, where her por-
tiait may be seen. and at whose funer-
al congress adjourned, is associated
with this messy cottage. Here liter
Mn6rc slept, about the time that his
mind must have been haunted by the
tale Of the "1.ake Of the Dismal
Swamp"
In the main house grand receptions
used Ii be held in the early days Of
the republic. Mr.. Van Ness, who had
married the daughter of Davie Burns,
was the soul Of hospitality When he
died there was such profound sorrow
that legend arose that his six white
horses all fell down dead from grief,
and that they visit tho place on Christ
mas night without heads. For years
the tale Of the six Needless horses was
d terror to the slaves Of the estates
asked a little negro boy on the walk