Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-11-25

Here is anotf or letter, written by To,
same hand, but feebler and more un
s'eady. 1t is to her son John Angus
tine, somewhere about the year 1881
when ths long struggle of the Ameri
can Revo'u ution Was still pending apc
the indepi ndence of the thirteen colo
nies was rot yst on assured fact. Eel
son George had been long away from
her again as commander in chef of the
armies and again was exposed 10 great
perils, and in ihe commotion and un
certa,nlies Of The times it was ratural
that the epistle of the good matron,
now bowed with more than three score
years aud ten, and harrassed by many
cares, should taks ths tings of sur.
rounding circumstances. Soc com.
plains that the times are hard aud that
her estates are not yielding enough fol
her support, 'that she is going fast,
and is like sn old almanack, out OF
dste.n
Two letters more aud we will close
our chapter. They were written by the
Hon. William Fairfax, the founder Of
Bslvoir, on toe Potomac. 1D 1850, &C.
companisd by his son-in-law, Msior
John Carlyle. of Alexandria, he made
a voyage TO England 10 visit such of his
kinsmen and friends as were still liv-
ing in the Id Deighborhoods of his
boyhood. Years OF Gloss attention 10
private and public affairs in Virginia
lad been wearing upon him, and he
ueeded rest. His faithful wife, De.
oorah, had passed away from his side
thl ee years before. His son, Geo. ge
William, and his wife and chldren
were domiciled in the Belvoir home.
The first of the Sc letters is dated White
| Haven, England, July 6. 1850.
The second is dated Loudon, October
of the same year, and both are address
ed to Lawrence Washington. In tt EN-
be gives description CT their voyage
and sea sickness, tells of the comforl
they found in the plum cake with
which they bad been provided by hi
daughter Anne, Lawrence's wife. He
speaks of their remem hrance of ib.
| Mount Vernon and Be'voir fri nds in
their toasts while en- voyage, of tbeii
meeting with corji i friends after lane
! ing in old EGG and, OF trans" :
ing business conpec ed with the 10.
bacco trade, OF their solicitude foI
the we'll and sick at hcma, anG
of the pleasure they had received from
home letters, assures them thati they
will not forget their com missions for
the purchase of tokens in London, and
in concluding indulges the hope tnar
Lawrence Washington and his brother
George will derive benefit from Their
visit to the springs.
A voyage across the Atlantic ocean 10
the Old World in those times was one
of no small undertaking. 1t was a..
event of life time. There were NC
vessels for passengers exclusively, ana
the passage had to be made in the
ships, briys or schooners of commerce,
many of them but poorly provided WIKI
the convenience and comforts. Soms.
times the voy Ager was fortunate if fsvof
ing gales filled his sails and b cross d
over III four or five weeks, Tut oftner
through storms or adverse winds or t,,.
setting calms the time was as macy
months, and generally the freshest ai
v ces" cnronicled by the gazsttes of The
day from England and the other cou1-
tries "beyoDd the seas" were quite cid
reading before they reached the fire
sides of the colonists.
But the old letters-the worn auG
faded letters written by hands which
have been dust for long generations.
Now ard then we take them from their
shrines and read them over as We have
done many tunes before, and then
how they open to cur visions the dim
vistas Of the past. Far away we can
see lonely dwellings, the outposts Of
civilization in the wilderness clearing,
and in their ruddy fire lights are gatn-
cred groups of brave, hopeful hearts,
the makers aud builders o! the neigh
borhoods srd the State. There a,e ind.
ing sails on tha livers and bays; these
are outwarh bound with cargoes of to-
bacco and letters, precious letters, to
the English friends III homes three
thousand miles away, some OF tDem
from brave, hopeful hearts wish cheer
full story OF how their lots had bsen
cast in plea :aat places. Some OF them
per chance from hearts less resolute,
aod repiniDg because OF beseuing stru5.
giles and bardships in the new homes.
And there are sails incoming, with
friends on board, and expected mes
sages, and tokens and presents for the
pioneers in the lonely dwellings. These
are some of the ehadowy throngings of
the vistas which open to US when We
unfold and read the faded letters. Let
ours then be the kindly Office ofgather
ing and preserving such of them as still
remain that they may not be lost.
This searching aud gathering and re-
scuipg from destruction the fsded and
tattered waits Of hearts and fingers of
the long ago is purely labor of love
and kindly instincts 1 know, with no
compensation in dollars and cents, and,
of a GER ainty, there will be some who
will put but little estimate upon our
efforts, and fail to appreciate our mo.
tives and solicitude, but there will be
others, many others doubt not, who
will properly appreciate them and they
shall not have been in vain.
The Greatest Discovery Yet.