The times., 1897-11-21
asone Colonial Homesteads.' 8

The Colonial renaissance seems 10 ne pos
sessed Of real permanency. No influence
In the native literature of The close of this
century has been SO strong as tie interest in
the romance and actuaIities OF our pre-
Revolutionary period. Suddenly, al
most, our noyelists. poets, historians and
antiquarians have discovered fertile field
before Their own doors, and now shey are
working it Hdustnously TO the enlighten-
ment aud enjoyment OF the pu hlic, It the
same tirle rescaLlg from the gathering diff
culties OF rcnoienesS valuable memorabilia.
The smaner causes affecting these ten
denotes may lie numerous, but there is one
chief factor upon which the Others are
dependent. and thati the rise and growth
OF patriotic ancestral societies, ana the
influence of the line or study they beget.
The most delightful phases of our early his
tory were, before the ferreting out CT the
Colonial sccielaires began, hidden in tradi-
ton or were yelloWng and disappearing
in family letters and documents. Search
for ancestral records has disclosed a mine
Of historic value, and the students of his
tory and the lovers OF national antiquities
cannot overestiuate the obligation due the
patriot rlen ara women who uegot and
y
fad aud is now a factor.
one uf the latest literary fruitions Cf
the movement is a volume by Marion
Harand, Some Colonial Homesteads.'
1t contains the stories of nearly twenty ot
the famous homes Of tle pre- Revolutionary
times situated all along the coast frCm
the James River TO the granite hills %
New Hampshire. These have been gath
rsar rlrnrfs IsaN-i
visited every shrine of which she has
written, ard the thorough method, coupled
with tic writer's established literary grace
and polished diction, has produced a
treasure for the appreciatiye. The Illus
tiatious are harmoniGusly excellent, and
give pictorial pernanency to many places
which the tooth of time is eating away
rapidly.
No NiTginian is ignorant Of the Brandon
estates, Upper and Lower Brandon, nor, for
that matter, al e they unknown G. travellers,
from whatever quarter, on the James. These
homeSteads Of the Martins, Harrisons and
Ritchies are the subject OF Marion Harland's
first descriptive chapter. Early IN the last
century as the immigrants pushed up the
then Powhat.In, Brandon was built on the
river baI h. and for nearly zoe wears has
beer maturing gracefully under tie most
conspicuous Of historic associations and hos
pitiable distinctions. Westover is the fine
old mansion If the Byrds and crowns the
finest natural location on the James.
History Is not silent as 10 TINS family
especially William Evelyn BYRD, the second
Byrd Of Wesioyer. the most eminent of his
line who wrote extensively, founded Rich
mond al ''Shuccoe's'' aid Petersburg at
ih, Point ~ AppomaJtoX, aud was record
ed ''the graf Virginia VII and anthor Of
the century"
Shi-Iay. another OF the James River
homes. vas founded ia lG1l, by Sir
Thomas ilale. governor OF the colony OF
Virginia Chiefly renowned for the part
he took ia forwarding the marriage Of
Rulfe and Poeahontas. Robert King
Garter y as one OF the later hDldars, and the
descending line has endowed The home
stead with au incompatible private his
tory. The famous Chew homestead OF
Cliveden is also described Following the
neande-ingS Of the James the writer
course Inevitably brought her to Richmond,
and there she found the Marshall House;
home of the great Chief Justice. one Of
tie stories told in Richmond OF her most
inustrious citizen, eXemplifics two phases
OF his rugged and eccentric Independence:
young man. " ho had lately removed
10 Richmond accOsted a stranger stand
Ing at iAe entrance 10 the market mouse as
old man." and asked II he would not
make nine pence by carrying "A turkey
home for hng' The rusty stranger took
the CUbbisT without a word, ana walked
behind the young householder 10 the lat
ter's gate. Catch said the fresh YOUTH
chGcllng mine pence at the hifeliDg. The
coin was deftly caught and pOcketed, and
a. the old luan turned away well known
citizen. in passing, raised his hat 30 defer
eHtisly that the turkey-bUyer was sur
prised INTO asking: WHO IS that shabby
.'Tne Cnief Justice Of the United States
Impossible stammered the hOrrified
blunCeTer. why did he bring my turkey
home. and take-my nine -pence2''
Probably to teach you lesson III good
breeding aud Independence. He viii give
can Z get rid of the lesson. And he would
carry ten turkeys aud wa TX twice as far for
the joke you have gwen him.
The article on jamestown and Williams
burg which Marion Harland contributed
sumo years ago to the Cosmopolitan, and
the paper on Varina- the home Of Poca-
hontas, which was printed in HarDer's
Weekly, are reproduced, completing a
rare series of historical and descriptive
sketches CT Virgiuia's pride, her Colonial
homesteads, their families and their ira
ditiOns.
The other old homes described are the
Morris House at GermanrCw wn, p nil adelphia:
the Schuylerand CoIfax houses ut Pampton,
n j.; tie Van Cortlandt Manor House,
New YORK: oak-Hiu the old Livingston
ManoI, one OF the IIudson's famous homes.
the Philipse Manor House at Yonl ers: the
Jumel Mansion, on Washington Heights,
New York city;the Smith House, atsharon,
Conn; tie Pierce House, at Dorchester,
Mass and the "Parson Williams" House,
in Deerfied, Mass. New York: G. p
Putnam Sons. Washington; Rrenta-
no. So