The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-28
THE CHILD OF
OUR CH|EFTAN
One Who Knew and Loved
Her Speaks.
BACK FROM HER GRAVE
SHE CAME TO US AMID THE
CLASH OF ARMS.
A QUEENLY WOMAN LIKE FEW OTHERS
Her Wonderful Charm and Magnetism. How
the Batle-scaned Veterans of Con-
federacy Loved Her. Picture of
Her Home Life,
Her Home Life.

Fayetteville, n c., Sept. 27.-(Spe-
cial)-I am just back from the new
made grave of "our Winnie" the child
of our Chief, and the Daughter of the
Confederacy, and best beloved of wo-
mankind amongst her fathers peoppe.
With the setting sun we laid her to rest
two days ago by the side of her immor-
tai sire, worthy daughter of such sire.
| knew and loved and honored the lost
from boyhood days, to that hour when
life eliminated in halo such
rs has never been accorded to any
other of the sons of Adam. That love
extended to his bright, beautiful, gifted
daughter almost from the day that she
first dawned upon us as an exquisite
human flower amid the clash of arms
around the beleagured capitol and the eX-
piring throes of the mightiest and most
momentous effort of Revolution that has
disturbed the dreams of the sons and
daughters of men until the present mo-
ment. And so in speaking or writing of
either, l must be pardoned for INDUCING
in strong eXpletive and redundant adj
jective
1t was my proud privilege to occupy
almost identically the same place at the
head of the grave, as each was lowered
therein. Thousands and tens Of thou
sands were ranged around on each oc-
easion. 1t was my prouder privilege to
have passed, by invitation, three or four
days under the roof tree at sweet
''Beauvoir," only few short weeks be-
fore he left us. And there and then
it was that I learned to know them
both more intimately and to appreciate
each more acutely.
The usual morning salutation was:
Good morning my daughter, how did
you rest?" And with the filial kiss
there came: Il did rest well, father,
and ] hope you slept we'll" God be
praised they both now sleep in peace
side by side until final resurrection
morn. Gentle and loving and sympathe-
tic they were, these two grand souls in
life. kindly disposed to ALL Can any
doubt that after the turmoils of life they
are reunited in peace just over the
river? His record stands proclaimed to
the world. and puts him giant amongst
giants. lis of his sweet daughter. the
most attractive woman, with one eX-
ception, that If has been my pleasure to
know, of whom a word or two must be
spoken.
So much has been written about this
lovely and brilliant and exceptionally
gifted young lady, that it seems mere
surplusage or repetition ia add word
of laudation. She was not born to
shine in the gilded coterie of fashion and
artificial life. She couldn't let herself
down to that low plane. But in the
honest love of honest men and old fash
ioned heroes she shone Respondent
without rival and without peer This
implied the ownership of all the loving
and lovable qualities of womanhood, free
from those pertaining to affectation and
vulgar pretension. She loved her
fathers folks. especially the mutilated
old boys, as they loved her, with a deep.
romantic, passionate devotion Miss
Winnie's coming" was enough to set an
auditorium of old soldiers, accompanied
by Dixie wild with enthusiasm. They
seemed to think that she was one of
them, and she seemed to think so, too
More queenly she bore herself with these
grizzled old heroes, than did even a
crowned head in a royal court, and so
they learned to venerate this natural,
simple unpretentious child Of genius, and
10 look up TO HeF rs LHelf uncf0Wned
queen. This magic relationship stood
out in bold relief ON Friday. 1t is safe
to say that none born of the purple
was ever more sincerely mourned in any
land or age, and none of woman-kind
ever had a grander and more loving
funeral. Why was it so? 1t was doubt
less due in large part to the love and
generation entertained for 1.-THE Chief, .
her father. But that could not account
in full for the generous and spontaneous
outgush of heart that went out to this
lovely and attractive girl. ghere was
an inexplicable and inherent magnetism
about her that no other woman has ever
possessed within my knowledge or read
ing / have lately thought that it was
Heayen-sent for special purpose. Per
haps she was the intermediary agent in
wiping out sectional bad blood.
Goodbye Winnie, and God bless you
darling, is the heartfelt prayer that
ascends to-day, as it assembled week
ago from the tens Of thousands of youl
battle-scarred old brothers who were
battling for the right when Won were
born. - w. j. q.