The times., 1899-07-01

in an article published in a Washington
newspaper several years ago. emphatically
denies the incident, claiming that Stone-
| wall Jackson never visited Frederick dur
ing the Civil War, and that Mrs. Fritchie
was bedridden at the time when the Con-
lederate forces were passing through that
| city. Mrs. Browns testimony Is offset by
tnat OF many others, who claim that the
| incident as described occurred Whittier
himself is said to have believed the story
as 1t was given him, and is reported to
have told Mrs. Southworth when she
visited him in 1873 at his home in Ames-
| bury, Mass, in company with her son. Dr.
Southworth, and Mr.. Ramsburg, that a
| friend had investigated the story and had
reported to him that it was substantially
as given to him by the authoress.
| Prospect Cottage, in which Mrs South
worth died. is one of the old landmarks
| of Georgetown. The authoress, while a
schoolteacher. when climbing the heights
| on which the cottage stands. was much
impressed with the beauty Of the view.
and shortly afterward. in 1852. rented the
place. but did not purchase 1t until 1856.
| She has lived there since 1852. with the
| exception OF fourteen years which were
spent at Yonkers, n. Y, the present home
OF her daughter She returned to this city
| from Yonkers in 1890. Mrs. Southworth
had great affection for her cottage home,
and during the many years she lived there
refused to sell 1t at any price 1t stands
on the corner of Thirty-sixth Street and
! Prospect Avenue. at the top OF the steep
bluff and from the south veranda can be
obtained one of the most beautiful views
| in or around Washington.
Before the construction of the Union
| Station and the building OF the Metro
| politan and Great Falls railroads. the i'm
mediate surroundings were rurally beauti-
| full, and the view to the east was unob-
structed taking in a large part of Wash
ington Now the changing of the electric
car gongs breaks the quiet OF the place,
and the view TO the east is obstructed.
The cottage at the present time is old
and sadly needs coat of paint. From the
outside 1t looks small but, nevertheless,
it contains ten large rooms. 1t is an OBJ
ject of curiosity to thousands who take
the ride up the Potomac on the electric
cars. 1t probably has been photographed
as often as many conspicuous public build
ings.
| Mrs. Southworth enjoyed the title of be-
ing the foremost American writer OF ro-
| mantle stories. Her productions were
| strong. inasmuch as they portrayed with
great vividness incidents and character.
They have been eagerly read by millions
of people all over the world and have been
translated into numerous languages. Her
writings are said by many to have had a
great influence upon the public character.
Mrs. Southworth was wonderful wo-
man, mentally and physically, and had
remarkable power of sustained thought.
She was an indefatigable worker, and for
many years worked steadily five days in
the week. scarcely stopping to eat or sleep.
She chose the night time in which to do
the bulk of her work, generally writing
from some time In the afternoon until
midnight or later. In the summer time
she loved to do her work sitting out on the
porch of her cottage, where she could over
look the Potomac and receive the benefit
of the cooling breezes blowing from the
river
Mrs southworth has never been ia
vorite in society. Her early years were
so full of work and woe that she had
neither time nor disposition to s'go out TO
frivol." 1t was long before the literary
part of society gave up trying TO inveigle
the authoress to enter its circle, and then
only after the reception of note after note
of refusal, couched in the most pathetic
language, telling of work, worry, and that
direst of calamities, neuralgia
Mrs. Southworth had not done much
writing of late, and had been living in
very secluded manner. Although she had
many callers before her last illness. she
would not see them all. Dr. Southworth.
her son, is a graduate OF both law and
medicine and has lived with his mother
for many years.
Mrs. Southworth's surviving relatives
are her daughter, Mrs. James Valentine
Lawrence, of Yonkers, N. Y; her son. DR..
Richmond ]. Southworth; her daughter-in-
law, Blanch Porter Southworth. and
half sister, Mrs Francis Henshaw Baden,
of this city.