The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-23

married INTO lll5 ChIleT iiiA iiiSS
have retained tho place. Have you ever
saan harcfrnenis before? It is exceedingly
;,,nrng,abe. Look over the doorways and
you viii see them now.
a STORY FILLED WITH PATHOS.
Almost before Shirley is out of sight
YOU are at Westovcr, the home OF Colonel
Byrd. author of the famous Westover pa
pers, "a Virginian of Nirgin.ans and the
perfect flower OF his day as a contempt
rar.. said of him; and the house also OF
his daughter, Evelyn, whose pathetic story
is known 10 every maiden in Virginia Inc
house stands only about a hundred yards
from the river, win q lawn smooth as Vel-
vet stretching down to the water edge.
II was built by ore Theodorick Bland
about 1853. Bland is buried here, under
great stone, which bears his coat OF arms.
After his DEATH the Byrds bought the
place and it was they who made it IA
nous. 1t also is a stately, square red
brick. with an avenue OF magnificent tulip
trees running the entire length OF the
grounds and closed at either end by an
elaborate gate Of hammered iron, with
the arms Of the Byrd family above them.
1t was also built to stand, and a shell
frcm a Union gunboat, which struck one
corner of the house during the war. did
no more than pierce a little mole in it.
OF course, the house has its ghost-all
least. This one is said to be the ghost Of
the fair Evelyn. whose body lies buried
in the family graveyard. She is supposed
10 make her exits and her entrances
through an CID drain, whose mouth, half
choked with slTiftwood may still be seen
opening into the water. 1t is nearly six
feet high and lea9s TO two little chambers
at the bottom of q deep shaft. a quaint
staircase. cut into the wall. leads to the
top Of this and You are in one of the small
rooms of WcStover. A secret passage. it
is said. although no one knows for what it
is used Everlyn Byrd was the Colcnel's
daughter and one Of the most famous of
the Virginia bslies. Her father took her
with him to England while she was still a
mere girl and presented her at the court
of George I. All the men We're at her feet
in trice, and she fell in love with the
Earl Of Peterborough. He was in love
with her also. but her father would not
permit her to marry him because Of his
religion, and brought ll'S aaU~2for back
home to Virginia with him. Tradition saws
that she died of a broken heat. and die
she certainly did q short time after her
return.
PORTRAIT BY SIR GODFREY.
What is said to be the most beautiful
portrait in all Virginia is one of her paint
ed by Sir Godfrey I<neller and one of his
masterpieces. 1t hangs in tho hallway at
Brandon. across the river. She is dressed
as q shepherdess-a Vatican shepherdess-
in q gown of pale-blue satin. opened at the
throat. her crook across her lap and 4
bunch of roses in her hand Her dark.
lustrous eyes gaze right out Of the canvas
and the glow of the setting sun is on her
face and in her hair. It y a wonderful
picture Here also are preserved several
of her gowns and the fan Of lace and ivory
which She carried when she was presented
at court.
Just within sight from the restover
gardens upon the river bank stands Berke-
ley, the residence of BENJAMIN Harrison.
one of the sgners of the Declaration of
Independence and OF his son William,
Henry Harrison. ninth President OF the
United States. It is a brick residence with
gamhre1 roof and stands in the midst o.
n grove OF graceful Lunlbariy Nonlars
Berkeley was one of the great social CEN
tres of the state in its dav and still re-
mains in the Harrison family. though not
as beautiful as either Shirley or MISSIONER.
1t was al Westover. by the way. that
benedict Arnold attempted to land the
British troops The widow OF Colonel
Byrd was his cousin and for ? time was
susneeted Of being in COLLISION with him
Her Daners We're Conhscated and examined
by the Continental CONGRESS but no proof
of her ouilt was found among them.
The Harrsons are also represented by
two historic mansions on the southern bank
of the river-Rrandon ana Upper Brandon.
Roth are still magnificent residences
thou@h they were both greatly da1ta@ea
durin" the civil war. their woodwork
SCARED and torn by shells and bullets ami
many Daneis Of the tine interior woodwork
torn out by the soldiers. Neither has fully
recovered from the rava~es of war even
vet but Brandon shows least trace of it.
It IS tynica1 English country house 2
- .nh'in~ two-stnrv building. ianISe1 nv
broad wines connected with the main build
irr by wide corridors. wv runs riot Of the
Mace ard ono Of the wings is almost
hrcried in it Broad lawns surround It.
shaded ny stately old trees, II is an ideal
home and hiss hnen in The Harrison family
for nearly two hundred veara
ART TREASURES. At BRANDON.
At both Brandon and Upper Brandon
there are art treasures innumerable Enel-
ler.s portrait of EVELYN Byrd has already
bc"r referred 10, and he has a number Of
others here scarcely less beautiful. There
IS one Of Colonel Byrd himself. a stately
figure, with face beautiful as a woman's
Here is also a portrait Of Martha Blount
who led Zone such dance 1t is a three
quarter length nortrait and shows the
poets sweetheart seated beside . harDsi-
chord with roll of music in her hand.
she wears gown Of yellow satin, cut low
~ me boSpm-knel1er delighted to naint
heaptl n! throats and shoulders-and as one
looks into that willfu1 voluntuous. heautf-
ful face, he does not wonder that Pope fell
q victim to its charm Another exquisite
nortralt from Kneller's brush is one of
'fanici F9"ke. whose daughter married a
GUSTS OF Arlington. over on the Potomac.
itnd 50 became the proeen5tor of Martha
Nashlngtons first husband and Of Mrs
isobeHt p. Lee, Parlle came to an un-
timely end. for he was appointed governor
OF Antigua and so oppressed the unhappy
residents OF that island that they finally
stirred 10 an insurrectior and murdered
him Another OF his daughters married
Colonel Ryrd and she ii was who was ar
rested by the Virginia Whfgs. Colonel
Byrd. while he was in England. gathered
together great number of portraits OF
famous men and beautiful women and
most Of them a~e hanging here.
Just around the turn OF tho rive,. from
Brandon. is Weyaroke, which tho readers
80 Miss Iohnston's novel ..7,n T9aya a,ii n
Hold will look at with more than nassinc
interest. Sherwood Forest. tho home nj
President John Tyler, is father down q
rambling two-story house. in the midst Of
a grove Of stately trees It is nec,,,iarIy
built. for though it is eicllt rooms in Ianrth
it is only one in denth and all of Iba