The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-04
a Visit 10 eREENwoon-

| was, 10 him, too reminiscent OF famous
city Of the dead in suburban New YORK.
out 10 the BrantforCs the word had only
the pleasant associations which commend
II 10 the heart Of an Englishmaa. as he
! sings Under the GreenwOod-tree.
The relentless changes Of human tides
are nowhere more apparent than IN the
South. What were realities but a little
/ while ago have passed into memories and
traditions, and these IL turn are daily
/ becoming more uebulous and elusive. IN
dustrial and economic changes incident
10 new conditions, added 10 the raw
ages and accidents OF time, are obliterat-
ing the last visible signs Of the old South.
and new South is rounding out into
the reality OF fact. 1t implies no quar-
re- with destiny, no criticism Of political
| OF social progress, to witness the meta
morphosis with a certain lingering re-
gret.
The approach Of vanista promises we'll
| Simple brick columns flank the iron
gates, from which hedges and groups
left A half-mile Of winding roadway
leads to the classic entrance 10 the man
sion. -Four graceful Corfnthian columns
support the front roof Of the house.
which projects some dozen feet beyond
the front wall completely overshadow-
ing the double veranda- simple design
| Of the Magnolia grandflora is carved
| the Corinthian colonnade. The brick
/ walls Of the house rise two stories high,
and extend some two hundred feet TO the
1 rear A broad, uncovered piazza leads
70 an entrance on one side, and piazza
surmounted by a treilised balcony leads
to the kitchen and servants quarters on
the other side.
All repairs and improvements by the
present owner have been made with the
/ single aim of restoring house and grounds
TO their condition before the war. IN the
I opinion Of those who knew Greenwood
when it was a center Of Southern hos
/ pitality. he has succeeded in recovering
all but the certain something that never
/ comes gain" In the hOWer-gardens ad-
( Joining the house, a labyrinth of paths.
! now angular, extends down the gentle
I slope TO the southeast. Here flourish.
! each in its season, all the flowers familiar
! to the Southern garden-violets, hya-
cinths dafodils, jonquils, roses galore
/ Honeysuckles, jasmines, wistaria, and
J Cherokee roses festOOn long trellises here
! and there Tea-olives lend their fra
/ GRANGE. and gay camillias make the gar
! den festive, even in winter. The pride
OF all the shrubbery Is a glorious cam
ella. which rises in splend 70 OF green
and crimson fifteen feet above the
/ ground. It's symmetrical. mound-like
/ form, the sheen of the iustrous foliage,
and the luscious opulence' of the bios
J SONS, make one forget that it lacks the
/ GROWING charm of the race Of flowers
/ fragrance. Stately magnolias and sturdy
/ live oaks shadow the spacious grounds.
making a veritable Green Wood
And the slaves quarters and the
! slaves? Well, happily. they are no more
But we shall not have to wander far TO
! find the cottOn-felds the cane-fields, the
I cottOn-gin, the syrup-factory, and sugar
/ refinery. Let US hope, too, that IN the
/ long, mild evenings the sound of the
banjo and the melody of negro voices
are familiar notes under the new con-
ditions.
THANK you so much for calling it
I Greenwood" said Miss Brantford. and I
am so glad that you feel the charm OF
the place We always think and speak
of it as Greenwood, for the name has
only cheerful and tender associations for
US.
you should have known my dear
grandmother she continued. 'She was
no unusual type OF the Southern girl;
dark-hued dark-haired, with deep,
liquid, sympathetic eyes. Her we'll
poised, slender figure and graceful car
rage would have distinguished her in
any company. An air of tender melan-
chOly lent touch Of pathos to the charm
/ Of her personality. She fitted the place
so admirably and loved 1t so we'll.
/ Grandfather owned many thousand acres
Of land about Greenwood, and clearing
the primeval pine-forest for planting had
/ Just begun when he married his Savan-
nah sweetheart. They Travelled from
that city to the plantation in o coach
there was then no railway-and the jour
ney consumed several days. The first
home of the young bride was only a
small house, such as planters entering
upon a new domain usually built for tenn
porary habitaton; but as soon as they
were settled they began 10 plan Green
wood a it is today. They were largely
their own architects Every dimension,
every line of the house stands for their
/ individual idea and wish. Every brick
used in the construction was made by
their own slaves. All the wood was
hewed on their own grounds and sawed
in their own mills.
The house was under construction for
three years. and then they planned the
gardens Every tree, every shrub. and
every flower were placed and planted ac-
cording to their direction, and many by
their own hands You remember that
superb camelha near the front entrance
Grandmother herself raised that from
cutting brought from her home IN Sa-
vannah. And the great magnolia tree
TO the left-oh, forgot for the moment;
IT died last year. 1t was the largest mag
nolia known in the county, and grand
mother and grandfather planted Il with
their own hands the very day they
moved into the new house It was so
large that a whole croquet party could
play IN its shade
At last came the war. Grandfather
died a few years later, and six years ago
grandmother had TO give up the place
She did it with the grace that always
distinguished her. She expressed no Bit
terness, but only tender regret for the
irrevocable. she had long been known
rs Lady Crawford. and she was no less
lady Brantford when she came 10 spend
her declining years In our plain little
village house.
Nothing could exceed the Difference
and courtesy Of the present owner q
my dear grandmother. My wish is 20
restore the place TO something ike IT'S
original condition. Mrs. Brantf0rd. said
he. the day the transfer was consuTn-
mated In doing this can 7 not crafty
some special desire Of goursf Have you
TO little fancy that I could execute for
you2"
Grandmother acknowledged the compli-
ment as only she could. and then said
Well, yes I have a Wlsh. perhaps more
sentimental shan practicable. II concerns
the little old stables between the house
and the main stable They tell re that
II is TOO dilauidared for repair. and
moreover that il mares the landscape
But have particularly happy memories
OF that stable if vas there ws kept
our riding horses ~ cur early married
DAYS. and y e can Be preserved I SHAN
be SO rleased And tneu. too. I want
70 ask your special Indulgence for old
Nate who vas my husband 5ody-ser-
want His wants AID his remaining
years are alike few - number
-With great SKIN ard care tbs true
gentleman repaired the old stable. re
placing the decayef tiubers who're nee
essary. and there II stands today-sorsc-
thing Of an intrusion upon the view. o.