The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06

me the first view OF real life that ever
1 had. My beloved parent was not de-
sirous of combining me; but | rejoice at
the recollection that 1 very seldom could
be prevailed on to leave her. There !
first became the favorite and devoted
friend of your most excellent mother.
Forgive the vanity of this boast, my
dear cousin, but I cannot help obsery-
| ing that she afterwards told me that 1t
was the manner in which 1 discharged
| this duty that won her esteem and love.
| At this place I first met General Wood.
| who visited me soon after my return
| home, and became my husband four
years after"
We have all the requisites OF most
charming sroman;e; a beautiful, we'll
| read, intellectual and romantic miss OF
| eighteen summers. at fashionable re-
| sort by her unselflsh devotion to her
invalid mother, wins the heart OF a gal
liant young officer destined to play a
| prominent part in the politics OF his
! State. But there is another chapter
| which the stately. old matron. for rea-
| sons of her own. sufficiently important,
no doubt, saw fit to omit from her in
| teresting epistle-a chapter which sus-
| tains the adage that truth is stranger
| than fiction. and shows that life IS not
| as proasic as some would have us be-
| lieve, even if we are not all Romeos
F! and Juiets.
When our fair colonial heroine was
wrea thing her bower OF willow boughs
| on the picturesque banks of the Poto-
mac, it stands to reason that she did
| not dream herself the queen of spinsters
| revealing in solitary meditattons on
| politicai or tapllysical subjects. In
| her fancy, at least. there was another
| occupant of her boWcr-and not OF her
| own SeX-and this occupant was. no
doubt, young and handsome, and sat be
| side her-at no great Observation-Disclosures
| ing into her ear communications, also
| not OF a political or metaphysical char
| acter 1t may be that one evening after
/ the sun had set-I forbear a poetical
| description Of that event OF prosaicatly
| frequent occurrence, as Mistress Jean
| fingered Ioath to abandon her enhancing
dreamland, and as Cupid's little silver
| bark came floating across the blue sea
above her. playing at hide and seek be-
hind the cloudlets here and there,
"Mingling with the plash of waves upon
Sound the measured strokes OF some SAL
lants bold oar"
At THE SPRINGS
It cannot be proved that he did not,
nor is there reason TO doubt that he
did, land right in Mistress Jeans bower.
and realize the shadowy lover OF mo-
ment before, for when Cupid peers over
board and sees what's 20 pay below. a
strange thing may have happened. the
little rascal, not content to let fly Il
CULVER perpendicularly down through
] the twned boughs, must needs himself
| plunge down from the dizzy height and
land on his mschievious little feet right
in the heart of the bower, as his arrow
in two other hearts. But let us restrain
our exuberant imagination There is no
| record of any such transaction, and yet
/ reason, az well as fancy. demands some
explanation of those exceedingly ridicu-
lous'' romances, poetry and other silly
| things"
However that may have been, we have
the other chapter complete from the
/ southern Literary ,Messenger of Fen
ruary, 1850, signed j. NJ. c., and entitled.
| Home Annals"
.'The early part of Mira Woods life
was tinged with romance She recipro-
Gated at seventeen the ardent attach
ment of a young gentleman from Mary
land (Which favors the boat thsOry!
land they became engaged; but their
union being opposed by her relations,
/ because he was a Roman Catholic. they
separated. and at parting exchanged
vows never 10 marry, so that when she
was addressed by General James Wood
several years afterwards, she declined
his proposals, and he proceeded West
to Join In the war against the Indians,
/ first beuueathing Gn case he should be
killed. his property to the fair iady OF
his choice. Fate, however, allotted MN
/ a brighter destiny. for Miss NJ, having
been led to believe that her former lover
had broken his pledge. yielded to the
parsussions Of a cousin with whom.
since her parents death, she often re-
I sided. and consented to recall the Cen
eral, and not until after their union G!l
she discover that she had been cruelty
4 deceived. Hearing of her marriage, Alr.
- considered himself absOlved from
| ~; a nd bands
/ of r,latrimony also. IN their subsequent
history a remarkable coincidence occurs.
Mrs Wood had an only child, q daugh-
ter, who was extremely intelligent until
| four years old. She was then attacked
with commissions, and owing to their ire
| uuent recurrence, grew UP an idiot; and
Mr.. -. Of Maryland, had son IN a
similar state Would it be uncharitaale
/ and superstitious to infer that these coz
responding calamities were inflicted upon
each party by Heaven, as a PUNISH
n1ent for breaking their rash yet solemn
nnrrsq -. Mrs. Wood devoted her
SELF to her unfortunate child with all OF
a mothers tenderness and zeal, and
. many of her effusions touchingly aiiudt
to the deep affection she bore her and
the anxiety she suffered on her account
She lost her at the age of eighteen and
had been of those whom God eHdows
with the blessings of intellect and
After Governor Woods death. July 10
i 1912 Mrs. Wood removed TO Richmond
"wtere she spent the remainder OF he;
days in works Of charity and usefulness
and there aided by her intimate friend
Mrs Samuel Peasants. and by Mrs
Chapman, the lady OF a British officer
founded a society for assisting INDECENT
widows and children" which. in ISL
was Incorporated by the Legislature
under the name of the '!Female Humane
Association OF Richmond" and exists Il
this day as an orphan asylum. Mrs
Wood was It's president from It's organi
cation until her death Though tbs
daughter OF an Episcopal clergyman enc
reared in that church, in later years