The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-18

| | Most sacred of all to the children o | Robert E..sLee are the personal letter. that he wrote them or to tneir mother They all breathe the tenderest love: tn l deepest solicitude, the parental desire see his children live up to his own grand ideals of Christian manhood and woman hood. They also bespeak his simpiicfti of heart, his great respect for religion and abiding faith in God. It was to C simple country home on the James Hve1 that General Lee led his family after ths close of the great struggle. As all know
 he dd not long remain in this retired been carried back to his own birthplace Stratford. the ancient manor house ol the Lee family. tp Virginia, where he first saw the light and where he grew
 up his mothers boy. her little man. :, when deprived of that guide and helper
 at the early age O. H. and showing even then the splendid qualities that were tc
 dcvclop with such remarkable force 1T later years. and make him the idol oi the South and the admiration of great rien in all climes. The family retain ths beautiful traditions of the hlial devottof he bore his invalid mother. the dutles and responsibilities that he assumed ai '.the head of the house." for one of hi. IJLrethers was a student ct Harvard. anf thu other was in the navy. One Of ,aldi sisters was in such delicate health tha'
 long time. and the other was too youns to- be of any use in the direction of thu household. so Robert, ''wdno was always good" as his father once wrote, and "wht will be confirmed in his happy turn ol ate mother" attended to the housekecp ing duties, did the marketing. and man aged all the outdoor affairs with dis cretion far beyond his age and rare ir love for his mother that made him takt srp with sllch alacrttS and devotion duties that are generally dtetasteful to boys
 It was common recognition in those days that Robert Lee was the best house
 keeper around Alexandria, and worthy oi his Virginia lineage"
 His mother was at this time dn Alex.
 andria for the education of her children the benefit of his fast-failing health. oi course his mother directed the house. keeping, for she was one of the most metnodicai and beautiful of managers
 but Robert was her 'hoasekeepsr,. ss M .,,,c he, tn Alexandria. and every day at noon Aht would come home to see how his mother
 was getting along. He mixed every dosi of medicine that she took. he looked after
 her horses himself, and went out riding daily with her in the carriage, and when she grew very i'll he nursed her night and day. If he left the room for a moment
 she kept her eyes upon the door till he returned. Dirtng those last days he nev- CT left her side. It was the constant as. sociation with this noble, loving mother that so influenced and formed his char acter. His memoryA Femd ned with ehi1 to the end, a pure, beautiful uplifting force. @8
 His mother died and was buried at Ray ensworth. Robert, who had just returned from West Point. was with her. Thougf
 he nursed her. to the last he could not not
 said: T can never see the grave close over my mother. The funeral took place
 in the beautiful old garden of Ravens
 worth, where she still Mes.
 Regret for Arlington.
 And so 1t was to Stratford. hallowed by so many memories. that his mind turned when he received the news that Airing ton had fallen into the hands of the en. emy. and the beautiful white house on the PamunlSy' had been burned. These manor5 were very dear to him, Tor both were the ancestral homes of Mrs. Lee. and in the former they had been mar ried going thence to Old Point Comfort. Va, where his first married years were spent. and where his eldest son. Custis. was born.
 ecration of these homes, he wrote as fol- lows to his wife: G4sE f1 sEga ssee
 Among the caiamities of war the hard est to bear perhaps Is the separation of families and friends Yet all must De en- and maintain our self government. Your old home, Arlington, if not destroyed bx our enemies. has been SO desecrated that I cannot bear. to think of 1t; l should have preferred it to have been wiped from the earth. it's beautiful hill sunk. and it's sacred trees buried. rather than to have been degraded by the presence of those who revel in- the i'll they do for their own selfish purposes"
 Then his great piety and spirit of for giveness mastered him. and he adds: You see, my dear Mary, what a poor sinner I am, and how unworthy to pos sess what has been given me; for that reason 1t has been taken away. I pray for a better spirit, and that the hearts of our enemies may be changed"
 On Christmas Day Of that same year he again refers to Arlington in his letter to his wife:
 "They have taken your home away, but they cannot take away remembrances of the spot, and the memories Of those that to us rendered it sacred. That will re7 main to us as long as life lasts, and that we can preserve. In the absence of a home, I wish could purchase Strat- ford. It is the only place l could go to now, acceptable to us. that would fr> sDire me with pleasure and local love. ou and the girls could remain there in quiet It is a poor place, but we could make enough cornbread and bacon for our sup port. and the girls could weave us clothes.
 '.Stratford is endeared to me by many recollections. and it has always been the desire of my life to be able to purchase it. Now that we nave no other home. and the one we loved has been forever desecrated. that desire is stronger within me than ever; the horse chestnut you mention in the garden was planted by my dear mother. l am sorry the vault is so dilapidated. You do not mention the spring. one of the objects of my earliest recollections. How my heart goes back to those happy days"
 But there were many stirring days yet to come. and in time he saw that 1t would be impossible to purchase Strat ford. ".
 Letters From Mexico.
 Few men ever loved home as General Lee did. And yet it was the decree of Providence that few men should ever have been so much in the public eye and service as General Lee. Away back in lS47 when he was Captain of Engineers and was among the band of 12OO0 that