Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-11-19
The Mistress of "TuIeries. T"
A lum Cave, Indiana,
November 10. 1902

November 10, 1902.
EDITOR COURIER: Some years ago
l had the pleasure of meeting in her
magnificent aud hospitsble home, the
mistress of ''Tulleries," Mrs. Malinda
Boyce. Her polished manners, her
brilliant conversation, her classical
features through which beamed the
the light of n bright mind, her queen
ly bearing and magnetic personality
caused me to realize in moment
that wis in tbs presence of u lady
of one of the first families of the
cbivalric South. The oftener I en-
joyed the social intercourse, the
charming hospitality of the stately
hom., where she was the synocure
of attraction, where she was the cen
ter of family love, the more esteem-
ed her, the more | regarded her AS a
worthy daughter of the Southland.
In whose keeping aud bv whosv rep
resentatlon was safe the memory and
the fame of the eloquent Patrick
Henry. the able John Randolph, the
wise james Madison. the brilliant.
patriotic Thomas Jefferson. author
of the Declaration of Independence
the father of democracy aud the
statesman of the world, aud last but
not least, the great father, of she
great people, the first. the foremost
Of them all, the lllustrious George
Washington. BY her, representation
was safe, | repeat, the fair fame nf
Virginia's noblrst suns. Asa typical
woman of the south. he l,i her
country honor.
Today. from The Green firlIs
of Virginia, Far Away" received
letter aud n public press clippin
telling of the sad aud unevnecte,l
death of the lady who IA met in
Virginia some years ago, and whom
esteemed so highly was shorkri.
! could scarcely believe INV Owr eyes:
that Mrs. Boyce WAS dead. that her
spirit had gone to the "God who gave
it," aud she, from the hearthsione
where her life was n blessing and u
benediction. could with difficult,
force myself TO realize that she had
left the "ruleries" for ever, that
there is bowed in sorrow, in saddest
bereavementthe honored head of her
husband, and the loving heads of her
devoted sons, it makes my heart sick
To know, aud for time | have the full
measure of human sympathy. The
man dies but his memory lives" The
memory of Mrs. Boyce, and that of
the legal light that led her through
the vale of tears to the portals of the
door of death, will live long after
Colonel ISoyce has joined his faithful
loving wife On that bourne from
whose shores no traveller returns.
Ii is hard to part, hard to feel the
death dart sink, deep, deep into the
heart. Yet to the bereft and distin-
guished jurist of the South, and to
his sorrowing sons, Uriel, Lawrence
and Truxton, whose friendship | hold
dear, | wish in the language of the
bard of New England to say. of the
departed,
Yet faith will dream and love will
trust,
That somehow, somewhere, meet we
must
Yes, the colonel will join his wife
on the bourne far away, and | trust
that when dawns the brighter, better
day, the family now torn asunder
will be united in happiness,-heaven
ly happiness-forever and forever
But after all that can be said, more
eloquent than pen can write or
tongue can tell, is that enlogy that
the life of Mrs. Boyce so beautifully
speaks to you and to me.
WILLIAM BRICE CArLETT.