Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
HERE LIES OLD HllKoRY AND HIS WIFE

Rachel jackson Lawrence. the daughter OF
Andrew Jackson, 5r., who was, you know,
the adopted son Of the President. Rachel
jackson was, I think, born in the White
House when Jackson was President, and I
have heard how he trundled her in a baby
carriage up and down the east room. Much
OF her childhood was spent in the White
House. and she lived with her parents at the
Hermitage during President Jackson's last
years and after his death. I wish you could
know her She is a beautiful woman, with
hair of silky gray sweet voice and gentle
manner. She talks most interestingly, and
the few words had with her will always
form striking feature In my memories of
the Hermitage; AS we stood in the church
beside Jackson's pew I asked her as to her
grandfather's Christianity. She replied:
There is no doubt but that Gen. Jackson
was Christian, and devout one. He al
ways attended church, and he was a reader
of the Bible. He was the soul of kindness
and truth In our own family we might
doubt the sincerity and purity Of others,
but no one thought of doubling them In
Andrew Jackson. He believed in every
thing good, and he was good"
Can you remember him well?' asked.
Yes. My father was his adopted son,
quite a girl when he died. and 1 can see
him today as he looked then"
DO his portraits accurately represent
him?"
II don't think we have many good por-
traits of Gen. Jackson" replied his grand
daughter. The best are by Earl, who mar
ried one Of Mrs. Rachel Jackson's nieces
and who was for number of years a mem
Der of Gen. Jackson's household. He is
now buried at the Hermitage and his grave
is near Gen. Jackson's. Earl was called
the portrait painter to the king for his
fondness for painting President Jackson
He came from family of artists and his
father was pupil of Sir Benjamin West.
"One of the worst portraits of Jackson"
continued Mrs. Lawrence, was painted
about eight days before his death by an ar
fist named Healy, who had been commits
stoned by Louis Philippe of France to pro-
cure the portraits of Gen. Jackson and
other distinguished Americans. He came to
the Hermitage and insisted on the general
sitting for a portrait. Gen. Jackson was
then afflicted with dropsy. His face and
limbs were swollen. and he did not want to
give the sitting. Besides, he was in bed
and ILL., Word was sent out to the artist
that he could not see him, but the artist
went into his bed room and showed his let
ter from Louis Philippe, whereupon, to
oblige him, the general allowed him to make
the picture 1t should never have been
painted. AS remember President Jackson
In his prime he was Misunderstanding
man. more than six feet two in height and
perfectly straight He had fair complex
ion, and during my lifetime his hair was as
white as snow"
WAS he man of culture?' I asked.
Eyes. You cal see that by going through
the Hermitage His furniture and all his
surroundings were those of person of
taste. He was III well-read man, and he
spoke SO well that after an address which
he made at Harvard College he was given
the degree of doctor of laws
Il suppose the Hermitage was full of Wis
itors during those latter years."
Yes, we always kept open house. Every
one who came was entertained, and 1t
seemed to me at times as though every one
came. We were far from town, and visit
ors sometimes staid for days. Many of our
guests were distinguished people, and many
were not. but all were made welcome. Many
came to ask assistance, and some had re-
quests of the most extravagant nature. l
remember one family, for instance who
brought with them son who had displayed
some mechanical ingenuity, and to whom
the general was asked to give an education.
Indeed. we had all sorts of visitors at the
Hermitage both before and after Gen. Jack
sons death. Why, myself once entertained
| the notorious Jesse James I did not know
who he was then. and it was long afterward
that heard of his terrible career"
How about the Lives of Gen. Jackson?
| Are they true?
MANY of them are full of misstatements."
"Is that of Parton's Life?"
Yes! Mr.. Parton came to the Hermitage
| when none of the family was present He
had many talks with the negro servants
| and they told him just what they thought
he would be most pleased to hear"
The Hermitage in 1906.
| Driving away from the church I soon
reached The Hermitage proper, the house
| which Andrew Jackson built In 1885 when
| he was sui tTeSlQenC OIL united states.
| The site where 1t stands was selected in
| 1910 and a home was built there of brick
| made on the place. 1t was in that house
that Lafayette was entertained and there
Mrs. Rachel jackson. the wife of the gen.
eral lived until she died. just after her hus-
band was elected President. The clothes
which she expected to wear at the White
House receptions had been made. but she
passed away on the eve of his departure for
his inauguration. That house was burned in
1885 and Gen. jackson Immediately rebuilt
as they are today.
The Hermitage is a great old-fashioned
red brick of colonial style with wide ver-
andas on the front and rear. The house Is,
judge, about one hundred feet front with
six tall columns in front of the porches.
The windows are large and each has panes
of 10x12 glass The entrance is in the CEN
ter of the building and wide hallway runs
through the middle Of the house, on both
floors