The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-02
SUMMER DAYS AT RAJAH
LODGE AND IN ITS GARDENS
The Story of the Ocean and the Gaekeeper Has Its Sequel
in Cross Country Ride
BY ANNIE KENDRIck WALKER.

haJan Lodge september I.--(opecldlJ-
Rajah Lodge. at the end of summer, Is
like Cleopatra, luxurious and fascinating.
The southern sun has been shining upon
its gardens with almost brassy heat, and
terra Gotta facade of the lodge has had
its warmly rich colorings burned In like
an old ivory that might yellow With Time
or like the dome of a mosque upon which
the suns of India beat.
The Oriental look seems more pro-
nounced in days like these when the deep
~ tinted towers lie against skies the
color of the Iris flower and out of which
has come sun that has now burned IT.
self out with the heat of its own pas
sion.
September came in with a splash OF
rain. It drenched the palms and rub
Der trees, trickled down on the Towering
plants, carried In its wake the white
petals of the clematies and left as one of
its miracles the birth of a lotus flower.
The gardener brought 1t in today. Its
stem is long and slender, and the petals,
newly opened, are pale pink and white
like those of an overgrown water lily
It Is a wonderfully occult thing, and
am sure has a soul. The gardener has
one, anyway, because If he did not pos
sess a soul he would not be looking foi
a single lotus bloom. Gardeners without
souls would spend the entire time re-
potting things which never live.
My chief joy, outside of finding lotus
flowers and pink water lilies in the minia-
ture lakes at the foot of the gardens, is
in the terrace of palms and rubber trees
at the eastern entrance to the lodge. This
terrace rises just beyond the porte-co-
chere and the palms have for back
ground the arched balconies of the lodge
and Its towers, like an East Indian scene,
all terra Gotta in coloring. Palms, fifteen
feet in height, rubber trees that have
rivaled the large magnolias about the gar
dens and tropical foliage spreading its
thick length like the branches of the an
Client trees, the fronds holding the spray,
the terrace suggesting in its luXuriant
growth and sensuous beauty those ave-
nues of Florida, through which the north
ern tourist wanders in admiration Be-
low this terrace sweeps the driveway,
and beyond lie the gardens, the design
of which might have been taken from
some old world garden. 1t Is a delightful
garden to wander In, either at the mo-
ment of its early mornlnf freshness, or at
late twilight, the favorite hour for Mr..
and Mrs. Aldrich to go for a walk about
the lodge.
The plan of the gardens has that dis
tnetive charm that distinguishes all gar
dens that have been laid off according
to art principles. AT the front entrance
TO the lodge, imperial bay trees seem to
guard the very doors. On the western
side is a terrace of rare Mexican cacu
and century plants, hundreds of them,
growing apparently from rock whlch
forms a peculiarly beautiful part OF the
gardens. Blooming among these plants
are pink rose trees Leading out into the
gardens the steps are thanked with more
century plants and lemon trees and those
of the dwarf banana. Here and there,
the rubber trees, together with other
plants, shrubs and raie Towering thlnSs
are 50 tropically lovely that no part OF
the spacious gardens seems to have been
overlooked.
Hedges Of brilliantly colored flowers or
those as delicate as the orchld are now
seen In these outdoor 3'r3ens. Roses
have climbed rioutously over tai trel-
lisses Low and graceful hedges are
white with the Towering clematis. the
yellow blooms of the alamander are
showing above the most ambitious of the
roses The lakes are thick with water
lilies. and are fringed with rubber trees
and palms of many varieties. That rare
tree the weeping mulberry, forms an eN-
ouisite picture by the side OF the my
nnnas. and tho climax Of tropical gard III
effects has been reached in the arrange
n1ent of a palm retreat of such luXu"i-
ance and beauty that there, on summer
evening. Mr.. and MS. Aldrich and their
guests frequently llnser.
The broad-leafed palms of dozen dill
ferent varieties, fronds of peculiar
shape, exquisite and varied, colored trees
In full bloom, and about the old gardens
that indescribable charm that is complel-
en- in the touch given in the old sun ulal
not far away. Rustic bridges nave peen
built across the miniature laKes' anu
there is a fountain in the center OIL tiie
garden. 40 s,z
Even more extensive are the gardens
at the rear of the lodge. Roses In al
their riotous beauty make these an M
mense u limitless outdoor garden
Twilight is the enchanting hour to stroll
through these gardens. me loese iooNs
An the dlmness, more mystic, and to come
,non It suddenly, to see It's lights SHINING
through the stained glass towers, TO pass
AIN terrace of palms these late summer
evenings Is to see a picture that makes
YOU feel as If you were princess OF lnula'
am sure that Mrs. Aldrich must love
sensations like those OF Luy SuiNoh wien
she was vice-rene.
p,,t even the memory of these gardens,
ms well as the ultra philosophy which
have learned this summer has not quite
dIgpelled an incident that occurred at the
birmingham Railway station the other
morning | suppose that gatekeeper
knows how to deal with the ignorant pub
lilo who depend upon them to Indicate
trains and TO show little courtesy while
do.ng 80. In my case there was no train
TO be Indicated which complicated mat
ters very much for me. My train was
scheduled TO leave ut o'clock, and 1t
was marked IN time. About hve minutes
before q I showed two tickets through to
the gate official.
"Ther's no trim to Aldrich," he said.
mo train?" I asked.
TRAINS alredy gone"
but it isn't 6 o'clock"
'1f you go to Aldrlch today" he said
..youll have to go to Calera. Theirs
been wreck"
| carried my tickets to the proper off,
cial from whom they had been purchased
ten minutes before
81 understand there is no train to Aid