The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-03-16
OIL PORTRAIT OF
JEFFERSON DAVIS
For the Soldiers Home at Beauvoir, Miss
Work Of George E. Matthews Presented State
of Mississippi Through Governor Vardaman
By Painters Brother, Judge William B.
Matthews

gv Painters Brother, Judge William B.
Matthews.
Mrs. Flora Adams Darling, formerly
OF Mississippi, but now living in Wash
| ington, has presented to the State Of
i Mississippi, through Governor James
K. Vardaman, an oil painting Of Jeffer-
son Davis, president OF the Confederate
States, with the request that it be placed
in the Soldiers Home at Beauvoir,
Miss, in token of her eternal gratitude
to Mr.. Davis for his friendship.
The painting is by Mr.. George B..
Matthews, brother of Judge William
Matthews. 1t is regarded by those who
knew the subject as an unusually good
likeness of the Southern statesman.
The portrait has been shipped to Beau
yoir. With it went the following letter
! to Governor Vardaman from Judge
Matthews:
"Hon. James K. Vardaman, Governor
of Mississippi, Jackson, Miss:
"My Dear Sir-At the request Of our
mutual friend, Mrs. Flora Adams Dar-
ling, | have the honor to present through
YOU to the State of Mississippi an oil
painting of Mr.. jefferson Davis, the first
and only president OF the Confederate
States, by my brother, Mr.. George E.
Matthews. with the request that
it be placed in the Soldiers Home
at Beauyoir, in memory of her eternal
gratitude to Mr.. Dayis for his friend
ship, as we'll as in appreciation of him
as a man endowed with the highest at
tributes and noblest principles OF man
hood. and whose name will illumine his
torv to the last recorded syllable of time
She bitterly regrets that the untimely
death Of Mrs. Davis prevented her from
being present on the occasion OF the
presentation of the painting, as had
been arranged previously. The paint
ing was shipped by express in your care
on Saturday last. l have the honor te
be, very truly yours,
w. B. MATTHEWS"
Mrs. Davis intention to be at Beau
voir when the painting arrived, is shoWI
by letter given below written by he
to Mrs. Darling, dated March 10, 1906:
NV Dear Mrs. Darling Thanks 10
I YOUR kind letter and faithful memory o
nv dear husbands virtures and politica
: integrity. - III whom no man living O
dead ever mad more. ! have in vail
o looked to the day when I could haYe
4 good painting of him made to place II
o the house at Beauvoir, but | had an op
Il portunity to get two stained glass win
9 dows in the church at Biloxi and at tn
s price l could never hope to get ther
again, one to my husband and one to m
: Winnie; they are to come from Munlc
4 one to be the resurrection of our Lord
It motto, "Blessed are ye when men sha
: ! persecute you for righteousness sake,
, etc, The other will be the raising c
: Jarius' daughter: "The maid is nc
# dead, but sleepeth." These two win
dows have taken all my spare money,
should offer to join you in your swee
tribute to Mr.. Davis. | am on the con
fines of eternityf alas, trying daily
,g pierce the veil where almost everythin
love has preceded me for the long an
silent wait from the trump which Is
o wake US all to reunion and perpetuiry
Y. and | live the dead hopes and love
" which are fallen silent. 1t seems lon
" time to me until the universal trump
/. of truth, but | saw in the New Yol
70 World an editorial which astounded m
in which it was distinctly asserted tn
Or states rights would be our only bulwal
to against the paternalism and enroacl
Sc ments Of the centralized power of IL
+. +. general government. -
" "Mrs. Richardson is one of my mo
$. beloved and trusted friends, and | thir
ss ner as perfect a woman as I have ev
~ known. | am glad you are to be ne
Id her. My health does not improve or
Be would go south and meet you thhre; b
if you are still south when my Windo'
are put in, do hope you will be with +
- at the church, and that | may be wi
you at the Beauvoir Home, if | can !
south.
"With affectionate regards,
"Always yours,
l ..