The farmer and mechanic., 1910-02-22

change nothing, anu 'ho
not occupied. A bath room mas
been added, but all the oaiahoo
i .s II was when Mr.. Davis Was
bera and in the enjoyment Oh
that nuiet retirement which Nathanlel
Macon said every man should put
between his active career ana ms eis-
trance into the other world Near
the residence is the ''office, an un-
pretentious building, with three sn1ali
rooms, and piazza. There are
porches on every house in this sec
ton. for the gulf breeze in summer
is necessary to prevent suHerihs
from the severe heat The largest
room in this office is library,
with a small fireplace. and q double
row Of shelves for the library. a
step ladder enabled Mr. Davis to
reach the second story, where
platform gave room for him 10 SIT
and read. The book shelves and plat
form are Of plain unpainted pine Ad-
Joining the library is q room, per-
haps six by twelve, which Mr.. DAVIS
used when he took his afternoon nap.
In the rear opening into the porch
is a simple little room where Winnie
Davis pursued her studies under the
directions of hIr father, who took
the keenest interest in helping her
and planning her study and readings
On the mantle piece still remain deli
cate paintings put there when the
Daughter Of the Confederacy' was a
young girl, showing her talent in art
Il was in the ''office" that Mr.. Davis
wrote THE Rise and Fall Of the
Southern Contederacy.' He gave his
mornings to work and his afternoons
to rest, to sleep, to reflection, to en-
tertaining visitors. What those reflec-
tions where, as he gazed upon the
waters Of the Gulf that stretched
away into space, who can tell! There
must have been sad reflections even
to the man of the philosophic cast
Of mind, but, if so, he found JOY in
his family and entertainment in his
books and work in the preparation
of his book.
On the other side OF the home
stood-and still stands-a companion
office. which his married daughter,
Mrs Hayes and her children used as
living rooms, when they were at
Beauvoir. These cottages, like the
home. are painted white, with green
blinds, and remain unoccupied ex-
cept that the head Of the Mississippi
room In the Office building, where
Mr.. Davis retired to sleep and rest
There are few homes in the rural
South OF weli-to-do people that did
not have it's office usually a plain
building where the men folks gather
ed to smoke and talk politics and crops
after meals, and they were used as
bed rooms for young men who came
visiting. In old times there were no
nearby hotels and company must be
provided quarters. This having an
outside "odice" for the men to smoke
and chew and talk Is a blessing, for
1t enables the women to get rid OF
the men when they look after their
housekeeping. In town or city, the
men usually go to business after
meals SO that they are not in the
way Of their wives, but II, thecoun-
try. where there is company an of
nee house nearby gives relief to the
women and provides place where
the men may lounge and talk with
out disturbing. the other sex. It was
no doubt comfort to Mrs. Davis tn
nave her distinguished husband do
his writing in a building fifty feet
from the home.
Some years ago the State Of Nf;s-
slssippt bought the Jefferson Davis
nome and has made 1t the centre of
the Home for Confederate veterans
ana shelr wives. Mind you. s'and
'heiF WIVES" On either side Of the
mol h.,il