The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1910-04-22
White Haired MafroaS
Talk of Comets and
Times Before the War

or less interested in seeing Hallev's
comet, now visible Just before sunrise,
there are numbers of Marietta people
who will see it for the second time.
Every one to whom it will not be a
stranger cannot remember its appear
ance but all persons over so probably
did see it in 1885.
Mrs. Nj. a. NeeSe who is now Sc. dis
tlnctly remembers the famous comet
and the great interest and excitement
1t aroused, She was living near Fair
Plains, ). c., at that time and was in
her twelfth year.
Mrs. Neese reminded me there are
several ladies in Marietta over ninety
years cid and perhaps they could tell
me what Halley's comet used to look
like in their young days. so | Jared
forth across town seeking one of those
aged ladies expecting difficulties in
the way of an interview.
The first one | came to lives in big
ante-bellum house with great trees of
1.-The forestprimeval" in front, a flower
garden worth columns of description
at one side and acres of orchard, kitch-
en-garden, meadow and servants
houses at the back. Every thing was
as still that April afternoon as if the
rose vines trained on trellis and piazza
columns were growing around the en-
chanted palace in which lay the Sleep
ing Beauty Of fairy lore.
However, the lady | sought greeted
me with bright smiles and invited me
to sit beside her on the sofa where she
had been enjoying one of Ralph Con-
nor's novels, reading without glasses
she remarked, because the type was SO
big and clear.
Her daughter sat rocking in a big
chair beside the sofa and, leaning over.
told her mother to tell me about the
great comet she had seen many years
ago.
The white haired lady shook her head
and placed soft little hand on mine,
laughing merrily and declaring she
would not tell me things because
might print them in the paper with
her name in it, | told her she need
not say a word about Halley's comet
and she replied with a reminiscent
drawing down of her eye brows that it
could not have been the comet we are
expecting now she remembered so we'll
because it was at least ten years after
this one had been visible.
"The comet | saw-the n y
great one can remember situa-
ted so the nucleus could not be seen,
i but its tail was like a fan spread out
extending from the horizon to h e
zenith"
"You are sure it was a comet and
not the aurora bOrealis?
sob, yes. ! remember seeing dis
plays of the northern lights You can
remember at least one that was visible
soon after the civil war, but that great
comet was many years before the war"
"Tell me something memorable
about the days when you were little
girl"
"My home was near Darien in
Mcintosh county-d own by h
mouth of the Altamaha river and near
{ those beautiful sea islands millionaires
Of the north are appreciating so highly
and changing into such delightful
winter resorts"
| Here the daughter pointed to framed
pictures on the walls of the house in
Darien and the country home on a
rice plantation, where her mother
once lived.
zone Of my uncles had home call
ed COntentment on Brewers Neck and
! was there, only five years old, when
| devastating hurricane and tidal wave
swept over the place The negro nurse
who held me in her arms, saving my
life, perhaps, had six Of her own chill
dren drowned that night. Near us a
beautiful girl and the young man she
would soon have married were wash
ed away and drowned Many Hugue-
not families living on the small islands
were destroyed.
"A plantation home belonging to US
called travellers Rest" was near
the river and unhealthful, so we came
to Marietta and have been living here
many years. was born on the first
day of January 1919 SO it is easy to
remember my age.
"My husband and were own cousins
although his ancestors came from
Berne, Switzerland and mine from
Bordeaux, France"
The daughter then took me into the
parlor across the hall and showed me
the old mahogany furniture, the oil
portraits of her handsome father and
two beautiful brothers that died in
early childhood, and her & a n d
parents-one stately beauty with the
naughty express ion usual with great