The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-02

TWAS but a little child with limited
experience and superficial observa-
4 ton, yet by blending my few personal
recollections with what remember to
have heard from others, together with an
admixture of Imagination, indeed, might
say, by using more of the latter than
any other one quality, 1 fancy that l can
write a correct story of the typical last
New Years day of the Confederacy, in
Virginia.
THE OLD HOME.
In full view of one of the Oldest high
ways in the state, about % miles from
Richmond, still stands the old house. 1t
is of the colonial order, with massive col
umns rising from the ground to the ex-
tended roof, forming a wide and long
piazza; its walls are of red brick, which
look as solid as they must have seemed
when they were first erected. Just above
the main entrance to the house there are
two bricks in the arch with the date of
the building of the noble old structure.
One brick has upon It'll, and the other
is marked-S9; the figures were nodded
in the bricks. The house was erected In
the same year that Virginia ratified the
Constitution of the United States, 1883.
My great grandfather. who built the
house, which he called Eastwood, had
been member of the ratification conven-
ton, though he sided with Patrick Hen
ry, who declared that the rights of in
dividual states were not clearly defined
and would cause trouble some day. The
old gentleman built his house as some
thing of sentimental memorial to the
great convention. He built well. too. The
rooms are large, the halls broad and ev-
erything about the place suggests
strength and endurance
So far as my memory attests there has
never been brought into the house
piece of new furniture or crockery ware
The black old mahogany dining room set
and the beautiful old furniture OF the
drawing room, some pieces OF which arc
of rosewood, have always been where
they are now. The china has been used
for over 100 years. I have heard grand
mother say it was at Eastwood when she
was brought home a bride. There Is one
plate of extraordinary value, although
q piece about the size of a quarter of a
dollar has been nicked from its edge; It's
DETACHMENT is its glory. Patrick Henry
was visiting Eastwood, and at the din
ner table became excited over some polit-
ical discussion. and intended to emphasize
an utterance by bringing his knife down
with force upon the table; instead, how
ever, of striking the table, he struck the
plate The old gentleman was much
mortified at his awkwardness, so the
family tradition runs. The plate was al
ways sacred after that, and number OF
famous virginians have eaten from 1t;
among them were Chief Justice John
Marshall, William Writ, United States
encouragement; James Madison, after
wards President of the United States,
whose wife, Dolly" Madison, as a child,
lived very near Eastwood; and Edmund
Pendleton, who in 1893 succeeded Thomas
Jefferson as secretary of foreign afrairs
In 1924 my grandfather, being then the
owner of the plantation, invited General
Lafayette, who was making trip from
Fredericksburg to Richmond, to break his
Journey at Eastwood The invitation
was accepted. and the famous plate
brought forth for the distinguished guest;
but the General did not come. His stage
breaking down caused loss of time that
had to be made up by Immediately pro-
ceeding to Richmond.
The neighborhood of the old home was
once characterized by wealth, culture and
high social dignity. With great interest
have listened to my grandmother as she
would tell US children of the peculiar
amenities of the social life that old Vir-
GINA lived in the long ago. There must
have been a stiffness in the curious cour-
tesies of those times; and yet, think
that the dignity of those days is to be
preferred to the supple familiarity that
one often sees now; and fancy, that.
there would be real gain II the antique
Minuet could displace the modern barn
dance. But / hold all too tenaciously,
suppose, to my grandmothers instruc-
tion.
All the homes in those old days in Vir-
ginia had their libraries. and among the
books were many in Latin and in Greek,
and, also, a good collection in French.
all of which were read with intelligence,
the French books being mostly patronized
by the ladies'.
an old colonial church. built In 1874 Its
lines are simple and almost severe. re-
member az a child looking up to the cler-
gyman In the high pulpit as he stood
1hASo IN hia vestmsntGs and thinking him