The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-10-19
PRIZE ESSAY ON LEE
by MRS. w. ". ROBERTSON

schriener as it does to many of us.
| doubt not. hut be that as 1t may
In this instance duty appeared as an
obstacle in the path Of this woman
requiring at her hands her choicest
blossoms. Time and time again.
when her hands were fun to over
Moving with these innocent delights,
he would steal to her side and she
would give them up, though not al
ways without tears. At last there
came Il day when she found her gar
den bereft Of all It's full blown bios
SONS. only a few sweet buds left, and
after gathering these. She slowly
wendell her way to the gate She
stood for & moment ere she must shut
II forever behind her looking over its
sunitt beds and borders, then, bowling
her head, she wept AS she raised her
tear dimmed eyes the still sadder eyes
buds to her breast: m eht she not
take away with her those souvenirs of
sweet day henceforth to be num-
oered with the dead past? No, Duty
required these too ana she let them
fall through her fingers to earth. She
shut 10 the gate and fain would have
left him, but he fingered, searching
as IL were, her inmost being Some
thing nestled close to the beating of
som fragrant with hope and love. and
hailowed by her tears. Ii was her all
but she drew it from her bosom ana
laid II on the gray sands before him
That our beloved ch!eftain often
faced this silent figure. Duty, that he
often yielded to him the most cher
ished flowers in his Gardens Of Pleas-
ures. that he unfalteringiy relinquish-
ed them. we must read and decide
Fn Elf Nd
we read and feel not a thrill OF exal-
tation that our Mother State gave
him birth, then indeed. our souls
are dead. Read first of his bOvhood
for is II not said truly that the boy
is father to the man? Though but
little is recorded OF his early youth
We are told his father said Of him
Robert was always a good boy" His
mother loved to tell OF him. Of his
cheerfullv leaving play-fellows to
take hcr TO drive. or how tcnderly he
would tuck the carriage robes about
her OF his cagerness always to do
what he could for her comfort and
once in after years he unintention-
ally confirmed her testimony for he
wrote his youngest son, Before ! was
advanced to Virgil | was my mother
trusted agent and confidential mes
senger" Now we must conclude from
this that he was at least a dutifuI
son.
Just here il may not be out Of place
10 relate a little story Of the first
meeting of the little hoy and girl who
were destined to become man and
Wife. So far as | know Il is an un-
written bit of history, ard is vouch-
ed for by myself, having been told
me by Miss Lofty Burwell a friend Of
my childhood and maturer years, She
lived in beautiful old home called
Ayenel, in the old town of Liberty
now Bedford City, and IL was there
that General and Mrs. Lee and their
gentle daughter Agnes. received the
royal welcome that an old Virginia
hostess knew so wen how 10 extend
TO her honored guests Not long be-
fore the passing away OF this dear
lady Of the olden times I visited her
there also. and one day as we sat
looking at the cherished photos of
these three she loved to cali her
friends. I asked her IL she knew any
thing of General Lees boyhood.
Once. she said, Mrs Lee told me he
was a little hoy the first tirpe she saw
HIM having come to Arlington with
his mother to visit, or rather to spend
an old fashioned day, He was
dressed she went on to say, in a suit
OF homespun, and greatly enjoyed
driving around, seated IN an OK cart