The Mena weekly star., 1916-06-08
a lotstt to lerests
 bent DantS' 5ome
Written for Tho star ly ] w
 Lively, Marshall Tex.

one of my homes and The Star is
 le of my papers. think will
 rihhle a letter for it. Then, too,
 dk county once was a part Of the
 reborn Southern Confectionery and 'e Davis was our chief executive.
 ell do recall while a lad Of 70
 ars. in Arkansas, how we fired the
 st biz anvil guns when Arkansas
 ceded and went glimmerine out
 the Union. old Polk county and
 This Davis Mansion. SO they call
 here. is midway between the 8ieS af Mobile and New Orleans, ad i; sits within q stone throw
 ihe deep blue Mexican sea. And
 is a beauty spot indeed. Here
 r. Davis came when he left his
 is0n. and here the tired and wear
 ii man saaght solitude and rest
 ere too. he hid away from the
 hetled t0ngues of his critic ene-
 ieS. as well as from the lavish de
 tion of his loyal friends. Looks Re he was right. He could hardly ave found a cozier corner, a more
 stful crannv in all Dixie land
 JeH Davis was a classic arlstocrat l the palmy days 0f Dixie born SO. was lofty and of that cast. This avis mansion shows it. The home self is classic arist0erat. Like old master it looks one by it.
 if. Common folks and common iingS would feel and look ill at 4sp and out of place here. Still. Jen
 avis was a simple, plain, easy-go- if man So ls his old mansion.
 s plain and simple-no ornament
 useless trimmings or ginger
 cad but it is classic and distin-
 0shed-like. You feel if and can't 1rceg it. it's simply an old South- me model
 Maybe there are 20 rooms; big
 oad. high. wide and deep-all 8aSsic and ariStoeraiic. Ihe carV- ses. stucco and fresco are unscared i'd unmarred after siXty-ilVe years uln in iS52-i. the tireless tooth Of me las touched nothing yet ge've been all throuch these rooms, ere's Mr Davis big old chair; we at in t around his old round table,
 here for seven years he tolled on is massive volumes, Rise and sall Of the Canfederacy." Then ere's Miss Winnie's room. Win ae Davis was war baby and was
 little lassie when brought here. ere's her little rocker. dinky little l esser. etc. Heres her ed square mahogany piano She used to rake lese ivory keys. making rebel lusic for her unfortunate father 'nt there's no music within these lassic walls now. The only melody 'e hear is outside. It's the song of he song birds and the soft, low lusie of the unasspming sea,
 Then here is the Davis dining aom and kitchen, all classic aris- 1crat Here's the big marble slab here the old black cooks beat the iscuit dough. At table the Davises ere connoisseurs and the old black ooks are caterers: all classic aris- 1crats, to the manor born.
 All the Davis folks are gone long go. Maybe no two of them lie to- ether: they lie to the four winds trange to say, none died in the savis Mansion.
 Mir. Davis married twice. His rst wife he stole from old Gen. ackery Taylor, "Old Rough and eady" That was 1885 and she oon died Ten years after he mar Sed a noted belle of Matches, Miss. iarie Howell. She was the mother i his chillren and stood nobly by er forelorn husband
 Seems like an evil star legged fier the. Davis children. The lad eif Davis. Jr.. came Go a sudden nd in Memphis. Little Joe. his aiher's pet tumhled from a win ow in Richmond. Va. and was illed. Winnie. the winsome Win ie. grew to beautiful womanhood. nd was the idol of the Old South. mt hut speak softly she married
 yankee and soon died. Strange, 70, Mrs Davis died in New York ity.
 Bankrupt in fortune. bereft of ope and broken in health. Mir. laVis was carried from this place 3 New Orleans for medical advice. le died there al i2;45 a. nl.. Dee. {. erss AhQ iiir ttil tdlU AtlA.
 How curious some modern hiS- arv reads. Jen Davis and Abe Lin- oln were horn near each other in .hristian county. Ky. They were eighhor boys. Jetf was native born rltoerat--Ahe was the lean. hank id of that rustic mountain maid. ancv Hanks. While GeH was feed- ag from the silver spoon. Abe was on log cabin half fare. While ietl vas rubbing his aristo- fatic back against e0llese walls, he was bending his back making ails over on the winding Sanga- 3on
 But the two Corn Cracker boys arted and the nation parted. reat issues came and war came. nd the boys were pitted against ach other and both sides fought tt then honest convictions until
 was settled and settled right. nd the classic aristOcrat, Jeff. lost. lld Nancy Hanks lean. lank peas nt lad won and both sides are sat- lied The Republic still stands ad Old Glory still floats.
 But--bIt stranger still Now ames Old Madam Gossip and she ittles and tattles. all the way from le mountains of Kentucky That la Iona tengued hag says, These oys were not only born close to- ather, they were alike looked like. as much as two biaek-eved eas. had minds alike onlv one -as born poor. tho other rich. and 9ey were close kin. half brothers. tc How some lags tattie. They ught io go eff and sit down and Hsh up,
 However. this classic old-time. nd Dixie-time home and this sea- ide beauty spot are tender momen- seS to that lofty aristocrat. Jef saNis. the first and last chief exec