Evening star., 1932-05-01

house became possessed of a spirit not different
from that which animates man himself.
1t is in similar mood and purpose that Har-
rison Howell Dodge has undertaken the work
IN hand. Resident custodian Of Mount Vernon
for well upon half a century, Mr.. Dodge has,
during the long years, taken in daily fare
through sense and heart and mind every
intimacy of this historic spot The story itself
makes this fact plain.
1t separates, broadly, into two parts. Mount
Vernon the shrine. Mount Vernon, the home.
Here are pictures, professions and assemblies
from the world over of celebrities paying due
to the greatness of George Washington who
gave a United States to the millions now priv
ileged to claim it as their own heritage of
freedom Kings come here princes and powers
give homage at the Tomb of Washington. But,
better yet, the plain people come in year-long
tribute to this
1t is, however as the home of Washington,
the place that he loved with passion, that this
story is at its deepest best. 1t is here that
Mr. Dodge himself becomes identified in spirit
with the early years when Washington, in every
leisure period of his hard-pressed life, worked
and planned to have the home, Mount Vernon,
tally exactly with the picture of 1t that he car
ried in his mind. In these early years, when
the master of the mansion had gone finally,
there was deal of moving away and deal
Of carrying off, quite naturally, many an object
that in fact, had only one home, Mount Yer
non. So here is the story Of collecting these
things from far and near, of bringing them
back, Of setting them up again in their own
special places here and there, in this room
or that one, upon this wall or that. sedu-
louS quest of restoration which this author
follows in eager zeal and particular report. Old
ways of travel by coach or river boat become
part of this journeying to and from Mount
Vernon. Old ways of common living and of
more uncommon social ceremonies. Between
q
body Of information on the subject Of Mount
Vernon and its great first owner.
point not to be ignored. The story of
Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham Of South Caro-
lima, who in 1853 made an appeal that the
honor of caring for Mount Vernon should be
mtrusted to the representative women of Amer
lea. And, after the usual deal of delberatlon
the plea was granted. And so the Mount YER
non Ladies Association Of the Union came into
ofhcial and active existence. beautiful and
exciting work of fine patriotism, it seems to me-
One, too that is carried out efficiently vigor-
ously and unpretentiously by those who consti-
tute that body. The names Of regents and vice
regents stand In an honor list at the end of this
book.
Another point, merely a reVersion to the
beginning of this notice. The point that only
poets and their kind set up claims that to the
majority mean nothing at all This point is
that Mr.. Dodge is himself at heart a poet even
SnouBn In LnlS account ne mas hel0 70 the most
authentic OF facts given in straight prose. A
poet, nevertheless, else he could not, twice at
least. have come upon Washington working on
his own grounds, or coming out OF q room in
his own house OF Mount Vernon. Now this
might have been the sun tricking Mr Dodge's
eyes. or his fancy taking the place Of plain
sight-but no, I'm sure that he saw just exactly
what he rather difidently says that he did
And believe it because want to-the main
reason in support Of belief, any belief, anywhere
OLD GARDENS: In and About Philadelphia:
And Those Who Made Them. BY John T.
Faris, author Of The Romance of Old
Philadelphia" etc. Illustrated Indian
apoliS: The Bobbs- Merrill Co
A ND I will have green countrie town."
\ said William Penn, back in 1852 when
he planted Philadelphia. Piously adding The
country life is to be preferred for that we see
the works OF God" The country is both the
Philosophers garden and his library. sweet
and natural retreat from noise and talk"
And for $50 years Penn's City has main
tained within its own circuit a goody acreage
OF distributed greenery despite the later in
roads of business brick and cement and iron
and steel, despite the crowding clatter of noise
and talk, rude barriers to that dream OF
sweet reflection"
1t Is of these old gardens that John Faris
writes. OF their owners and promoters and
posSessors, all of the same civic blood as Will
liam Penn himself. Under its urgency and
drive succession of early gardeners sprang up
within and about the town. These set the line
and laid the plans and fired the spirit out OF
which the fame of Philadelphia's old gardens
grew.
Inc first of these, John Bartram who having
bought at tax sale six-acre lot the banks
OF tEe Schuylkin. set out at once to create the
Garden of Delight" from nothing more than
nature itself. But so beautiful and so various
In its loVelineSS is nature, so ready in response
to friendly overture that with only his own
labor and his dream John Bartram set upon
It's way one of the historic gardens of Phila-
delphia. There was John Evans, too, Quaker
miller. who proved TO be the builder of "delri-