The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-08-29

to Mount Vernon. II is quotation
from Owen Wister's Seven Ages of
Washington" from the concluding
chapter ! leave this thought of Wis
ter's with you:
Everything, every subject. every
corner and step, seems to bring him
close. II is an exquisite and friendly
serenity which bathes ones sense, that
seems TO be charged all through with
some meaning or message of bene-
ficience and reinsurance, but nothing
that could be put in words. Turn into
this garden and look at the walls and
walks he planned. the box hedges, the
trees, the flower beds, the great order
and the great sweetness everywhere.
You may spend an hour, you may
snend day, wandering, sitting, feeling
this gentle power of the place; you may
! come back another time, it meets you,
you cannot dispel it by familiarity And
as you think of this you bless the devo-
ton of those whose piety and care
treasure the Mace and keep il sacred
and beautiful" ~ sn
hs)Home of General Lee.
We. said we would tell you some
thing about the house of another great
American. the house of General Robert
E Lee. This is plainly visible from the
Washington mall, from the Lincoln
Memorial and from the Arlington
memorial bridge. II is pure white
structure of Southern Colonial archi-
lecture. with large white pillars sup
porting the roof of portico across the
front Of the building.
This striking building stands buried
in green trees, on high bluff that
drops sharply to the level of the Poto-
mac. II is situated to one side of and
close TO Arlington cemetery.
A wide and spacious hall cuts
thrnnoh the middle Of the Lee house,
on both sides of which are the rooms
in which the Lee family built lovely
home of comfort and culture. One
feature that attracts the attention of
visitors are several wonderfully beauti-
full glass chandeliers, hanging from the
ceilings of the rooms. The house was
furnished in the style Of the DAYS just
preceding the Civil war, with the Sc
lection Of the furniture and furnishings
showing the culture and refinement one
would expect to find in the Lee home
We were taken into the basement
where was located the kitchen This
feature Of the home was surprise TO
US. The ceiling of the basement was
low and the quarters cramped. There,
also, a large fireplace was used in the
cooking of food. Every facility was
crude. very crude. Steep and short
stairs led from the basement to The
upper floor.
Here General Lee lived when he
made his momentous decision to resign
his commission in the United States
army and cast his LOT with the enemies
of the country he had loved and FOR
the protection of which his ancestors
had 90 oloriouslv fought While tour
ing Washington the house was pointed
out 70 rs where Lee had spent night
reaching that momentous decision in
his own mind But he chose to stay
with his native state and with The
Southland although it is said that it
broke his heart to do so. Lee left this
beautiful home overlooking the Poto-
mac 10 battle for the South, and from
the day that he left it to wage war
against his country he never again set
foot in that house.
A little additional history is Of in
terest. The Lee estate there was
originally known as Arlington, and we
suppose it is from that connection that
Arlington cemetery gets its name. The
estate was owned by George Washing
ton Parke Gusts, the son of Martha
Washington by former marriage, and
the adopted son of General Washing
ton. Gusts had an only daughter,
Mary Anne Gusts. She fell in love
with and married Robert E. Lee, i, a
dashing and recently graduated young
lieutenant from West Point And SO
the wedding took place in the family
parlor at Arlington, with its graceful
simple archways and its classic white
mantelpiece" This home ultimately
was inherited by the daughter and
her husband. and is now known as the
home Of Robert <. Lee
Old Christ Church.
One more short reference and we will
close this article. II has to do with
a visit to old Christ church in Alex
andria- This old church is the only
building now standing in Alexandria
that was erected during the colonial
period. 1t was built in 1773 and there
Washington and his family often wor-
shipped Soon after the completion
Of Christ church the vestry ordered
number of pews to be sold. Of the
first 10 pews sold, George Washington
bought pew No. for the sum Of 36
pounds and 10 shillings-the highest
price paid for any of the 10 pews. The
church is surrounded by an old grave
yard which contains many interesting
stones blackened ard crumbling with
age. The oldest stone is in memory Of
Isaac Pearce, who died in 1771. This
famous old building is very similar to
the other old church have heretofore
described, with its white interior, its
enclosed pews with their swinging
gates, and the high pulpit
Our next article will lead us out of
Washington, northward through An
napolis and on to New York City
Mary has new tight skirt,
So neat, so bright, SO airy;