Year: 1879

CANT and very handsome residence, with most
beautifully improved grounds around white
pine grove, terrace and grotto, a fount in full
play. it is beauteous Nature aided and en-
belished by the hand of artistic culture to
complete its many charms. Many are the
attractions of this little mountain village.


Three miles further, and we reach Hender-
sonville, nestled among the mountains, upon
the same grand plateau. Once there, we are
constrained to exclaim, Eureka! Like many
villages of similar size and primitive growth,
one long, level street contains all Of the pub
lie and business houses, two hotels and many
private residences. The other streets are
somewhat irregular, this also being charac.
teristic feature. We. registered at the "Chase
Hotel" Here we found in person the afable
and accommodating proprietor, Mr.. G. G.
Chase, who sustained his well.deserved repu.
tation as the best of hotel keepers


Supper was announced, very acceptably to
us Just then, as our appetites had grown keen
by the trip, while the bracing air was de-
cidedly appetizing. We did ample justice to
most excellent meal. Oh, that water We
never shall forget it. 1t tasted as if it had
flowed a long distance through the crevices
of an immense ice boulder. The water alone,
it seems to us, is sufficient inducement to
visit Hendersonville.


After night of most refreshing slumber,
we arose quietly and breakfasted heartily-it
seemed with an increased appetite, after which
we took stroll to take view of the sur
roundings of the town and vicinity. Our:
walk proved quite extended, as we never
grow tired admiring the beauties of nature /;
for "a thing of beauty is joy forever" After
roaming about promiscuously for an hour or
more, careless Of course or distance, we came
suddenly from the woods upon beautiful
grass grown lawn, in front of handsome but
decidedly quaint looking house, so perfectly
in keeping with every thing around that it
seemed almost to have lost its identity as an
abstract thing and become part and parcel
Of the landscape, surrounded by tall white
pine grove, situate upon an eminence which
commanded fine view of Hendersonville and
the many mountain tops in the distance.
The lawn in front, and the grove on either
side, are artfully arranged with a view to
court the fresh mountain breeze. On one
side of the winding gravel path from the
house to the old rock spring under the edge
of the hillside, shaded by the white pine,
stands on old, dilapidated log cabin in gray
ruins of decay, left there as a relic of the
place Of other days-a romantic idea of the
owner, the entire premises showing evidences
of taste and lavish wealth, combining ele-
gance, comfort and convenience. We were
Informed that the former owner and occupant
was British Consul Moleyneaux. He came
with his family to America many years ago
and settled in Savannah, Georgia. There he
found the Southern sultry cline too trying
upon himself and family. So he bought and
located this beautiful home within mile of
Hendersonville, where he lived for number
of years. At length his health failed and
he returned to En- gland. Thence to France,
where he died. His widow returned to
America sometime after, for the purpose OF
spending the rest other life in her rural para
disc. But she never reached this lovely
mountain home, having died in Washington
City.


We returned to the hotel, highly pleased
with our morning ramble, and ready to re-
fresh the inner man. We were told that from
the front portico of the Moleyneaux mansion
the sunset was sublime. So the sunset hour
found US there, wrapt in admiration of the
setting sun, as he seemed to linger upon the
mountain tops, 10th to leave this earth in
darkness. No Italian sky ever reflected
more gorgeous sunset-as grand as the lmagl-
nation can conceive-the last blush of rose
ate hue tinting the Aeecy clouds as he sank to
rest beyond the Occidental hills, in beauteous
grandeur, which language can but feebly por-
tray.


So perfectly delighted were we with the
transcendant loveliness of the glorious sunset,
that darkness obscured our view ere we were
awakened to the fact that the hour had past
We retraced our steps and refreshed ourselves
with our evening meal, in ecstatic Joy over
the pleasures of the day. We went early to
bed, determined to rise early, that we might
witness the rising of the sun which we had
seen set in such passing glory. We slept
soundly, but most refreshingly, and arose just
in time to see the sun peeping over the noun
tain tops. His radiant rays tinged the ethe-
rial blue in rainbow hues. The dew upon the
mountain verdure, like freshly-watered flow
ers, rejecting my1ads of sparkling diamonds
set in emerald, seemed to us but the consum-
nation of longcherished dream.


Breakfast over, we sauntered forth in search
of new scenes upon which to feed desire In
satiate We rambled the green banks Of the
shady rills, meandering through fertile val
leys; climbed mountain sides; seated upon
gray old rock, we gazed upon the towering
peaks around US watched the lovely water
fall gushing from the mountain-sides, leaping
far down to mingle with the little stream we
had traced through the cool shades of the
valley below. Here, amid the salubrious eli.
mate, bracing mountain air, beauty and
grandeur, all of which have brought back the
bloom of health to the wan cheek Of many an
Invalid, the same rock and stream and water
fall, which had filled many heart with rap.
turous delight formed in our Imagination the
Arcadian wilds.


As we returned, we followed winding
path, which led us to little spring. As we
neared the spring, we beheld form


"A grand olympic creature,


Heavens mould in form and feature"


At the spring we rested to admire her-a per.
feet Hebe in ease and grace. As she handed
US a cup of the cold crystal waters, she did
not display such timidity as would cause
her to be supplanted by Ganymede, there
was such freshness--an innocence so pecu-
liarly lovely-the rich bloom on her cheek,
$50 different from the gaudy counterfeit by
which the fashionable city ladies strive to
conceal the ravages of excess and dissipation
the dewy brightness of her lips, the healthful
radiance of her eyes, and her attire quite
charming in its neat implicity-formed our
ideal of feminine loveliness. We could not
linger longer, for the fear Of losing our heart
entirely. Fortunately, she seemed to vanish !;