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THE SOUTHERN "WORLD, JANUARY 16, 1883.
Bpedal correspondence Southern World.
MS. Vrrnon-Inilrpendenre anti Citrpen-
Hr'i Hallu-Penn Collii»e-Old Swede
Church.
Before leaving Washington for Baltimore
I visited Mt. Vernon, heeding the saying of
Everett: “A visit to the National Capital
isbnt half made unless it includes the home
and tomb of Washington.” Our party was
a gay one that boarded the “W. W. Corco
ran” on a bright Saturday morning, each in
tent on spending a pleasant day, and our
little trip of seventeen miles down the Po
tomac could surely have been no more en
joyable than it was.
Landing at Mt. Vernon we were met by
the cordial Superintendent, J. M. Hollings
worth, and conducted up a gentle acclivity,
where the first object that attracted our at
tention is Washington’s tomb, a plain brick
structure with arched gateway and double
iron gates. The sarcophagus of Washington
and his wife are each plain, the former bear
ing upon it the United States coat of arms,
beneath which is engraved the one word,
“ Washington.” Some relic hunter several
years ago climbed over the iron gates and
broke off one of the eagle's talons. To pre
vent further similar outrages the floor of the
vault is connected by electrical wires with
the Superintendent’s room, and the alarm
can now be instantly given by a bell should
any one attempt to enter the tomb. Near
the vault are four monuments erected to the
memory of liushrod Washington and his
wifo Anna Blackburn, John Augustine, son
of Corbin and Hannah Lee Washington,
HSIeanor Parkin Lewis,grand-daughter of Gen
eral Washington, anil Mrs. M. A. E. Conrad.
The ’• Washington Oak,” a lurgo primeval
tree twelve feet in circumference, several
months ago stood near the path that leads to
the house, but in August last it succumbed
before the fearful storm which passed
through that section. And now all that re
mains of this ancient oak, ’ncath whose
shade our great chieftain often reclined, are
two or three blocks tuken from its body.
Passing an old brick barn, erected in 1733
by Washington’s brother, Lawrence, and
several servant’s houses we reach the Man
sion House in which the greater part of our
time will be spent, as here lived and died
the Father of our country. Endeavors have
been made to restore the rooms to their
original condition, each room being assigned
to a State for tlmt purpose.
Among the' many objects of interest we
may mention a few for the benefit of those
who have not os yet had the pleasure of
visiting Mt. Vernon: Tho key of the Bas-
tile hangs in a glass cose in the southern por
tion of the building. It was presented by
LaFayette to WashingtonJn 1780, just after
the destruction of the Bostile. In the East
Parlor or Music lloom, (Ohio,) are a silver-
mounted rosewood flute that once belonged
to Washington, and a harpsichord and musi
cal stool, the General’s bridal presents to
Eleanor Custis. The Banquet Hall, (Now
York,) is elegantly ornamented with stucco
work, the mantel-piece being of Carara mar
ble resting upon Sienna marble columns,
elaborately carved by Canova, it is said. It
was presented to Washington by an English
man, Samuel Vaughun. In the centre of
this room is a model of the Bastile made
from the granite stono of Aho prison itself.
In Lady Washington’s Sittnlg Boom, (Geor
gia,) are several old chairs, an embroidered
screen, a quaint old buffet, a pair of antique
andirons, and a council table belonging to a
brother of Washington. In this room, which
was formerly used as a study or library, was
written the General’s Farewell Address, de
livered at Annapolis, December 23d, 1783.
Virginia has the honor of furnishing the
room in which Washington died. Here we
see the identical bedstead upon which he
expired. The remaining rooms contain a
number of curiosities such as paintings,
antique china, old garments, furniture, eto.
In the Superintendent’s room is the historic
hatchet, presented by a gentleman of Vir
ginia, who added in bis letter accompanying
it, “ it it is not the real hatchet it will at least
answer for that purpose.”
A beautiful grove snrrounds the mansion,
and a flower garden is on the right of the
lawn, while near by is a vegetable garden
and large orchard.
Aa our steamer neared Mt. Vernon the bell
was solemnly tolled, a mark of respect paid
by all steamers passing this sacred spot since
August 24th, 1814, when it was first given by
Commodore Gordon, commander of an Eng
lish fleet. As early as 1810 Mrs. R. Cary
Long thus feelingly wrote concerning this:
“Silently baton Mt Vernon, illenilr oar boat tildes
on,
Hashed Its Iron heart* deep panting past tbe tomb
ot Washington;
Truest, worthiest act of worship that degenerate
earth now knows,
Inmost soul here recognising all the mighty debt she
“Oh, my country, art thou palling—losing all thy
young day's glow?
Can'st thou lose tby first love's glory, and thy hero’s
worth still know?
Patriot hearts, do doubts still haunt you, threaten
ing thoughts come crowding on ?
Ball with me down broad Potomac, put the tomb of
Wublngton;
“ Feel the Impress of hts greatness, stamped upon the
Nation’s heart,
Bee each manly brow uncovered, lovely lips In awe
apart;
Fear not while this reverence lingers with Its clear,
warm,hallowing light;
This must fade from brow and bosom ere can come
our country's night."
At present I.am in Philadelphia and have
visited the many points of interest, the Mint.
Academy of Art, Independence and Carpen
ter's Halls, Penn Cottage, Old SwedeChurch,
Zoological Gardens, etc.
In Independence Hail among the curiosi
ties well known to many of your readers, not
so well known to others, are: William
Penn’s chair; ale mug of John Paul Jones;
a piece of the original timber of the frigate
“Alliance” commanded by John Paul Jones;
had in 1774. Here was held the First Con
nental Congress on the 5th of September,
1774.
Speaking of the old buildings—and Phila
delphia certainly has a large number—there
is none more Interesting than “Gloria Del,”
tbe Old Swedes Church. It is a quaint build
ing of black and red brick, being 30 feet in
width by 00 feet in length, a little belfry
peering up from the western roof. It was
begun to be erected in May, 1098, and was
.dedicated July 2, 1700, by the Rev. Eric
Biork. An original antique font is still in
possession of the church. For many years
services were held here in the Swedish lan
guage, pastors being sent over from Sweden.
Mr. Nicholas Collin was the last of these
divines, and since his death, 1831, the Swed
ish, congregation has been under the care of
American clergymen. In 1849 Fredrika
Bremer, herself a Swede and authoress of
note, visited this building and thus writes
of it: “A large book was placed upon a sort
of tall stand in the middle of the church,
and upon Its page might be read in large let
ters, which, however, had been somewhat
altered by restoration, ‘ The people who
dwelt in darkness have seen a great light.’
^IKW OH TI1E LOWER BT. JOHNS RIVER, FLA.
watch and sword of Capt. John Rush, a cav
alry officer in Cromwell’s army; silver ink
stand from which the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was signed; original charter of the
city of Philadelphia, 1701; part of the pew
from “Christ Church," used by Washington,
Franklin, LaFayette and Bishop White; a
block from the great elm, Liberty Tree, Bos
ton Common, 1784; epaulettes worn by Gen*
eral g.n Fayette; frame and yoke whereon
hung the old Liberty Bell, when on Monday,'
the 8th of July, 1776, at 12 o’clock it was rung
obedient to its motto: “Proclaim liberty
throughout all tbe land unto all the inhabi
tants thereof.”
What a shame it is that the first house
built in Philadelphia, and that too the cot
tage house of William Penn, should be devo
ted to its present ignoble purposes, a low
tavern end liquor saloon. So great an ob
ject of curiosity should certainly be pur
chased by the city of Philadelphia, and like
Washington's house, restored as nearly as
possible to its original condition. Carpen
ter’s Hall, another very ancient building,
has shared a better fate, and is really pleasant
as most of our modern structures, having
been restored to the appearance which it
And this inscription, together with the old
church at Wilmington, Delaware, and a few
family names, are all that remains of the
colony of New Sweden, on the eastern shores
of tbe New World. Yet no I not all. A
peaceful, noble memory of its life continues
to exist on tbe page of history like a lovely
episode of idyllian purity and freshness.”
In the grave-yard attached to the church are
many old tombstones, among them one
marking the resting place of Alexander Wil
son, the noted naturalist and poet. There
are several quaint inscriptions. One is as
follows:
Here lleth ye body of
NELLS LA1CKAN BR,
Who Died Dec.,
ye 4th, 1721,
Aged 55
years.
Another:
My Glass is Run, My work in done,
And I lie under ground,
Entombed in Clay until ye day
I bear ye Trumpet Sound.
Services are still held in the old church,
the interior ot which being modernised is
Very comfortable. .. W. P. Woollsy.
he err. John’s hives, feobida.
The excellent word-paintings of “Home
Life in Florida” by Helen Harcourt in our
cclumnsPiftome months past has attracted
considerable attention to the “Land of
Flowers.” During the winter season that
8tate is visited by thousands in search of
health and pleasure. Through the courtesy ot
Mr. J. L. Taylor, the General Passenger
Agent of the Savannah, Florida & Western
Railway, we are enabled to present on this
page a handsome scene on the St. John’s
River.
This magnificent and capacious body of
water, characterized for its waywardness by
the Indians as “We la-ka,” meaning that “It
has its own way”—flows through East Flor
ida, almost due northward, for 400 miles,
until Jacksonville ft reached. It then runs
directly east into the Atlantic Ocean. It
seems to he formed by the numerous small
streams from tbe unexplored regions of tbe
Everglades, though its leal source is un
known. There are but few streams in the
world that present a more tropical appear
ance along their whole course. We find
orange groves—bitter and sweet—dipping
their gold-dappled boughs into its tepid
waters; on its banks rises the stately magno
lia, in all its pride, steeping the atmosphere
in its rich perfume. The waters of this no
ble stream are of a dark blue, and slightly
brackish in taste, as far up as Lake George.
The banks of the St. Johns are the princi-'
pal attraction to invalids in search of pleas-
ant^surroundings. Thousands of visitors are
scattered among its towns and villages every
winter, while some few bring camp equipages
and pitch their tents in the picturesque for
ests.
The means of access to all points on the
river are easy and comfortable. One of the
many well-appointed steamers leaves Jack
sonville daily, except Sunday, on arrival of
the Northern trains, for all landings on the
St. Johns river.
Social Hates.
Of course the word mutes is not to be taken
literally. Social mutes are not fitting
candidates for admission to a deaf and
dumb asylum, but simply the mutes of so
ciety—the people who have nothing- te-say. -
We meet them everywhere, and it is a mis
take to think that they are people without
ideas. They are sometimes shy people, often
people who on occasion can talk with tbe
best, and do not care to trouble themselves to
entertain any one unless they wish to do so;
but usually they are people who simply do
not know how to begin a conversation with a
stranger, and wait for the stranger to take
the initiative. Two of this sort together
have a very sorry time of it, as / know very
well indeed.
I envy people who have tbe gift of small
talk, who not only always think of something
to say to strangers, but who do not need an
answer. But, for my part, I can never talk
unless I feel assured that I am not boring
my audience, and to those who have noth
ing to say I cannot long find anything to
utter. Silence falls between us, after i have
lugged in the weather by the ears aanften as
I dare, and all is over. Yet I confidently
believe that I am not a hopelessly stupid
person, and that tbe other party to the si
lence may be really worth knowing, if one
could find out how.
It is this oft repeated dilemma that has set
me thinking whether people might not do
something for themselves under suoh af
flicting circumstances. I am not sure but
that “How to keep up a conversation”
might make Avery useful volume. I should
like some one else to write it, and let me
study it; but there is one rule which would
help people along considerably, and that is
to remember that when once the ball of con
versation is thrown to them they can easily
keep it up. If one is forced to do all the
throwing; to ask questions and make re
marks, receiving “Yes,” “No," “Ah,” and
“Indeed,” for replies, it will need the tal
ent of an orator and the good temper of a
saint to go on and prosper. But if one’s fel
low victim really makes a remark one has a
chance. Do not merely answer by dissent,
or assent, or by saying something that ends
the subject. Add to your “Yes,” your “No,"
“I have,” or “I have not,” something which
shall bring another remark. In this case, if
the person wishes to converse at all, conver
sation becomes possible.
To tbose who just beginning life, feel their
danger of sinking into the position of social
mutes, I would say; Begin at once the strag
gle with yourself which yon will have to
make some day, and yon will spare yourself
many yean of misery.—If. T. Ledger.