These were upon the walls of the dining-room at Philadelphia, which was also used for public receptions by the President and his wife. They were now placed in the large drawing room at Mount Vernon. They are each constructed of a mirror enclosed in a neat metal frame, resting upon an elaborately wrought bracket, and surmounted by flowers and festoons of leaves, all of the same material, and heavily gilt. In front of the mirror is a crystal candlestick and branches, so placed as to have a brilliant reflection produced. These "lustres," as they were sometimes called, were imported from France, and formed a strong contrast to the ancient dingy iron lantern which hung in the great passage. That lantern, first hung up in the original cottage upon Mount Vernon by Lawrence Washington, continued its services there until the death of the general. It had then cast its dim light upon the entrance door full eighty years. It is still in service, having for more than fifty years lighted the great passage at Arlington House, illuminating pictures by Vandyke and Sir Godfrey Kneller. In the dining-room at Mount Vernon was another relic of the household of Lawrence Washington. It was a sideboard, handsomely wrought of black walnut, and is an excellent specimen of the quality of furniture in Virginia a hundred years ago. Its edges and legs are ornamented with delicate leaf-carving, and the wood is as perfect as when it was first used. It is about five feet in length, two and a half feet in width, and three feet in height, and quite heavy. It is used by the family at Arlington House, and is prized as one of the most precious mementos of Mount Vernon, because of its antiquity There are also a tea-table and punch-bowl at Arlington House that belonged to Washington. The former is quite small, elliptical in shape, about three feet in length, and made of mahogany. It was manufactured in New York for use in the executive mansion there, as a tea-table only, for the little private family of Washington, which consisted of only four persons. Food was not often set upon it. Washington seldom ate any thing after dinner until eight o'clock in the evening, when, with his family, he partook of a cup of tea served from this table, and a small slice of buttered bread. The great porcelain punch-bowl delineated in the engraving, has a deep blue border at the rim, spangled with gilt stars and dots. It was made expressly for Washington, but when, where, and by whom is not known. In the bottom is a picture frigate, and on the side are the initials G. W., in gold, upon a shield with ornamental sur roundings. It is supposed to have been presented to Washington by the French naval officers. If So, it was doubtless manufactured and sent over at the time when the Cincinnati china was forwarded. There are two massive silver candlesticks, with extinguishers and snuffers of the same metal, at Arlington House, that once belonged to Washington. These formed a WASHINGTON'S SILVER CANDLESTICK. part of his furniture after his retirement from the army, in 1783, and are a portion of his plate not remodelled afterward in New York. How many interesting associations are made to cluster around these simple utensils of domestic use, at the sugges tions of fancy and conjecture! Perhaps almost every distinguished European-Lafayette, Rochambeau, Chastellux, Houdon, Pine, Moustier, Brissot, D'Yrujo, Graham-as well as equally distinguished Americans who have spent a night at Mount Vernon-bore one of them to the bedchamber. Perhaps they were used by Washington himself at his writing-table or by the fireside, or to light the conjugal chamber. And it is quite possible that the master bore one of them on the occasion mentioned in the following paragraph from the pen of Elkanah Watson, when describing his visit at Mount Vernon : "The first evening I spent under the wing of Washington's hospitality, we sat a full hour at table by ourselves, without the least interruption. After the family had retired, I was extremely oppressed by a severe cold and excessive coughing, contracted by the exposure of a harsh winter journey. He pressed me to use some remedies, but I declined doing so. As usual after retiring, my coughing increased. When some time had elapsed, the door of my room was gently opened, and on drawing my bed-curtains, to my utter astonishment I beheld Washington himself standing at my bedside, with a bowl of hot tea in his hand. I was mortified and distressed beyond expression. This little incident occurring in common life with an ordinary man, would not have been noticed; but as a trait of the benevolence and private virtue of Washington, deserves to be recorded." |