Part 15 (2/2)

During conferences at headquarters, great care had to be taken lest they be surprised by the British. While one of these conferences was being held, word was sent out that the British were on their way.

Without a moment's delay each officer hurried for his necessary adjuncts to meet the emergency. In the midst of the confusion, however, General Greene lost his head and could be heard above the din, calling loudly: ”My wig, my wig; where is my wig?” His demand was so emphatic that the attention of the little group was instantly seized. General Lee was the first to regain his composure and with ready wit called out in an equally loud voice: ”Behind the looking-gla.s.s, General.” Greene, pa.s.sing the mirror, found to his consternation that the wig was on his head.

Overjoyed that he was not to go into battle wigless, he joined in the general laugh that followed. The report of the British approach proved false, however, and the officers returned to their consultation.

After the estate had been confiscated, it was purchased by one Nathaniel Tracy, an intimate of Was.h.i.+ngton, whose princ.i.p.al home was in Newburyport, Ma.s.sachusetts. Tracy was a very wealthy merchant, indeed one of the most brilliant financiers in the country, and his spectacular ventures had given him a prominent name in local history.

Tracy was a large landowner, having estates practically all over the country, and while he owned the Va.s.sall house, he rarely lived there, using it simply as a place where he could spend week-ends if he so desired.

Andrew Craigie was the next prominent owner of the house, purchasing it on January 1, 1793. At that time the grounds had been enlarged until they comprised one hundred and fifty acres, a part of which is now used for the Harvard Observatory. This Craigie was an ”apothecary-general”

or, as he would be known now, a commissary, for the Continental army. He was a most eccentric man but clever enough to acquire a large estate.

This house appealed to him, both from the fact that it had been Was.h.i.+ngton's headquarters and from its own beauty both of exterior and interior. He married a Miss Shaw of Nantucket, who had been in love with a young sailor of limited means. The wealth of Craigie dazzled her, and while she never forgot her early lover, treasuring his love letters until just before her death, she made a charming mistress for the mansion.

Craigie, like other wealthy men of his time, was pretentious and spent money lavishly. While it is believed that he built the service department on the western wing of the house, yet this is not definitely known. During his occupancy, the large, square, eastern room was enlarged and adorned with many columns to afford more s.p.a.ce for his frequent entertainments. Prominent merchants of Boston and many noted people accepted his hospitality. An amusing instance is told of a visit of Talleyrand, who conversed entirely in French with Mrs. Craigie, the host not understanding a word that was spoken. It is currently reported that the Duke of Kent, Queen Victoria's father, who for a long time was stationed at Halifax, paid a visit here; impressed with the honor, Craigie afterwards purchased the coach and horses the duke had used in Boston.

Craigie built the bridge from Boston to East Cambridge which bears his name and engaged in many investments. He speculated once too often, however, and lost nearly all of his money. He died soon after, but his widow remained in the same house, yet under such reduced circ.u.mstances that she was obliged to let rooms to college students. Two of these were Edward Everett and Jared Sparks, who afterwards brought their brides here.

Later on, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow left Bowdoin College to take a position as professor in Harvard University, and desired extensive apartments, he appealed to her. She at first refused him, having tired of the care of students and not wis.h.i.+ng to let rooms any longer. He was an attractive and agreeable young man, and when Mrs. Craigie learned that he was a professor, she invited him to visit the different rooms, telling him of Was.h.i.+ngton's connection with the house, but informing him that he could not have the use of any of the apartments. At length, however, after a long controversy, she agreed to let him take the southeast chamber, to which was afterwards added the west front chamber for his dining-room.

At that time the back part of the house was given over to a farmer and his wife, the latter caring for Longfellow's rooms and supplying his meals. During a part of the time that Longfellow had rooms here, Worcester, who wrote the dictionary, was another occupant. To this house came Cornelius G. Felton, Charles Sumner, and many others to visit Longfellow, who in 1842 entertained Charles d.i.c.kens here.

In 1843 Longfellow bought the house of Mrs. Craigie. He was the last occupant, and every room in the house is connected with him. In one of the upper chambers _Hyperion_ was written, as were many other poems, including _The Courts.h.i.+p of Miles Standish_ and _Hiawatha_.

To this mansion one pleasant day in June came Hawthorne to dine with Longfellow, bringing with him his friend, Horace Conelly. On reaching the house, to Hawthorne's surprise and chagrin, he found two other visitors, George S. Hillard and Professor Felton of Harvard College.

Hawthorne had hoped in this visit to review with Longfellow old times in Brunswick and the history of some of his cla.s.s of whom he had lost sight since leaving college. After the departure of the other guests, Longfellow, Hawthorne, and Conelly held an animated conversation on their literary work. At this time the story of the French Acadian girl, just married, exiled and separated from her husband, was told. Hawthorne had never been interested, but Longfellow saw in it a popular theme and with permission wrote the poem that has been considered one of his best works.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE Lx.x.xIV.--The Longfellow House, Cambridge, Ma.s.s.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE Lx.x.xV.--Library, Longfellow House.]

The Longfellow house faces the main road, a large, square mansion with entrance porch. The grounds are now reduced to a small area surrounding the house and are pleasantly laid out in gardens and lawns. The main door bears a ponderous knocker, and one enters a wide, dignified hallway. On the first landing of the staircase stands the old grandfather's clock so familiar to all readers of Longfellow's poems.

The princ.i.p.al room open to the public is the library, which leads from the right of the hall, a square room finished in brown and containing many mementoes that were there during Longfellow's lifetime. This room has been left practically unchanged. Over the fireplace is a beautiful girandole, with convex gla.s.s and gilt frame and ebony rim inside. This is said to have been made in 1800--an heirloom. There are many fine old pieces of furniture, each one of which bespeaks some event connected with the poet's life. The furniture is not old-fas.h.i.+oned and no attempt has been made to keep it up to any period. It is simply left as a memorial in the room where Longfellow sat and wrote and received his friends.

The grounds cover scarcely half an acre, but the mansion with a few modern improvements remains as it was in the early days when it was first built by John Va.s.sall.

CHAPTER XXI

THE QUINCY MANSION

Long years ago before our country was thickly settled, and when our forefathers extracted from the soil a scanty living, the houses were simple little ones, often built with only four rooms. It was in such a house as this that William Coddington made his early home. It was delightfully situated, close to the bank of Black Brook, and surrounded by overhanging trees.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE Lx.x.xVI.--The Quincy Mansion, Quincy, Ma.s.s.]

In 1635 William Coddington and his fellow a.s.sociates received a grant of five hundred acres at Braintree, now Quincy, Ma.s.sachusetts, extending from the old Dorchester line at Squantum to Howe's Neck, and about a mile inland. This was a goodly tract of land, with level meadows that promised good plowing. The next year, in the heart of the grant, Mr.

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