Part 18 (2/2)

Although not a practical joker, enial, as many of their tastes were similar Both of them were devoted to literature and both were accomplished writers; but while Derby published his works and was rewarded with financial success, Mr

Gouverneur wrote chiefly for the newspaper press He edited and published a work by Jans,”

but never sent to the press any works of his own production I think that the lack of encouragement fro upon a literary career He commenced several novels but never finished them, and his chief literary remains are principally confined to the limits of his ”commonplace-books”

President Buchanan's niece, Harriet Lane, subsequently Mrs Henry Elliott Johnston of Maryland, presided with grace and dignity over the White House during her uncle's administration I first met Miss Lane before the period when Buchanan represented the United States at the Court of St Jaiven by Mrs Hamilton Fish, whose husband was then a US Senator from the State of New York Her blond type of beauty made an indelible impression upon hters of General Winfield Scott

Soton, I incidentally referred to this resemblance between the Scotts and herself and was not surprised to hear her say that others had spoken of it To an exceptionally fine presence, she added unusual intelligence and brilliant power of repartee I have often heard the story that at a social function at the White House an acco to Miss Lane upon her shapely hands--”hands,” he ejaculated, ”that ht have swayed the rod of empire” Her retort came without alyre” Eland, wrote so sketch of Harriet Lane Johnston which was published in Mrs

Elizabeth F Ellet's book entitled, ”The Court Circles of the Republic”

A the prominent belles of the Buchanan administration, and an intimate friend and cohter of the ee Jeremiah S Black of Pennsylvania, Attorney-General and for a time Secretary of State under Buchanan She was theof Ishaton, where, in her beautiful ho circle and was ton, a son of Lund Washi+ngton, who, was a conspicuous figure at the National Capital during the Buchanan _regi the Pierce administration he was assistant Secretary of the Treasury under Jaold-headed cane which he boasted had originally belonged to his distinguished relative, the first President Although by birth a Virginian, Mr

Washi+ngton never wavered in his loyalty to the Union During the latter part of the Civil War he made a visit to us in our Maryland home, and I shall always remember the expression of his opinion that many leaders of the Confederate cause were not true representatives of the South, citing as examples some members of Jefferson Davis's cabinet He concluded his remarks with the facetious stateton as a leader they ht have been successful” Earlier residents of the District will recall Littleton Quinton Washi+ngton, a prolific writer chiefly upon political subjects, and a younger half-brother of Peter G Washi+ngton

My old and valued friend, Mrs Haton were the Godparents of hter At the earnest request of the former, this ceremony took place in the house of Mrs

Alexander Has Mrs Holly and I characterized the gathering as a revolutionary party, as so le for independence I never saw Mrs Haain Shortly after this pleasant function I sailed for China, and just before starting onnote, which saddened me more than I can well express:--

SEP 9th

My dear friend,

For many days I have been blessed by your very kind letter, but aed with uson away (another lady obtained adht find another home My hand and head are exhausted

Most truly yours,

E H HOLLY

CHAPTER XII

SOJOURN IN CHINA AND RETURN

Prior to the Civil War, Mr Gouverneur received an appointment from James Buchanan as US Consul to Foo Chow in China, and I decided to accohter had been added to our fae circle of relatives ere still anxiously expecting me to hand down the nae upon the clipper shi+p _India from New York and commanded by a ”down-east” skipper named Smith No railroads crossed the Ae to the far East had to be made either around Cape Horn or by way of the Isthmus of Panama or around the Cape of Good Hope We selected the latter route, leaving New York in October and arriving in Shanghai the following March My preparations for such a protracted journey with two very young children were carefully and even elaborately planned but, to my dismay, some of the most important articles of food for the childrens' diet beca before we reached our destination As one ly put to my wits' end for substitutes We also provided ourselves with a goodly a to China, ais Huc's volume on ”The Chinese Empire,” and Professor S Wells Williadoreat interest but discovered after a few months' residence in the East that no book or pen we then knew conveyed an adequate idea of that ree, and sailing in the trade winds in the Southern hehly in sye of Huetation in the following beautiful leaellan have never circled, who has never stood within the shadow of great palloom of the primeval forests, does not kno the soul seems to have a new birth in the s Nowhere but under the equatorial skies is it permitted to man to behold at once and in the same sweep of the eye all the stars of both the Northern and Southern heavens; and nowhere but at the tropics does nature coetation that are parceled out separately to other climes”

The patience of our captain was sorely tried by the lack of hile passing through the Doldru in breadth fro in extreme limits at different seasons of the year, is near the equator and abounds in cal winds which so vessels for weeks at a tied froreeting the trade winds so cherished by the hearts of ues south of the Cape of Good Hope and limpse of it, but we realized its proxieons which hovered around our vessel The albatross was also our daily visitor and one or two of theardless of the superstition of possible cala voyage was at the Moluccas or Spice Islands, in the Malay Peninsula, and was ers ere desirous of exploring the beauties of that tropical region The waters surrounding these islands were as calm as a lake and all around our shi+p floated the debris of spices The vegetation was more beautiful than I can describe and the shells which covered the shores were eagerly collected by the passengers

Our fellow voyagers were four missionaries, who on Sundays conducted divine service, and a Mr Pee_ to join the _Hong_ of Purden and Cohai In these early days it was the custom of parents of refractory or adventurous sons to place thes

Occasionally they were sent upon whaling voyages, where the hardshi+ps were greater and the voyage ed On the _Indiaman_ there were several of these youths and it was quite pathetic as well as co amid the jeers of a well-disciplined crew

One of them, whose father had occupied an official position in the City of New York, had been quite a society ”swell” and claimed acquaintance with er child, a mere babe, in the arms Every now and then ere startled by her shrieks and for quite a time we could not detect the cause until we finally discovered that his task was uncongenial and that, in order to get rid of his charge, the incorrigible youth had administered an occasional pinch

One Sunday afternoon while sailing in the Indian Ocean we had a narrow escape from shi+pwreck Every sail was set to catch the least breath of air, and Mr Gouverneur and the children were on deck with the captain, when in the distance they sahat seee wall The moment the experienced eye of our skipper saw it he exclaione!” It slowly but surely approached our shi+p and when it reached us its force was so great that our sails alradually righted itself and ere naturally rateful for our deliverance I chanced to be resting in my cabin at the perilous moment and in a most uncere the ht our long voyage was nearly ended, but we soon discovered that we had not yet ”crossed the Rubicon,” and that trouble was still in store for us We had just passed the mouth of this river and cast anchor when, to our surprise and dised anchor for about twenty ht and clear, but our captain, who had lost his te the storracious reception This was limpse of the Chinese within the limits of their own domain