and afforded shelter from the storm. The whole island contained two hundred and ninety-seven acres. Mr. Blennerhasset purchased the upper half of it, about one hundred and seventy acres, for four thousand five hundred dollars.

Mr. Blennerhasset's house consisted of a main building fifty-two feet in length, thirty-two in width, and was two stories high, with porticoes forty feet in length, forming wings projecting in front. A lawn of several acres occupied the front ground, while an opening through the forest trees afforded a view of the river for several miles above. Graveled walks and a carriageway led to the river. The flower garden consisted of two acres of ground, planted with flowering shrubs, both exotic and native. Arbors and grottoes covered with vines were scattered over the grounds, and on the opposite side of the house was the kitchen-garden, stock

Upon the island there was a large blockhouse, which had been built as a place of refuge during the Indian wars. With his wife and one, child, Mr. Blennerhasset removed to this house while he was erecting his superb mansion. The grounds he laid out and ornamented with exquisite taste. Spacious out-buildings were erected, and boat landings constructed on both sides of the island for communication with the Vir-ed with choicest fruits. ginia and Ohio shores. Boats of various This spacious mansion was of wood, paintsizes were procured, and ten negro servants were purchased to fill the various departments of waiters, watermen, grooms, and gardeners. The whole amount of money

ed white, architecturally beautiful, and with much elaborate interior finishing. It was admirably adapted for the residence of a rich, scholarly gentleman, who enjoyed a

large library, who could employ delightful engaged a large share of Mr. Blennerhasset's hours in his laboratory making philosoph-attention. He was constantly making exical experiments, and who was fond of giv-periments and eliciting new facts in these ing balls and dinner parties to the most dis- wonderful branches of modern investigation. tinguished families for thirty miles round. In addition to these scientific accomplishThe wide central hall was ornamented with ments, he had made such attainments in the a beautiful cornice. A gilded moulding classics that it was said he could repeat the ran around its lofty ceiling. The furniture whole of Homer's Iliad in the original Greek. of the whole house was massive and rich In manners Mr. Blennerhasset was very most of it having been brought from En-courteous, mild, and yielding. His virtues gland. were of the amiable character rather than of the more stubborn. He was easily duped by the intriguing who had sufficient sagacity to discern his weak points. His benevolence was unbounded, and his sympathy with the sick and suffering very intense.

The drawing-room elicited the admiration of every one who entered it. Splendid mirrors, tasteful carpets, elegant curtains, and beautiful ornaments harmoniously arranged, the whole selected with fine taste, gave an air of refinement not always found even among the wealthy. Every thing in the internal appliances and external surroundings of the mansion was luxurious.

The library contained a large and choice selection of books. With unusual native powers, trained by a university education, by foreign travel, and by intercourse with men of culture, he could use the library for his profit and pleasure. Skilled in the sciences, with a fondness for chemical studies and all the correlative branches of natural philosophy, he had supplied his laboratory extensively with the best apparatus which the arts could then furnish.

With one of the best telescopes he scanned the heavens, and sought for those wonderful revelations which the grandest of sciences has revealed. He had also a solar microscope of great magnifying power, with which he explored that infinity of minuteness which is the counterpart of the infinity of grandeur. Mr. Blennerhasset seems to have been almost a universal genius. His musical taste was exquisite; he composed many beautiful airs, and played well on several instruments. His favorites were the violoncello and violin.

Being conscious that in his remote home in the New World he would have little access to skilled medical practitioners, he had paid very considerable attention to the study of medicine, and had provided himself with a supply of the most approved remedies for all maladies. He was ready freely to prescribe for his sick neighbors, and to administer to them of his medicines.

It is said that one of his neighbors, to whom Mr. Blennerhasset had loaned quite a sum of money, had his house and all his furniture consumed by fire. The enterprising, industrious man was thus reduced to absolute poverty, with a heavy debt hanging over him. Soon after, Mr. Blennerhasset invited the unfortunate man and his wife to dine at his table. After dinner he took his guest into his study and told him that he would either cancel the debt, or he might let it stand and he would make him a free gift of an order to the same amount on a store in Marietta. The honorable but unfortunate man preferred to commence his new struggle with adversity free from all hinderances of pecuniary obligation. He therefore gratefully accepted the canceling

The sciences of electricity and galvanism of the debt.

home.

Mr. Blennerhasset was very fond of hunt- by two wealthy maiden aunts, who had taking. Quails and other small game abound- en great care to instruct her in all the useed on the island. As he was quite near-ful arts of housewifery, which education she sighted, his wife frequently accompanied found to be of inestimable value in her new him on these short excursions. Her quick eye would search out the game, to which she would direct the attention of her husband. Mr. Blennerhasset was domestic in his tastes and generally sedentary in his habits. He had no fondness for carousals or any riotous pleasures. But he greatly enjoyed the society of the cultivated guests who in large numbers were allured to his hospitable mansion. Many gentlemen of distinction from the East, and especially officers of the Revolutionary army, had taken up their residence in that region. He usually dressed in the old English style. His coat was of blue broadcloth with gilt buttons. He wore invariably buff-colored or scarlet small- clothes and silk stockings. Large silver buckles, highly polished, fastened his shoes.

"In this quiet retreat," writes Mr. Hildreth, "insulated and separated from the noise and tumult of the surrounding world, amidst his books, with the company of his accomplished wife and children, he possessed all that seemed necessary for the happiness of man; and yet he lacked one thing, without which no man can be happy-a firm belief in the overruling providence of God. Voltaire and Rousseau, whose works he studied and admired, had poisoned his mind to the simple truths of the Gospel, and the Bible was a book which he seldom or never consulted. At least this was the fact while he lived on the island, whatever it might have been after misfortune and want had humbled and sorely tried him."

Mrs. Blennerhasset was in disposition far more ambitious and aspiring than her husband. It was a great trial to her to have him waste his brilliant powers in obscurity. She had heard him in several of his public addresses, and had often declared that in forensic eloquence he was not surpassed by the ablest orators of the day. Vainly she urged him to enter, as an advocate, the higher courts of Virginia and Ohio.

Mrs. Blennerhasset was in all respects a very accomplished lady. Her figure, tall and commanding, was moulded in the most perfect proportions. Her features, over which was spread a most brilliant complexion, were beautiful. A strong mind, highly cultivated, gave to those features that inimitable grace which intelligence alone can confer. Brown hair, profuse and glossy, dark blue eyes, and manners both winning and graceful, ever attracted attention to her, even in the most brilliant circles. She was very charitable to the sick and the poor in her neighborhood, often carrying to them those little delicacies which could nowhere clse be obtained. She had been brought up

She invariably dressed like a lady, in the most elegant manner. Her ordinary headdress consisted of a turban folded very full, in the Oriental style. It was of rich silk, sometimes white, which was her favorite color in summer, but in winter pink or yellow. A very intelligent lady who was familiar with society in Washington, and had visited in the courts of Europe, writes, "I have never beheld any one who was equal to Mrs. Blennerhasset in beauty of person, dignity of manners, elegance of dress-in short, in all that is lovely and finished in the female person-as she was when queen of the fairy isle."

"When she rode on horseback," writes Mr. Hildreth, "her dress was of fine scarlet broadcloth ornamented with gold buttons; a white beaver hat, on which floated the graceful plumes of the ostrich, of the same color. This was sometimes changed to blue or yellow, with feathers to harmonize. She was a perfect equestrienne, always riding a very spirited horse, with rich trappings, who seemed proud of his burden. She accomplished the ride to Marietta of fourteen miles in about two hours, dashing through and under the dark foliage of the forest trees which then covered the greater part of the distance, reminding one of the gay plumage and rapid flight of some tropical bird winging its way through the woods."

She had a favorite negro servant by the name of Ransom, who always followed on these excursions. He was a handsome fellow, well mounted, and ever dressed in rich livery. Often he found it difficult, by the application of both whip and spur, to keep up with his impetuous mistress.

Sometimes Mrs. Blennerhasset visited Marietta, for the purchase of clothing and groceries, by water. For this purpose she had a light, beautiful birch canoe. One of the negroes, Moses, a young man of great physical strength, was the principal waterman. Taking advantage of the eddies, he would often, with brawny arms, propel the canoe to the city against the stream in the course of about three hours. Having laden it with their purchases, they would push out into the middle of the rapid current, and often in less than two hours reach the landing on the island. English ladies are famed for their walking customs. Mrs. Blennerhasset not unfrequently, accompanied by a servant, walked through the blooming, magnificent forest to Marietta for the pleasure of the excursion.

In addition to Mrs. Blennerhasset's familiarity with all those accomplishments which adorn the life of a lady, and fond as

quaintance with useful arts was of priceless did not stop at the hospitable mansion of

value to her.

It was an admirable trait in her character that, trained as she had been to all the elegances and refinements of the highest social circles in England, she so readily and cheerfully engaged in these humble duties of domestic life.

Blennerhasset. By her graceful demeanor and her cheerful conversation she charmed alike the highest nobility who occasionally visited them from England and France, and also the humblest rustics from the log-cabins in the forest.

She was familiar with the French and Italian languages. Her skill in reading was so wonderful that it is said that even Mrs. Siddons could scarcely rehearse the plays of Shakspeare with more power, and rarely could any one be found who equaled her in familiarity with the English classics.

Enjoying vigorous health and buoyant spirits, Mrs. Blennerhasset was ever an early riser. The dawn of the morning usually found her in the kitchen, where her high intelligence directed the muscular energies of her negro servants. Often with her own hands she made the pastry and the cakes Such was the home and such were the

surroundings of Harman Blennerhasset dur- the stores at the other, with suitable acing eight years, in which he reigned almost supreme in his little island domain. Two additional children were born to cheer his mansion of opulence and taste. Parties of young people were often invited from Belpré and Marietta to enjoy the hospitalities of this Western Eden. Sometimes they rode in long and joyous cavalcade through the woods, but more generally they came down the river in light birch canoes and rowboats, propelled by the lusty arms of the young men. The rich autumnal season of the year, when a brilliant moon illumined the glorious scene, was generally selected for these excursions. Rapidly the little fleet would descend the stream, arriving at the island in the early twilight. A rich entertainment there awaited them.