Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Augusta Seminary Annual. !• President liiiiiseir, did nut .stril i! iiwe to liur heart; but an act(jr, any one who Iiad wi-itton a ho jk, coniposed a melody or painted a ])icture, seemed a divinity to lier. One day she ran into h father ' s stndy and found him talkinii; to a gentleman she liad never seen hefore. Hit father said, Mr. Clemens, this is my little liirl. l ' »lly was awed at last, for she knew this was the man who had told ahont the little Prince of Eni land and the i aiiper Poy, and ahont tlioM ' had hoys, Tom Sawyer and Huckle- berry Finn. But how solemn he looked, as if he had never lauojhed in his life. Polly secretly thought her father nnist have made a mistake. Lawrence Barrett came to Washington about this time, and as Polly could not and would not be left in the hotel by herself, she was taken every night to the theatre. One day her sister received a note from a friend, asking hei- to a small reception, at which Lawrence Barrett was to read. The child was wild, and teased to be allowed to go, until at last her sister wrote to her friend, asking if she mitrht bring Pollv. When the child learned the friends would be ' iy ' glad to have her come, she could not rest, and on the morning of the reading she was up by six o ' clock, worrying the whole family by her repeated question, Isn ' t it time to go ? Being the smallest person at the reception, and not having learned the .art of concealing her thoughts, Mr. Barrett noticed her admi- ration, and amused by it, came and spoke a few words to Polly. That night when he played Bichlieu she could hardly believe it was the same kind, trancpiil man she had seen in the morning. At Christmas, w hen Polly was given a beautiful boy doll, dressed in a velvet suit and having hair almost as thick and shin- ing as her own curls, she at once named him Lawrence Barrett. In a few weeks Wilson Barrett came to Washington and, one Wednesday afternoon, Polly found herself in the great parlor of the Biggs House, standing by the kind-hearted wife of the Speaker of the House. But it was not Mrs. Carlisle who caused Polly to stand with open mouth, her gray eyes black with excite- ment and lier dimj led cheeks redder than her scarlet sash. No, it was a dark, distinguished looking man of medium height who had just entered. This was Wilson Barrett. Polly was so close to him she could stretch out her little hand and touch him. She noticed every detail, though she seemed to be in a dream. He

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12 The Augusta Seminary Annual. She was followed by a small man about iifty years old. The lady smiled at Polly and said, Your father told me to come at five o ' clock, and here I am. I am Miss Barton. ' Polly ' s eyes grew large and round. She blurted out, Are you the Red Cross Miss Barton who goes to wars and floods and earthquakes Miss Barton, smiling, answered, I suppose I am the one you mean. Polly ' s father came in just then, and they began talking of a bill before the committee for the relief of some sufferers from a famine, and the cliild was sent n;t of the room, but this accjuaint- ance ripened into friendship. Polly ' s sister loved to go to Miss Barton ' s, and so did Polly ; the sister because it was so quiet and tranquil in the little old- fashioned house after the whirl of society — Polly because Miss Barton would get out her beautiful jewels, ])adges, ribljons and pins that had been given her because of her Red Cross woi ' k. One thing that seemed especially lovely to Polly was an enormous pansy, its petals cut out of amethyst, and each petal surrounded by brilliants. It was given to Miss Barton by the Empress Au- gusta of Germany. Sometimes, to please the cliild, Miss Barton would put on all her jewels and decorations, and there were so many that her dress was completely hidden. Miss Barton kept the most irregular hours. Often she sat up all night and slept the next day. She never realized that other people did not. do the same thing, and saw no reason why, if she liad the time to talk to you, you should not listen until long after midnight. When you saw Miss Barton coming you might be sure her secre- tary. Dr. Plubbell, was not fai- away. lie was lier right hand man, and liad been her secretary for years. He would tell Polly wonderful stories of their experiences when he could make him- self stop listening to Miss Barton, but he seemed to enjoy every- thing she told, and would sit and look at her as if she were the queen of the world. Polly had been so much vith older |)eople that she was far more mature than most children of he} ' aij;e. Sittino- on her father ' s knee vhile he read Jiis paper, slie spelled out the large letters, then the small ones, until she knew how to read before her family realized that she knew her letters. She was a great hero-worshipper. The justices of the Supreme Court, in their long black gowns, Senators, members of the Cabinet, even the

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14 T}ie Augusta Seminary Annual. appeai ' ed imicli ohlei- tliaii ClHiidiair oi- Chattertoii ; li is dark hair, worn a little long, was cui-ly at the ends, and he had on a verj low tnrned-down collar. His voice Avas extremely pleasant and he spoke unlike any one else — very low, hut very distinctly. Polly thought at once, I will call my doll Barrett, and then he will be named for Lawrence Bari ' ett and Wilson Barrett, too. The next great event in Polly ' s life was a trip to Baltimore to see Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett and Madame Modjeska in Hamlet. She was going to see that great actor who would not come to Washington because he had been hissed off the stage there soon after Lincoln was killed. The Washington people would gladly welcome him now, Init he would not come. The eventful day arrived at last; they were sitting in the Baltimore theatre and the curtain rose. Polly was disappointed at first, and said, Oh I I don ' t like him at all ; why he is too old ; but soon she was on her feet, wild with interest. She had to l e pulled down, and was finally told that if she stood np again she would be taken away. Years afterwards, when she was a big blas6 Polly, she thought with happiness of tliat wonderful afternoon. That winter at the Riggs House were a quiet Senator and his wife, who always stopped Polly for a little chat Avhen they met her in the halls or on the staircase. They were friendly with every one, but friends with no one. Even in the hotel a home- like atmosphere seemed to surround them. The wife did not spend all her time calling and going to teas and receptions as the other ladies did. On Sundays a tall, white-haired old man always dined with them. This quiet couple were Mr. and Mrs. Hanison, afterwards the President and the first lady of the land. The old man was Mrs. Harrison ' s father. Dr. Scott. Polly was remembered in her own town because she rode a w hite pony ; people in AVashington remembered her because she was always dressed in white, Li her white broadcloth coat, which came down to her heels, her little white silk mittens and her white cap, she was always taken for a saucy little boy. When her father and brothers went calling on New Year ' s Day she went as a matter of course, and felt very much injured if they made her wait for them in the carriage. She always comforted herself by questioning the drivers about their li(jrses, and they, thinking