Oldal 420 [420]
Tee Pie pMon? SEC rron
lise a
history and though in wooing the Lady Spotswood he met vigorous
opposition from her children, the following bit of a letter proves
that his cause was plead well:
‘“‘Madam: By diligently perusing your letter, I see that there 1s
a material argument, which I ought to have answered, upon which
your strongest objections to completing my happiness seems to
depend, viz.: That you would incur ye censures of ye world for
marrying a person of my station; by which I understand that you
think it a diminution of your honour and ye dignity of your family
to marry a person in the state of aclergyman. Now, if I can make
it appear that the ministerial office is an employment in its nature
ye most honourable, and in its effects ye most beneficial to mankind,
I hope your objections will immediately vanish, you will keep me
no longer in suspense and misery, but consummate my happiness.”
That the gentleman of the cloth won his suit, history well
knows and though he was the master of Horseshoe but a short
while, his name and that of his Lady will always add lustre to
the old place. From the Thompsons the estate went to William
Morton from whom it passed to Charles P. Moncure, who, in
1859, built the splendid house that is much admired today.
Overlooking a bend of the Rapidan River, the form of which
gave the estate its name, the white columned house stands upon a
slight rise of ground. An avenue of over-arching trees leads up
to it from the high road, and immediately around it, on all sides of
the lawn, venerable shade trees spread their branches.
A wide porch upheld by lofty columns, proves the southern front
of the house, the walls of which are of brick washed with buft
cement. ‘The interior presents an effect of spaciousness. A wide
entrance hall opens into a stair hall which runs at right angles
across it and separates the two rear from the two front rooms.
Where these halls join are pilasters which seem to permit the use |
of a paneled wainscot around the walls. To the right of the
entrance door is the office; to the left, the morning room. Passing
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