. The home of Washington; or, Mount Vernon and its associations, historical, biographical, and pictorial . ated it to his guests, and, with them, laughed heartily atthe exploit of the stag-hound.^ Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the Frenchhounds, came a magnificent present from Samuel Yaughan, awealthy resident of London, who had conceived a passionateadmiration for the character of Washington. The object pre-sented was a very beautiful chimney-piece, wrought in Italy,from the finest white and Sienite marbles, for Mr. Yaughansown use. At the time of its arrival in England that gentle
. The home of Washington; or, Mount Vernon and its associations, historical, biographical, and pictorial . ated it to his guests, and, with them, laughed heartily atthe exploit of the stag-hound.^ Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the Frenchhounds, came a magnificent present from Samuel Yaughan, awealthy resident of London, who had conceived a passionateadmiration for the character of Washington. The object pre-sented was a very beautiful chimney-piece, wrought in Italy,from the finest white and Sienite marbles, for Mr. Yaughansown use. At the time of its arrival in England that gentlemanwas informed of the improvements in the mansion then inprogress at Mount Yernon, and, without unpacking it, he sentit directly to Washington. It is exquisitely wrought in everypart. Upon three tablets of the frieze, under the higlily orna-mented mantel, are sculptured, in very high relief, in whitemarble, pleasant domestic scenes in agricultural life. Uponthe centre tablet, which is the largest, is an evening scene. Ahusbandman, with his wife and little child, is returning from the 186 MOUNT VERNON. ITALIAN CHIMNET-PIECE. fields, driving a cow and a flock of sheep. Many of the latterare seen going into a fold for the night, and beyond the en-closure is seen the setting snn. On the left of the centraltablet is represented a boy, harnessing a span of horses, to beattached to a plough. On the right is a cottage. The house-wife, having just drawn a bucket of water from the well, ispouring it into a tub for the cleansing of vegetables, which areseen lying by the side of it. Her little girl has her apron full, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 187
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlossingb, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1870
