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Show Took Him lot a Woman, Idyllic Beauty of John Randolph of Rcancke Led Guest ol Prominent Southern Club Into Deplorable Error At the Grave of the Great Southern Statesman, "When I was in Richmond a few days since," said Mr. Ridgely Howard How-ard of Baltimore to a representative of the Washington Star at the New Willard, "I made one of those bad breaks which prove so embarrassing. I was a guest of a member of the crack Westmoreland club, and after a slight repast I was escorted through the building for the purpose of viewing view-ing the pictures, relics of the civil war, etc. During the tour mentioned my attention was particularly attracted to the portrait of what I took to be a very handsome brunette. I incidentally inciden-tally remarked to my host that the young lady was quite pretty, when, with a low chuckle, he replied, 'Yes, quite pretty, but as a matter of fact the picture represents John Randolph of Roanoke at 18.' You also smile, but let me explain how I was caught. The hair was parted in the middle and neatly combed back of the ears; the features were of a purely feminine mold, and the expression of the eyes and face was so shy and bashful that you will readily understand how I was deceived. One can hardly con ceive, looking at the portrait of Randolph Ran-dolph at the age represented, that he could ever grow into the cynical and disagreeable creature he is reported to have been in his later years. If he ever had love affairs which went wrong I have never heard of them. As near as I can learn he never had any real ardent affection for any woman wom-an except his mother, who, it is said, was beautiful, and whom it is also said he closely resembled in beauty as a child. "Later in the day I paid a visit to Hollywood cemetery, a beautiful spot, and sought the grave of Randolph. I found it on a gentle slope overlooking overlook-ing the James. It appears that some twenty years ago, or more, the remains re-mains of Randolph were moved from the lonely spot, in the forest at Roanoke Roan-oke to their present resting place by the state authorities. A marble slab now covers his last resting place, on which is the following inscription: 'Here lies John Randolph of Roanoke.' The only other words on the slab are those giving the date of birth and death." |