Washington Drank Here?

Yesterday I wrote about concerts Emily Dickinson attended, one of which starred Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale (and the singer brought to America for a tour by P. T. Barnum – as seen in the movie “The Greatest Showman”).  

Dickinson was not a recluse her entire life, and in addition to the concerts I mentioned yesterday, she also made trips to Boston and Washington, DC (her father was a Representative in Congress for one term). 

While in DC, Dickinson boated down the Potomac to George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon.

Here’s how she described the trip in a letter, "...if you haven't been to the sweet Mount Vernon, then I will tell you how on one soft spring day we glided down the Potomac in a painted boat, and jumped upon the shore — how hand in hand we stole along up a tangled pathway 'til we reached the tomb of General George Washington, how we paused beside it, and no one spoke a word, then hand in hand walked on again, not less wise or sad for that marble story."

More info about the trip is in an article HERE.

I mention the trip to Mount Vernon because this story was featured in the news recently:  “George Washington's stash of centuries-old cherries found hidden under Mount Vernon floor."

Here’s a bit from the article:

“During colonial times, there was a popular drink known as cherry bounce, which was made with brandy, spices, sugar and cherry juice. (Both Washington and his wife, Martha, were fans.) However, typically, this tipple was stored in larger vessels, so archaeologists concluded that it's likely that the newly discovered fruits were being preserved for other uses, such as for cooking or baking, The Washington Post reported.”

And just FYI:  The word “Brandy” does not appear in any poem by Dickinson; however, “cherries” appears in one, “Victory comes late”