Art, culture, and prose: My favorite entries from Around Town

— Upon the guest book in the St. Simon & St. Jude Salon, signers include artists Gary Larson, Elizabeth Yeampierre, Sanford Meisner, Alfred Sloan, Ross Bleckner, Joan Jonas, Peggy Craig, Ed Paschke, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, among others. —

JENNIFER WALKER

Jenny Walker and her sister Kristin were set to make their debut in Paris on March 20, 1859, as a made-for-America painter duo, together demonstrating the freedom inherent in the spirit of the American Revolution. First, however, Jenny and Kristin had to take care of a dear friend, a child named Margaret, who was “a proof of the flag and the promises” in Jenny’s life.

Says Jenny in “The Carriage Carrying Margaret Walker and the Soldier Young Daniel Stenhouse”: “Daniel was one of the most beloved persons in my family for 15 years. He was a gentleman, intelligent, and friendly. For Christmas each year, when we went to his home in Medford, I decorated the tree with as many ornaments that I could get. I displayed these ornaments in every room of the house to show my love for him. Then, when his mother passed, Daniel and my sister Kristin invited me to accompany them to Paris so I could share in all the excitement. They were such lovely children and such loving spirits, giving us a great comfort as we got to know them. I knew that one day they would give us something more than diamonds.”

On March 19, 1859, Jacob Richardson walked from Bridgeport, Conn., through the woods and along a narrow path up a blower to reach the carriage where he wanted to sleep. In his pocket was a knife that was supposed to cut through the drywall.

— David H. Brown

Reader submissions from people eager to share their entries. I picked the most interesting ones for an edition of The Washington Post’s Around Town newspaper and online. Email comments to [email protected].

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