McKenney and thereby, of course, of Henry Foxall. One
of them, I heard all of my childhood was very, very pretty, but,
although they were both great friends of my mother, I never saw her
face, for she never went out of doors without a heavy, blue barege veil.
It is said her eyes were weak but there was, too, a romantic story of
her having been "disappointed in love," as they said in those days.

[Illustration: OLD MCKENNEY HOUSE]

A little farther west on Dumbarton Avenue on the north side of the
street, above its stone wall topped with a white picket fence, is the
old McKenney house. This is the house that Henry Foxall gave to his only
daughter, Mary Ann, when she became the bride of Samuel McKenney in
1800. Until a few years ago, there lived here her granddaughter, Mrs.
McCartney and her children and grandchildren, the fifth generation to
live in the old house.

It was such a dear, sweet old house and the garden, too. At the marriage
of the daughter of Mrs. McCartney, the lace wedding veil was the same
that was worn long ago by Mary Ann Foxall, whose namesake she was.

The old house was full of treasures and curios, an exquisite little
white marble clock which once upon a time ticked off the hours for Marie
Antoinette, that beautiful and tragic queen. It was presented to Henry
Foxall by his friend and partner, Robert Morris, who had gotten it from
Gouveneur Morris, he having bought it in Paris. Also there was lots of
lovely old Spode china, and there is a story told of how Aunt Montie was
found one day feeding the cats from the priceless dishes. When
reprimanded, she explained she didn't want to use any of the "nice new
china."

In 1840 a maiden lady from Philadelphia came one day to have lunch, or
midday dinner as I imagine it was in those days, and was planning to
take the stage-coach for her return journey soon after the meal. She had
been telling stories to the children and when the time for her departure
neared, little Henrietta McKenney burst into tears; she didn't want such
a delightful story-teller to go. Mrs. McKenney urged her to stay, so
she agreed to stay for a day or two, at the end of that time, for a week
or so. The time passed and she stayed on. Her visit lasted forty years,
and was ended only by her call to another world. She had asked soon
after her settlement into the home life for some duties so she took over
the charge of the linen of the household and the making of the desserts.
She had one