said little of Mr. Roach and his daughter, but
enough of the house and of its quasi owner -- for
Mr. Roach gave Simmscarte blanche in the matter
of entertaining, and grew to depend upon him in all
things as the years went by -- to enable us to form
a fair conception of the conditions under which most
of our author's future work was done. Of these
visitors the most conspicuous were William Cullen
Bryant, G. P. R. James, John R. Thompson, and
Paul Hayne. But though this list is small, the
number of visitors was large, for hardly any North-
ern gentleman who could get an introduction, or
of whose coming South Simms could hear, failed
to stop at Woodlands, to pay his respects. The
plantation was within easy walking distance -- but
what expected guest would be allowed to walk even
a hundred yards to a Southerner's house? -- of
Midway, a station which, as its name implied, was
the half-way stop between Charleston and Augusta.
Hence visitors found it accessible, and as Simms
was known far and wide for his hospitality,
Woodlands was seldom without a guest.

The house itself was a large and comfortable
brick building, with an odd-looking portico in front
spacious enough to allow Simms to promenade in
bad weather. One of the largest rooms on the lower
floor was reserved for the library and study, and
here most of the romances to be mentioned in this
chapter were written. The library was well chosen,
and at the time of the war numbered about ten
thousand volumes, -- a very large library for the

-97-