, but becoming convinced that slavery was bad,
he set his blacks free. Wildercliff was the most noted gathering place
in the country for Methodists, and the house was always full. His
daughter, Mary, kept up the traditions of the place, and it is said
such entertainment kept her poor.

The view down the river from here is something never to be forgotten;
the dazzling effect of the sun on the water, the hills of the further
shore, and the grand expanse of the picture which is only limited by
the condition of the atmosphere, must be seen to be appreciated.

Returning toward the Post Road the highway passes through the Camp
Meeting Woods, where the Rev. Mr. Garrettson inaugurated those camp
meetings which have made this spot as sacred to the Methodist heart as
is Wildercliff itself.

In the angle formed by the return road and the Post Road is an
extensive estate--Grasmere--which was planned and begun by Gen.
Richard Montgomery who, however, did not live to enjoy the fruits of
his labor. His widow finished the house, but dwelt here for a short
time only. The house was burned in 1828 and rebuilt and enlarged in
1861-2. The Montgomerys originally lived in a small cottage situated
on the Post Road near the northern end of the village. The house has
disappeared, but the fact is commemorated in the present name of that
portion of the highway.

A pleasant little story is told of General Montgomery's last days in
Rhinebeck. His last Sunday at home was spent with his brother-in-law,
Livingston. When the General and his wife were about to leave he
thrust into the ground a willow stick he had been carrying, remarking
with a laugh that they could let it grow as a reminder of him until he
came back. The General never returned, but the stick grew to a great
tree which has ever since been known as the Montgomery Willow.

[Sidenote: _PINK'S CORNER._]

At Pink's Corner, in the northern edge of Rhinebeck, stands the "Stone
Church" of the Lutherans, built some time during the Revolution, but
the church site is much older, as there are grave stones in the burial
ground dated as far back as 1733. The Post Road sweeps around the
church, and as one approaches from the south it looks as though he
must needs go to church or take to the fields.

[Sidenote: _RED HOOK._]

It was thick weather when I traveled the country between Rhinebeck and
Race Place, and the mist hid the distant hills and dulled the nearby
Autumn tints, with now and then