(_One of the paintings in the Corcoran Art Gallery_) ] The Washington monument, nearly six hundred feet high, is said to be the highest monument in the world. It was erected in memory of George Washington. This grand structure is of pure white marble. From the top there is a magnificent view of the surrounding country. The monument, however, has suffered from the disintegrating effects of the weather, and from the ruthless hands of the relic-hunters. The majestic appearance of the monument grows upon the beholder, and its pearly whiteness reminds him of the character of Washington, which grows fairer in the mellowing light of history. Arlington Cemetery should be visited by the pilgrim to Washington. There sleep many of the sacred dead of the nation, and there is the home of Robert E. Lee, where he was called to decide between his country as a whole or his native state. Around Lafayette Square, which faces the White House, history, poetry, romance, and chivalry have twined an immortal wreath. Every monument commemorates a hero. Here, too, is the old private residence of Dolly Madison, the old home of the British Embassy, where Owen Meredith wrote "Lucile"; also the Webster home, where once lived the French Embassy; and St. John's Episcopal Church, where many Presidents have worshiped. Here Webster, Sumner, and Slidell lived at different periods. The old Decatur house stands on this square. The Admiral had a window cut through, so that he could signal the President in the White House. They missed the telephone. On this square lived Diaz, of Mexico; here Don Cameron and Blaine each lived in the same house, afterward occupied by Senator Hanna. On the north side is the handsome residence where lived Secretary of State John Hay. Georgetown, named after George III. of England, is much older than Washington City. The stories of its former grandeur and its distinctively Southern tone make it a quaint object of interest. Its most interesting literary shrine is the home of Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth, the novelist, who wrote one novel for each year of her long life. The Corcoran Art Gallery, on Seventeenth Street, extending from New York Avenue to E Street, just southwest of the White House, has many objects of interest both in painting and sculpture. No traveler should fail to visit Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington. The house was built in 1783 by Lawrence, half-brother of General Washington. The rooms seem small and cramped, according to our modern ideas, but they were the stage upon which lived and loved two names of sacred memory. The buildings are in the custody of the ladies of the Mount Vernon Association, and the care of each room is in charge of some one State.