Your story on Albania Plantation brought tears to my eyes as I remembered my aunt, "Miss Emily" ("Ageless Beauty," Oct. 18). I'd like to share a few remembrances of her and her proudest possession, Albania Plantation.
Miss Emily was a renaissance woman, doing and trying things that women of her generation were not supposed to do. She drove fast cars, loved handsome and exciting men, and was an astute businesswoman with an eye for beautiful and valuable things. During World War II, she flew her personal airplane for the Civil Air Patrol searching for German submarines along the Louisiana coast. She was a true patron of the arts ' supporting, sheltering and encouraging artists and writers at Albania.
Her greatest love was her beloved Beau Bridges. I remember Beau as a handsome, articulate and loving person. They made a beautiful pair and lived life to the fullest. Miss Emily committed herself to restoring Albania and furnishing it with antiques of exceptional quality. Albania blossomed under her care and became the jewel that it had once been.
Beau's tragic death destroyed Miss Emily's appreciation of life. She became a recluse, bitter at what fate had dealt her. She lost her enthusiasm for Albania. Her neglect of Albania was not due to a lack of resources but to a lack of purpose in her life.
Miss Emily would be proud of the magnificent restoration by Hunt Slonem. Albania is once again a showplace of art and fine furnishings. I know that her spirit is there and that Miss Emily is again dancing in the parlor with her beloved Beau.