The Heart Gate - Years Earlier
Elizabeth Arnold
This is a story about Meher Mount's then neighbor and well-known actor, Larry Hagman, and caretaker Agnes Baron. It was told to Elizabeth Arnold by John Bryson, a frequent visitor to Meher Mount in the late 1980s/early 1990s.
THE HEART GATE marks the entryway to Meher Mount. It was donated in November2003 by a long-time neighbor. (Leslie Bridger photo, 2010.)
By Elizabeth Arnold, Manager/Caretaker
NEIGHBOR DRIVES INTO NEW FENCE
John had just finished building a fence for Agnes near the main entrance to Meher Mount. He then saw a man accidentally drive into the fence knocking it down.
John completely lost his temper and ran as fast as he could to catch the man in the car. He yelled and screamed at the man.
The man apologized, and said he would fix the fence.
John said, “You also owe an apology to Agnes Baron, the elderly woman who owns this property, and I suggest you send her no less than flowers and a bottle of wine.”
BOUQUET OF FLOWERS & A BOTTLE OF WINE
When John Bryson saw Agnes later that day there was a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine on her table.
Agnes said to John, “Do you know who that man is that you yelled at? He’s Larry Hagman, and he is a good man. You should not have been so rude to him, screaming and telling him to send me flowers and wine.”
But, John could see that Agnes was happy to receive the flowers and wine from Larry Hagman anyway.
GATE DONATED MANY YEARS LATER
It is interesting that many years later in 2003, Larry and Maj Hagman donated metal, swinging gates they no longer used to Meher Mount. Ray Johnston and Elizabeth took them to an iron worker who modified the gates by cutting them down.
Ray designed the gate to include a metal heart to be welded onto it. With assistance from Elizabeth, Ray did most of the work and completed both the wooden fence and the metal gate which was attached to new metal posts. They painted the fence and the gate white, and the heart was covered with reflective copper paint.
THE HEART GATE when it was installed in November 2003. (Photos: Ray Johnston)
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