Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-06-14
miscellaneous.
F,om the Lady's Book.
ANECDOTES OF WASHINGTON.
BY REV. HENRY F. HARRINGTON.

"Tis distance lends enchantment to the
view" not the scenery alone, but everything
with which we have to do. And very prom
inent among the soitenng effects of dis
lance, is the vague and often deceptive
charm it throws around great men-great
in mighty deeds of worth or wickedness
In the lapse Of years, the closer outlines of
character and action are lost to sight. The
holder touches, deprived of their relief, are
thus thrown into clearer prominence and
the individual often acquires thereby an ac-
cess of glorious reputation which he did not
merit, or bears memory more deeply ac-
cursed than the pollution of his life would
have warranted.
This effect is source Of disappointment
as well as Of Justice. Whenever the indi-
vidual has stamped his impress deep on the
age he lived in, there is longing for au-
thentic records of the simple and ordinary
occurrences of his private life, that they
prefers of bis public deeds-the deeds that
have made HIM what he is in the chronicles.
Sometimes, when, for instance, the SUBJ
ject is of especial note, or bears a memory
peculiarly endorsed, the absence of knowl-
edge about his private life and less pretend
ing conduct is serious misfortune. Let
me apply these remarks more particularly
Let me refer to Washington We have few
anecdotes of his private life. We know
little OF him III those humble hours when he
threw off the cares of State or Generalship,
and talked aud acted, and laughed, and
sported as other men. We have caught
| impressions of him from his grave counten-
ance in the pictures and from the ponder
Gus tones that tell of plans and battles, and
seiges and marches, until they are many, l
do not doubt, into whose minds they never
entered that lie could smile aud have his
hours of sp, rive gaiety
The want of chronicles Of the life of
Washington, Of the description that | have
spoken of, is especially lamentabe, because
there is nothing to be feared from them.-
The private life of that glorious man was
as Tree from STAN as his public life was sur
passlngly admirable. They who cherish
the memory of greatness that had no ALI
ance with goodness, may well be reioiced
that nothing remains of it but the record of
the actions that have won for il its name.
They may well rejoice at the silence of his
tory, fearful that its further story, had it one
TO tell, would mar the fascinating and de-
ceptVe allnslon, But the lovers of Wash
ington could gain from every event of his
lille, whether little or great only fresh evil
dence OF ms exalted purity, his enrolling
sense OF right, his disnterested self sacra.
nee And how eagerly every little anec-
dotc OF his hours of boyhood or manly re-
taxation that has been given to the world
has been seized upon aud treasured up. =
How many children have been stimulated
to inflexible truth, in the face of suffering
by the story that is told of him in his youth
every one knows it--when he injured
with his Ratchet one of his fathers favorite
trees yet told the truth about it in the face
of expected punishment. What bearing
this little anecdote alone has exerted over
many minds, giving coloring to impress
blons OF his whole after and remarkable life
Those who knew him we'll, aud who pos
sess treasures of these little manifestation,
pf the real man, are fast passing away
Scarce lonely one is here aud there re-