The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-01-18


who lived opposite biz ladgggs all the time
be resided Ia Philadelphia, told friend that
General Washington never earne into or
out OF bis house that she did not remain AZ
the window, With her eyes 6xed upon him %
long a. he rcmained IN sight IA was a feo'-
ing that did not wear out, See him ~ oftcn
a. YOU might IL continued and even incrcns-
ed. There are some wonders Of art, statues
and paintings, (they are but few,) which eX'
er sort of iuihiundou upon the speeinior. sa
hat be- pazes on them long and wants anutlcr
look here wa1-A wouder of nature, work
of God--which like Niaeara. like Mount
Blanc, like the rainliow, like the aurora, Gll-
e'l vt once the mental and the physical cye
and hxsd IL long. IA the eagle sits alai..i
upon her oyric, ~ the lion walks alono 10 Tho
desert, 80 was Washington among men. lie
stands alone 10 history hc will never know
q compccr'
irs PERSONAL ArrHARANCr.
Gilbert Stuart whose painting Of him
has inmorialized not H. snTicci, EUt TinTTIT,
and who,as one long familiar with the human
countcuance, il emincntly IL 10 speak on
such subject, often said that the head and
face Of Washington were unlike those Of any
other human being that ever had come under
his observation, There was . breadth about
the base OF the nose, and a largencss and PEE
culiar form qf the soc kets of the oycs which
distinguished the face from all Others. II is
not generally known, but IL il nevertheless
true, that there wns slight defect about the
eye the cyclid did not rise 10 is proper
place this communicated that peculiar down
Ds-t-lo,,k which distinguished e,e-ai-
Washington, giving Il an air Of thought, oi
moderate reser,r, or composurc, almost ap-
preaching to hoa,incss, which one who saw
him can never forget
Il affected the carriage and motion Of his
head, occnsioning him 20 rRi-c Il, when look
ing up upon a stranger approaching hn,
more than would have been ncrcssary, or
natural, had the cyclid been entirely free
Yet 50 slight was the cause, that by most per-
sons the effect only was noticed. Stuart fall
ed TO catch this expression, hat Pcalc has
prcscTved il with admirable fidelity in the
portrait which hangs in tho Senate thamhcr
at Washiugton. When hc wAs reading or
writing, you could not perceive Il; when he
was speaking il gave mUdtsty, gravity, and
dignity 10 his expression; under sthong eN7
element as in the heat ofbNttle, it vanished,
and his eyes shone like stars.
Many persons haze noticed a pcculiarity
about the mouth Of Stuart's painting wi h
does not appear in Peale's nor Trtmbull's,
nor, indeed, in any other portrait, aud which
differs especially from those painted in early
life, This peculiarly was'nevgrthelcss truly
painted IL was eeea-ieRed- -l.y the fact that
General Washington,as Stuart saw him, wore
an entire sel OF mineral teeth, (thcn a Thing
very raru in this country,) made for him hy
Greenwood, of New York, 90 whom he gava
$500 for thcm,) aud which caused his lips to
proieei somoWh bat hey ond their natural form
But nothing can exceed the perfect truth to
nUturu Of the figure, and carriage of tho per-
son, ne given in Lord Lnndsdowns, ininiita-
bile picture, and which Heath has with equal
truth and felicity transferred to copper. The
moulding ofhis limbs, his step aud bearing,
were as peculiar, and as readily recognized,
as those OF Napoleon. Iia tread was meas
urcd and heavy, carrying in its sound dignity
and command. lie was born a monarch in
the highest and best sense of the term. The
noble soul within looked out from body as
noble rs itself and no man-Xho .eynE Steea in
the presence OF either thought or felt himself
t,,nn II, bar 10, a,,A ~ u,
idea of personal familiarity with Washington
never entered into the thought of any of tho
many, of all ranks, conditions, and cndow-
ments, who at different times approached him.
The awe of HE presence fell alike on att rrer,
REBUKEp FAMILIARITY.
There was, indeed, person, (whethcr
worthy of the name of man. is doubtful. GER
tainly not of an Americana who once, for
wager made the adventerous attempt of ia
milar approach to HIM AS General WASH
ington was walking up Chestnut street in
Philadelphia, having shortly before left his
lodgings, this indi vidual in view Of his com.
panions on the other side oil the street, who
had witnessed the bet, and were curious to see
tho issue, came up to the General, end slap
ping him familiarity upon the back, exclaimed
with ajocoscair "Well, my old fellow, how
do YOU fnd yourself this morning ?" Wash
ington stopped turned round looked him
full in the face aud with freezing solcmnity
what have ever said, or done,
which induces you TO treat me in this man
ncr :" The man shrank into nothing, and
was extinguisbed- No man ever repeated
the experiment.
And in this connection, though somcwhat
out of place, suffer me TO relate another ann
,cdote which is ofa kindred character, Iyhea
had his headquarters near New
'urgh, he was frequently occupied in writing
hose immortal letters to Congress, in which