, 1855-11-16
The Birlh.pia.. Of Washington.

/ This house commanded view over many
miles of the Potomac aud the opposite
shore of Maryland. 1t had probably been
purchased with the property, and was one
Of the primitive farln-houses of Virginia.
The roof was steep and sloped down into
low projecting caves. 1t had four rooms
on the ground floor and Others in the at
tce, and an immense chimney at each end.
| Not vcstige Of it remains. Two or three
decayed fs-trees, with shrubs and vines,
Iinger about the place, and here and there
flower grown wild serves "io mark
where a garden has been" Such, at least,
WAS the case a few years hence but these
may have likewise passed away. A stone
marks the site Of the house, and an inscrip-
tion denotes its being the birthplace Of
| Washington.
We next have q sketch Of the boyhood
Of the hero, introducing us to. WASHINGTON
AT School. ..... ..
Having no longer the benefit Of faith
cr's instructions at home, and the scope Of
tnition of Hobby, the sexton, George was
now sent 10 reside with Augustine Wash
ington, at Bridges Creek, and enjoy the
utlllul vi Il NuDEl VI SIllOOl III luIL utlBil-
borhood, kept by Mr.. Williams. His
education, however, was plain and lracti-
cal He never attempted to learn langua-
ges, nor manifested any inclination for
rhetoric or beles-letters. His object, or
the object of his friends, seems to have
beaa confined to fitting him for ordinary
business. His manuscript school books
still exist, and are models of neatness and
accuracy. Ono Of them, it is true, ci-
phcring book, preserved in the library at
Mount Vernon, has some schoolbOy at
terpts n, caligraphy nondescript birds,
executed with u flourish Of the peu, or pro-
files of faces probably intended for those
Of his school-matcs; the rest are all grave
AMI business-like Before he was thirteen
years Of age he had copied into q volume,
forms for all kinds Of mercantile and legal
papers bills of exchange, notes of hand,
deeds, boHds and the like. This early
selttuition gave him throughout life q law
years skin in drafting documents, and a
merchants exactness in keeping accounts,
so that all the concerns Of bis various es-
tates, bis dealings with his domestic stew
ards aud foreign agents, his accounts with
government, and all financial transactions
are TO this day, to be seen posted up in
books in bis own hand writing, monuments
of his method and unwearied accurcy.
He was q scif1disciplinarian in physical
as well as mental matters, and practced
himself in all kinds Of athletic exercises,
snch as running, leaping, wrestling, pitch
ing quoits and tossing bars. His frame,
even in infancy, had been large and power
ful, and no now excelled most of his play
mates in contests Of agility and strength.
As proof Of his muscular power, place
is still pointed out at Fredericksburg, near
the lower ferry, where, when a boy, he
flung stone across tho Rappahannock
In horsemapship, too. he already excelled,
and was ready 10 back and able to manage
the most fiery steed. Traditional anec-
dotes remain Of his achievements in this
respect. r a lI.Y nus oafrld
Above all, bis inherent probity, and the
principles Of justice on which he regulated
all his conduct, even at this early period
Of life, were soon appreciated by his school
mates !; he was referred to as an umpire in
their disputes, and his decisions were never
reversed. As he had been formerly q
military chieftain, he was now legislator Of
the school thus displaying in boyhood a
type Of the future man. tl uaHi