The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-07

edges that the company of the every agreea-
bic young lady, Sister-in law of Col George
Fairfax" in a great measure cheers his sor-
row and dejectedness. The object Of his ear
" passion is not positively known. Tradi-
ton states that tie ''lowland beauty" was a
Miss Grimes OF Westmorland, afterward Mrs.
Lee. and mother OF Gen. Henry Lee. who fig
ured in the revolution as Light Horse Harry
and was always faYori.e with Washington,
probably from the recollections of his early
tenderness for his mother.
Whatever may have been the oohing Ell
feet of the female society by which he was
surrounded at Belyoir, the youth found
more efTectual remedy for his love melancholy
in the company of Lord Fairfax. His lordship
was staunch fox-hunter, and kept horses aud
hounds in the English style The hunting
season had arrived. Theneighborhood abound
ed with sport; but fox-hunting in Virginia
required bold and skillfuI horsemanship. He
found Washington as bold as himself in the
saddle, and as eager TO follow the hounds. He
forthwith took him into peculiar favor, made
him his hunting companion; and it was prob
ABLY under the tuition OF this old nobleman
that the youth imbibed that fondness for the
chase for which he was afterwards remark
ed
Tradition gives very different motives from
those of business for his two soiourns in the
latter city He found there an early friend
and schoo-mate, Beverly Robinson, son Of
John Robinson, Speaker OF the Virginia House
of Burgesses. He was living happily and
prosperously with a young and wealthy bride,
having married one of the nieces and heiress-
es of Mr.. Adolphus Philipse, rich landhold-
er, and whose manor-house is still to be seen
on the banks of the Hudson. At the house
of Mr.. Beverly Robinson, where Washington
honored guest, he met Miss Mary Phil
pse, a sister and co-heiress with Mrs. Robin
son, young lady whose personal attrac-
tons are said to have rivaled her repuled
wealth
We have already given instance of Wash
ington's early sensibility TO female charms \
life however Of constant activity and care
passed for the most part in the wilderness and
on the frontier, far from female society-had
left little mood or leisure for the indulgence of
the tender sentiment; but made him more sem
sble in the present brief interval of gay and
social life, to the attractions of An elegant wo
man, brought up in the polite circle of New
y ork. That he open admiTer of Miss
i Philipse is historical fact; that he sought her
hand, but was refused, Is traditional and very
probable. His military rank, his early lau
rels and distinguished presence were all calcu
lated to find favor in female eyes: but his So
lourn in New York was brief; he may have
been diffiden: in urging his suit with lady
accustomed to the homage of society and sur
rounded by admirers. The most probable YER
sion of the story is that he was called away
by his public duties before he had made suf
fcient approaches n his siege of tho ladys
heart to warrant summon to surrender.
Washington was now ordered by Sir John
St. Clair, the quartermaster-g general of the
forces under General Forbes, to repair to Will
liamsburg and lay the state of the case before
the Council. He set off promptly on horse
horseback, attended by Bishop, the we'll
traine military servant who had served the
late General Braddock 1t proved an event
full journey, though not in military point of
, view. In crossing a ferry of the Pamunkey. a
!. branch of York River, he fell in company
with Mr.. Chamberlayne who lived in the
neighborhood. and who in the spirit of Nir-
ginan hospitality, claimed him guest
II was with difficulty Washington could be
prevailed on to halt for dinner SO impatient
was he to arrive at Williamsburgh and accom-
plish his mission.
Among the guests at Mr.. Chamberlayn's was
young and blooming widow, Mrs Martha
Gusts, daughter of Mr.. John Dandridge,
both patrcian names in the province. Her
husband John taThe CuStIS, had been dead
about three years, leaving her with two young
children and large fortune. She Is repre-
sented as being rather below the medium size,
bur extremely well-shaped. with agreeable
countenance, dark hazel eyes and hair, and
those frank, engaging manners, captiva
ting in Southern women. We are not in
formed whether Washington had met with
her before; probably not, during her widow
hood, as during that time be had been almost
continually on the frontier We have shown,
that, withall his gravity and reserve, he was
quickly susceptible 10 female charms; and they
, may have had greater effect upon him when
, thus casually encountered III heeting nome nts,
snatched from the cares and perpleXities and
: rude scenes of frontier warfare. At any rate
his heart appears to have been taken by sur
prise.
The dinner which in those days was an
, earlier meal than a present, seemed all too
r short. The afternoon passed away like a
dream. Bishop was puuctual to the orders he
had received on hating; the horses paved a
a the door, but for once Washington loitered in
, the path OF duty. The horses were counter
manded, and il was not until the next morn
|, ing that he was in the saddle, squirting fol
! Williamsburg. Happily, the White House
the residence of Mrs Gusts was in New Ken
I. county at no great distance from that ely. Sc
that he had opportunities of visiting her in th,
! however, was brief Military duties callec
: him almost Immediately to Winchester; bu
he feared should he leave the matter in sus
! pense, some more enierprTSIng rival NIGH
: supplans him during his absence, as in the cas-,