Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-06-06

who remains pitiless OF HE griefs and woes.
The tenor Of some Of his verses Undue
US 70 believe that he never told his love
but, as we have already surmised, was pre-
vented by his bashfulness.
"Ah, wo Is me, that should love and conceal;
Long have Iwishsd, aud never dare rev.ai.n
Il is difficult to reconcile ones to tn
idea Of the cool and sedate Washington
the great champion Of American Liberty
. woe-worn lover in his youthful days
"sighing like furnace" and inditing plaintiv.
verses about the groves OF Mount Vernon
We are glad Of an opportunity, however, o
penetrating to his native feelings and find
ing that under his studied decorum and re-
serve, he had q heart of fesh, throbbins
with the warm impulses OF human nature
:
The merits of Washington were knswn
| aud appreciated by the Fairfax family.
Though not quite sixteen years OF age. he
no longer seemed boy, nor was he treated
years, his early self-trainlng and the code
OF conduct he had devised, gave gravity
and decision to his conduct his frank ness
and modesty inspired cordial regard. aud the
melancholy Of which he speaks may have
produced soflness in his manner calcula-
ted to win favor in ladies' eyes. According
to his own account, the female society BY
which he was surrounded had soothing
effect upon that melancholy. The charms
of Miss Carey, the sister OF the bride, seem
even to have caused slight fiuttering in his
bosom; which, however, was constantly
rebuked by the remembrance OF his former
passion-so at least we Judge from letters
TO his youthful confidants, rough drafts Of
which are still TO be seen in his tell-tale
journal. =
To one VIII IN he addressed as his dear
friend RJbin, he writes: any residence is
at present at his lordship's, where might,
was my heart disenguged, pass my time
very pleasantly, as there's very agreeable
young lady lives in the same house (Col.
George Fairtax's wife's sister;) but as
that's only adding fuel to FIRE, i, makes me
the more uneasy, Tor by often and unavoid.
ably being in company with her, revives my
former passion for your Lowland Beauty;
whereas was to live more retired from wo.
men, night in some measure alleviate my
sorrows by burying that chasteand trouble
some passion in the grave OF oblivion" &c.
Similar ayowals he makes to another OF
his young correspondents, whom he styles,
"Dear friend john" as also TO female
contidant, styled ''Dear Sally" to whom he
acknowledges that the company OF the Every
agreeable young lady, sister-in-law Of Col
unei George Faniax," in u great measure
cheers his sorrow aud dejectedness. The
object Of this early passion is not positively
known. Tradition states that the SLOW
land beauty" was Miss Grimes OF West
moreland. afterwards Mrs. Lee, and mother
oi Gen. II snry Lee, who figured in revolu-
tonary history as Light Horse Harry" and
was a!ways iayorite with Washington,
probably from the recoilec.ions Of his early
tenderness for the mother
Whatever may have been the soothing
effect OF the female society by which he
was surrounded at Bevoir the youth found
u more effectual remedy for his love.mean-
choiy in the company OF Lord Fairfax His
iordship was a st,uach fox hunter, and kept
horses and hounds in the English style.
The hunting season had arrived. The
neighborhood abounded with sport; but fox
hunting in Virginia required bold and skill
full hos semanship. He found Washington
as bold as himself in the saddle and was
eager to follow the hounds. He forthwith
took him into peculiar favor; made him his
hunting companion; and il was probably
under the tuition Of this hard riding old
nobleman that the youth mbibed that fond.
ness for the chase for which he afterwards
was remarked.
Tradition gives very different motives
from those OF business for has two soiourns
in the latter city. He found there an early
hiend and schoolinastcr, Beverly Robinson,
son of John Robinson, Speaker Of the Vir-
GINA House OF Burgess ses. He was living
happily aud prospetously with young and
wealthy bride, having married one of the
neices and heiresses OF Mr.. Adolphus Phil
ips, whose manor. house is still to be seen
on the banks of the Hudson. At the house
or Mr.. Beverly Robinson, where Washing.
ton was an honored guest, he net Miss
Mary Philips, sister and co-hciress of Mrs.
Robinson, young lady whose personal
attractions are said to have rivaled her re-
puted wealth.
We have already given an instance Of
Washington's early sensibility to female
charms. A life however OF constant &C.
tivity and care-passed for The most part in
the wilderness and on the frontier, far from
female socicty-had left little mood or lei
sure for the indulgence Of the tender senti-
men,; but made him more sensible, in the
present brief interval oc gay and social life,
to the attractions of an elegant woman,
brought up in the polite circle ofNewiork
That he was an open admrer Of NJ So
Philips is a historical fact; that he sought
her hand, but was refused is traditional,
and not very probable. His military rank.
his early laurels and distinguished presence
were al! calculated to find favor in female
eyes; but his sojourn in New York was
brief; he may have been ditfident in urging
his suit with lady accustomed to the hon.
age of society and surrounded by admirers.
The most probable version Of the story is
that he was called away by his public duties
before he had made sufficient approaches in
his siege of the lady's heart to warrant
summons to surrender"
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