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

he bs~siIs HE "poor restless heart woun.
dedby Cupid's DART" and "bleeding for one
who remains pitiless Of his griefs and woes. y
The tenor Of some OF his verses induces
US 10 believe that he never told his love ;
but, a. we have already surmised. was pre-
vented by his bashfulness.
/ "Ah, wo 10 me, that should lore and conceal;
| Long have Iwishsd, and never dare reveal"
1t is difficult to reconcile ones self to the
idea Of the cool and sedate Wsshngt
the great champion Of American Liberty,
woe-worn lover in his youthful days,
"sghing like furnace" and indting plaintive
verses about the groves Of Mount Vernon.
We are glad Of an opportunity, however, Of
penetrating to his native feelings and find
| ing that under his studied decorum and re-
serve, he had heart Of flesh, throbbing
with the warm impulses OF human nature.
The merits Of Washington were knswn
and appreciated by the Fairfax family.
no longer seemed boy, nor was he treated
us such. Tall, athletic, and manly for his
years. his early self-traniDg and the code
OF conduct he had devised, gave a gravity
and decision TO his conduct lie frankness
and modesty inspired cordial regard. aud the
melancholy Of which he speaks may have
produced a 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 iluttering 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 contidants, rough drafts Of
which are still TO be seen in his tell-tnle
journal.
To one VIII IN he addressed as his dear
friend Robin, he writes "My residence is |
at present at his Iordship's, where might,
was my heart disengaged, pass my time
very pleasantly, as there's very agreeable
young lady lives in the same house (Col.
George Fairlax's wi!c's sister; y but as
that's only adding fuel TO fire, ii makes me
the more uneasy, Tor by often and unavoid
ably being in company with her, revives my
former passion for your L,wland Beauty; |
whereas was TO live more retired from wo-
men, ! might in some measure alleviate my |
SORROWS by burying that chasteand trouble
some passion IN the grave OF oblivion" &c. |
Similar avowais he makes to another OF |
his young cores onden,s, whom he styles,
"Dear friend John," as also TO u female |
contidunt, styled ''Dear Sally to whom he |
acknowledges that the company OF the every !
agreeable young lady, ssterin-law OF Col |
onei George Fairfax" in great measure
cheers his sorrow and dejectedness. The |
object Of tnis early passion is not positively |
r n al
land beauty" was Miss Grimes Of West |
moreland. afterwards Mrs. Lee, and mother
oi Cen II anry Lee. who figured ia revolu- 1
uonary history as Light Horse Harry" and |
was Always a iayorte with Washington, |
probably from the recollectipns of his early |
tenderness for the mother
Whatever may have been the soothing !
effect OF the female society by which he |
was surrounded at Belvoir, the youth found |
a more effectual ramedy for his loye.melan-
choiy in the company OF Lord Fairfax. His |
iordship was u sttuaeh 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 no, .emanship. 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 imbibed that fond |
ness for the chase tor which he afterwards |
was remarked.
Tradition gives very different motives
from those OF business for his two sojourns
in the latter city. He found there an early !
hiend and schoomastcr, Beverly Robinson, |
son of John Robinson, Speaker Of the Vir-
ginia House OF Burgess ses. He was living
happily and prosperously with young and
wealthy bride. having married one Of the
neices and heircsses OF Mr.. Adolphus Phil
ips, whose manor. house is still 10 be seen
on the banks of the Hudson. At the house
or Mr.. Beverly Robinson, where Washing.
ton was an honored guest, he ne, Miss
Mary Philips, sister and co-heiress Of Mrs.
Robinson, a young lady whose personal
attractions are said TO have rivaled her re-
puted wealth.
We have already given an instance Of
Washinston's early sensibility to female
charms. A life however of constant &C
tivity and care-passed for the most part in
the wilderness ana on rne frontier, Tar rom
female socicty--had left little mood or lei
sure for the indulgence OF the tender senti-
ment; but made him more sensible. in the
present brief interval Of gay and social life,
to the attractions Of an elegant woman,
brought up in the polite circle ofNewfork.
That he was an open admrer of Mss
Philips is 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 all calculated TO find favor in female
eyes; but his sojourn in New York was
brief; he may have been diliident 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"
Emigration from Irel,nd.