Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-10-29

The following extracts from "lrving'l
Life of Washington showing his low,
for country life, and bic habits rs far
NOR, will interest our readers, If they
love their farms as ho did his.
In his letter from Mount Vernon, he
writes: 81 am now, | believe, fixed In
this scat, and hope TO find more hap
piness In retirement than | ever expe.
rienced In the wide and bustling world.
This was deliberate purpose with
him--the result of enduring inclna-
tions. Throughout the whole course oi
his career, agricultural life appears TO
have been his beau ideal or existence,
which haunted bis thoughts, oven amid
tho storm duties of tho fold, and TO
which he rccurrcd with unhagging in.
tercst, whenever enabled 20 indulge his
natural bias. Mount Vernon was his
harbor Of repose where he repeatedly
furled his sail, and fancied himself an
chored for life. No impulse Of ambl-
ton tempted him thence; nothing but
the call of his country, aud his devotion
10 the public good. The place was en-
deared 10 him by the remembrance Of
his brother, and OF the happy days he
had passed here with that brother in
the days Of his boyhood; but IL was u
delightful place in itself, and well cal
cElated TO inspire the rural feeling.
The mansion was beautifully situated
on u swelling height, crowned with
wood, and commanding u magnificent
view w and down the Potomac. The
grounds Immediately about it were laid
out somewhat in the English taste.--
The estate was apportioned into separ-
ate farms, devoted to different kinds Of
culture. Much, however, was still COW
orcd with wild woods and indented with
iDlots; haunts of deer and lurking pla-
ccs Of foxes. "No estate in United
America" observes be i'm one of his let
ters, "is moro pleasantly situated. In n
high AMI healthy country, in latitude
between the extremes OF hett and cold
on one off the finest rivers Of the world
IA rivor we'll stocked with various kinds
of fish at all seasons OF tho year, and in
tho spring with shad, herring, bass,
carp. sturgeon. etc, in great abundance.
The borders Of the estate arc washed by
more than ton miles OF tide water the
whole shore, in fact, is one entire fish
cry
Washington carried into his rural nj.
fairs the same method, activity, and cir.
that had distinguished him
in military lie. lie kept his own nc.
counts, posted up his books, aud bal
nncod them with mercantile exactness
Tho products OF hia estate also, became
50 noted for tho fsithfalness, i's to quail.
iiy and quantity, with which they were
pat uS. that IL Is said any OF ilour
fhat-s'. rp f',,. lumnd of George Washing.
IopS Mount Vernon, was exempt fr0m
~ customary Inspection IN the West
7ssx ports.
I'D was mn early riscr--oGcn before
dayfrcak In the winter, when the nights
~ ere long. On such occasions he lii
his own fire. and wrote and read by
candlclight. 10 brcakiastcd 10 seven
in summer and ut eight IN winter Two
small cups Of tea and three or four
cakes Of Indian meal (callcd hoe cakes)
formed his frugal repast Immediately
NlAtI ulNAkiNhAs ilt llUuiltfN HlN HblHts
and visited those parts OF his estate
whore any work was going on, seeing
to everything with hs own eyes and Of.
ten aiding with his own hand, Dinsor
was served at two. lie ate heartily, but
was no cpieure, nor critical about his
foo !. lIis beverage was small.beer or
elder, aud two glasses of old MADEIRA
llc took tea, OF which he was very fond,
early in the evening. aud retired for tho
night about nine o'clock.
We find him working for q part Of
two days with Peter, his smith, TO make
II plough on nm W invention. This. af.
tor two or three failures, he accomplish
cd Then, with less than his usual iudg.
mcnt, he puts his two chariot horses TO
tho plough, and ran risk Of spelling
them in giving his new invention tri.
at over ground thiekly swardod. Anon,
during u thunderstorm, u frightened
negro alarms the house, with word that
the mill is giving way, upon which
thero is n general turn out OF all the
forcos, with Washington ut their head,
wac ceiling and shoyelling gravel, during
u polling rain, TO stop the rushing wa
tor.
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