Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-05-19

MATTERS.
OF Washington, in press, Tut not published1
Tie place (Nt Eernom) at this time possessed
attractions for gay we'll as grave, and was
often eniivened by young company. One great
attraction Miss Nelly Gusts Mrs Wash.
ingtOns granddaughter, who with her brother
George w. p Custis, had been adopted by the
General at their fathers death, when they were
quite children and brought ug hv him with the
most affectiOnate care. He was fonI ofchiIdren,
especially girls; to boys, with all the spirit
of command, he found them at times somewhat
unmanagcablc. | can govern men, would he
say, but | cannot govern boys. Miss Nelly
bad grown up under the special eve Of her
granIrnother, to whom she was devoted attach
ed, and who particular in enforcing her
observance OF all her lessons, well as inStTuc-
ting her in the arts Of housekeeping. She was
great fivorite with the General; whom, as We
have before observed, she delighted with her
gay whims and SPrightly sallies, often ovcrcom-
ing his haLltual gravity, and surprising him
into hearty laugh.
She was now maturing into a lovely and at
tractiye woman, and the attention she received
began 10 awaken some soiicitude in the Geucr
ais mind. This is evinced in a half spu: tive
letter of advice, written to her during Il tempo
rary absence from Mount Vernon, when she
was about to make her first appearance at a ball
at Georgetown. 1t is curious as Il specimen Of
would appear that Miss Nelly, to aliay his soIi-
citude, had already, in her correspondence, pro-
tcssed "a perfect apathy toward the youth Of
the present day and determination never to
give herSel! 81 moments uEca>iue>S on account
OF any of them" Washington doubted the
frmneSs and constancy Of Ler resolves. "Men
and women" writes ne, feel the same nclint-
tiOn toward each other that they have al
ways done, and which they will continue TO do,
until there is new order Of things; and you,
rs others have done, may find that the PASSIONS
Of you" sex easier raised than :Iayed. Do
not, therefore, boast too soon, too strongly
Of your nscn>ibity. : Love is said
To be All involuntary passion. and il i, there
fore, c"ntcmded that it cannot be rrN!Stcd--
This is true in part only Tor like ali things else,
when rourshc't and supplied plemlilu'.y with
allrlent, it is rapid in its progress; but let these
bc withdrawn aud it may be stteI In its h!Ita,
or much stinted III its growth.
Although we canno. avoid .HrS impressions, we
may aSSurediy place thc;I under guard.
When the fire Is beginning to kndle, and your
heart growing warm, propnund these questions
to i: Who is this invader? Have | 4 compc-
tent knowledge Of him? Is he a man of good
character: y man of sense? For, be assured,
L >ensihle woman never be happy with
fool. What has been his walk in life: "
Is his fortune sufficient to maintain ne in the
manner | have been accustomed to live, and as
nay sisters do live? Aud is lie one 10 whom my
l;Iends can have no reasonable objection? II
all these interTogatorcS can be satisfactorily
answered, there vii! remain but one more to DC
asked: that, however, Is auimportant one: Have
sufficient ground 10 conclude that his alice
lions are engaged by me- Without this the
heart Of scnsbility will struggle against Il pas.
sion that is not reCip:ocated
The sag. c1un>c.s oil Washington and the
susceptible feelings OF Miss Nelly SION
broug! to the test by the residence ofLawrence
Lewis at Mount Vernon. y strong attachment