The palmetto herald. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, 1864-12-29

seats, and, with the curiosity and excite
ment which what we had witnessed ma
turally raised in us, silently awaited the
entry of the expected visitors. We had
been thus seated but two or three minutes
before he came in, and, bowling gracious
ly to my mother, said:
81 take this to be Mistress Warner,
the widow of my much esteemed friend.
the late Col. Warner, of the Continental
army?"
cit is SIR" she replied tremulously.
"Will you permit me to introduce my
self to you, madam? he resumed, with
that winning sort of dignity l had noticed
in him from the first; II am Gen. Wash
ington. And after arrived in this sec
ton of the country, few days ago, l
made,-and hope you will pard I'm me
the liberty ] took with your private at
fairs-I made some inquiries about you
and the situation of your family: when
learning to my deep regret, that your
late husband, in consequence Of hisiong.
continued absence from his home and
business, while in the service of his coun-
try, and his subsequent shattered health,
resulting from the hartlships OF war, lett
you laboring under pecuniary embarrass-
lnents, was prompted to come and see
you"
!" I.had little dreamed of such an honor
and such kindness General, she respond
ed, nearly overpowered by her emotions
and the imposing presence OF her august
visitor.
"There is mortgage" he rejoined,
without responding in any way to her
last remarks, "a rather heavy mortgage
on your homestead
ss'I am sorry, she replied sadly, Every
sorry to be compelled to say there is;
much heavier one than can ever pay
$50 l had ascertaincd, v he proceeded;
"and I have also, before coming here,
been at the pains Of ascertaining the ex-
act amount now due, and required to
cancel this, to you, doubtless, ruinous in
cumbrance, and l propose now to leave
with YOU the sum of money you will need
for efecting that desirable object"
"Does the money cone from Govern.
ment, sirf" she asked, doubtfully, and
with look that seemed to say, "f 1t
does, then all right.
Washington looked at her, and hesitat-
ed little at first, but soon, while taking
up the valise he had brought in with him,
slowly responded:
"In one sense it does, may say, mad
am, if you have delicacies on the subject,
l am in receipt of liberal yearly salary
from Government, from which it is dis
cretionary with me to impart aid some
times to deserving objects; and / GER
tainly know of none more so than one
which will relieve the family $50 merit
orious an officer as your late self-saerifc-
edrhusband."
Without waiting for any rejoinder to
these remarks, he opened his yalise and
took from 1t a bag Of silver money, and
deliberately proceeded to draw out and
count from it till he had reached the sum
of nine hundred and some odd dollars,
which afterwards proved to be precisely
the sum demanded, In principal, interest,
and fees, for the discharge Of the mort
gage on our place. He then, after re-
turning the money to the bag, and setting
it aside for the purpose he had designat-
ed, and taking the hand Of my mother,
who seemed inclined to demonstrate, but
could not force the words for it from her
quivering lips, tenderly, but with an air
that seemed to forbid any attempt at re-
fusal, said to her:
Accent il, don't hesitate to accept 1t