The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-16
GEN. WASHINGTON AT HOME
81 JAMES PARTos.

81 JAMES PARTON.
General Washington stood six feet three in
his slippers, aud ia the prime Of his life was
rather slender than otherwise, but straight as
an arrow. His form WIS well proportioned
and evenly developed, 30 that he carried his
taiiness gracefully. and looked strikingly
well on horseback. There has never been q
more active. sinewy figure than his when he
was a young man; il was only in later life
that his movements became slow and digni-
Fed His wife vas plump. pretty little wo>
man, very sprisAtly and gay III her young
days. ard quite as fond OF having her own
way as ladies Usually are. She settled down
into good. pEaln, domestic wife, who looked
sharply after her servants, and was seldom
seen without her knitting needles in fall play.
She was tar from being what We woald now
call ar educated woman Scarcely any of
the ladies Of that day knew much more than
how to read their prayer book and almanac,
and keep simple accounts. Mrs Washing
ton probably never read a book through IN
her life. and IS % her spelling. the less said
Of il the better
Washington, himself, before he became
public man, was bad speller. People were
not 50 particular then in such matters as they
are neg: and besides there really was no set
tied system of spelling hundred years ago.
When the General wrote for rheam OF
paper, beaver '-hatt, suit of i'cloathes'
AMI pair ct satin shoes, there was no
Webster unabridged TO keep peoples spelling
Within bounds He read little Of the histo
~ Of England now aud then, ard paper
from the Spectator occasionally on rsny
days, lat he had LITTLE literary taste. Fl was
essentially an eat of-doers man, and but few
thlngs we're more disagreeaele to him than
confinement At the desk. There was nothing
N his house y aich could be called library;
be bad q few old>fashioned books. which he
seldom disturbed, aud never read long at
time.
The General and his wife lived happily to-
ge,her. but /, IS evident that, ike u1ost herr
esses. Size was = hltie exaetIng. and il IS
highly probable that the great Washington
was sometimes favored with a curtain lecture.
The celebrated aathoress, Mss Bremen; IS
oar authority for this surmise. She relates
that g gentleman once sept at Mount YER
non in the room mex; to that occupied by the
master and mistress Of the mansion. and
when all the inmates were ia bed. and the
house was still, be overheard. through the
thin partition. ths voice of Mrs ashin gton
Ha could not bat listen, and II = curtain
lecture which she was giving her lord. He
had done sometAing during the day which she
thought oas ht TO be done differently. and she
was giving him her opinion in somewhat ami
mated and gaite decided tones. The great
man listened silence trA she had done, aud
then. without remark upon the subject in
hand. exclaimed
Now, good sleep TO you, ny dear
What al example to husbands
When Washington was appointed tc COM
nsand she Revolutionary armies, it Is plain
from bis letters home that one of his greatest
objections to accepting the appointment vas
the .suueastness, as h. termed IL. that il
would cause his wife TO have him absent from
home.
General Washington WAS very rich man
his wiie was very ri-h. aai her three chi,1ren
we're heirs % great wealth. He had l;ttle
uriaeipalsey 70 govern Besides the farms
about MS own residence on the Potomac.
with several hundred slaves upon them, be
possessed Wild lands in most of the best To-
caf,les then known, as vel as shares In sev~
erai incorporated eoupanies. He derived
an in1ent s.srt part Of his influence from the
greatness Of his wealth and the antiquity Of
his iamdy -thiags which were thea held IN
much more respect than they are nov. Wash
inrt1n estase 9as act .scrth II ore than three
quarters OF a million dollars; but i, gave him
far more personal consequence Ia the country
emit The riea planter Of that day, living as
be lid on vide domain of his own. the
owner of those who served him, riding aboar
in his coach and SIX, and with no near neigh
be,rs "a restrain. cersare, or ontshine him.
was kind Of farmer prince.
l. vas fortunate fur Washington tAa, he
game t. wealth sEen his character ssas ma
luse Bzing younger son he had no expee
tations of wealth IN his youth, and he grew
Up ia a very hordy. sensible manner. on an
enormous farm, not fourth part of which
vas cultivated His ather dying when be
was eleven years old. he care directly under
the influence Of his mother, who was one Of
the women Of whom people say, There Is
no nonsense about her She was plain.
ilIserate. energetic, stroug--iled lady, per-
fectly capable of conducting the affairs OF a
farm, and scorning the help Of others. When
she was advanced IN years her son Flaw Of
ferpd to manage her business for her.
I. You NAV keep the accounts, Fielding"
was her reply, . for your eyesighs is better
than mine, bu, can manage my own Affairs
myself.
On another occasion, Gen. Washington
asked her to come and live with him ~ Mount
Vernon.
II thank you, George said she. "bus
prefer being independent
A
plain sru, house. and saperintended the cul
ture of her own acres, rot disdainina to labor
with her own hands. When Lafay cite visited
her he found her al work ia the garden. With
her old sen bonnet on, aud she came in 10 see
him, saying:
II would not pay You so poor a compliment
marquis. as TO stay to change nv dress
have often thought that she must have re-
semblsd Betsey 1rotwood- as drawn by
Charles Dickens IN David Copper6eld. and
IS found in many country homes both in Old
England and Ssw, honest, strict, energetic
women. = little rough in their manners, bat
capable Of eminent generosity when there is
occasion for il. Being the sou Of such .
women, and trained by her ia ! simple,
rational manner, George Washingtoa vas
prepared TO enjoy the lot that fell to him,
without being spoiled by it.
With all his wsaith he was not exempt
from labor. Culiivsung . large tract Of
eountry, be spent much OF his time riding
about 10 visit the different farms, TO consult
hisoverseers and snperntendh his iupsure-
nerss. II is ecsnrated that he spest s6ort
one-half OF the days sf bis life on horseback.
Like all out door men, he was exceedingly
fond ola good hosse--e taste which he Lad
in eommon Nth his mother, Who vas sid to
be ss good judge Of borsss ~ any mas. in
Virginia Nothing sss more common shan
for him to mount his horse after breakfast
and ride ali day, Only dismounting for Afsw
mieutes at time.
On those great plantakions, tar from any
large town, and worked By negroes, the mas
ter - often obliged psssoeaIly 10 1perin
tend any operation. which vas ont Of tie pr
dsnarv routine. No doubt when General
Washinx,on entered ID his diary, s'bo<tlsd
thirsy -6ve dozen Of cider, the hasa with
which he wrote the words still s.s2s e The
loud We i'd y II diay Hn9 ~ -
esse = tAsee,