The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-08-14
politely as though we had been SO many veteran

politely as though we had been so many veteran
soldiers on parade
'Oh 7 yes after his great dinners be used tt
tell the steward to let in the little fellows ani
we, the boys of the immediate neighborhood
| who were never far of on such occasions
crowded about the table and made quick worl
with the remaining cakes, nuts, and raisins.'
Washington had habit of pacing up and
down the large front room on the first floor, r
the early twilight with his hands behind him
and one evening little boy, who had never seer
| him. in attempting to climb up to an open win
dow TO look in upon him, fell and hurt himself
Washington heard him cry, rung for a servant,
and sent him to inquire about the accident-for,
after ALL he was very soft-hearted at least toward
children The eservant came back and said : The
boy was trying to get look at you, SIR Bring
him in, said the General, and, when the boy
came in, he patted him on the head and said
| you wanted to see General Washington, did
YOU Well, am General Washington But
The little fellow shook his head and said /: NO,
you are only just man, want to see the Presi-
| dent
They say Washington laughed, and told the
bow that he was the President, and man for all
that. Then be had the servant give the little
fellow some nuts and cakes and dismissed him. !"
asked Mr.. Gray if he remembered the Curtis
children.
Yes he SAID 4 oiten saw theul al ihe yth-
lows, or driving out with Mrs. washington IN
her English COACH
They did not seem to have left very vivid
and human impression ON his memory. With
their fine clothes and company. manners, with
their attendants, tutors, dancing and music mas
tiers, they must have seemed very strange, inac-
cessible and unenviable little person ages to all
the happy, free-and easy children of the neigh
borhood
DO YOU remember Washington's kvees and
Mrs. Washingtons drawng-rooms | asked.
sYes, | remember hearing about them. All the
evening parties were over by nine o'clock, and
the Presidents house was dark aud silent by ten.
They we're great affairs, but was too young TO
know much about them. | attended his horse
leuees. was very fond of visiting his stables,
early in the morning, at the hour when he always
went to inspect them. liked to see him at that
work, for he seemed to enjoy it himself. Like
President Grant, he was great lover OF horses.
can almost think | see him now, come stridlng
out from his house across the yard TO the stables,
booted and spurred, bat bareheaded and in his
shirt-sleeves.'
Washington in his shirt-sleeTes j.
Yes. madam but be was always Washington.
The grooms stood aside, silent and respectful
while he examined every stall and manger, and
regularly went over every horse mean he
hand. always looking to see if it was soiled, or
if any loose hairs had come off on it. $50, the
groom was reprimanded and ordered TO do his
work over. Generally, however, Washington
would say Very we'll. Now, John, get out
Prescott and Jackson (his white chargers I'll
be ready by the time you come round
Did be ride at go early an hour 2
sYes: generally between five and six OF
pleasant morning he was off and ne almost
always rode up TO Point-no-Point, on the Del
aware, a little way above Richmond. he was
fine horseman, and, being long-bodied man,
looked grandly on horseback. 1t was sight
worth getting up early to see"
Here came pause, and then propounoed the
nomentous old question
Did Washington ever swear !?
well, as for that, | cannot speak HON my
own observation Washington had/great self
control-he was q moral mana religious man,
for those times, and did not swear upon small
occasions, and, should say, never before child
rem but, from what have heard my father and
old soldiers say, | think he must have blaZed
away considerably in times of great excitement.
He was very tender of his favorite horses, and,
at one time, remember to have heard a young
aide or secretary ask leave to ride one OF his
white chargers. on the way to Mount Vernon,
and the General allowed him to, but cautioned
him not to rein up the horse too tightly. After a
while, Washington saw he was worrying the
animal and cantioued him again but the telr
low kept on pulling and jerking at the bit, until
the creature became almost unmanageable. Then
Washington broke upon him, like whole bat
terry, ordered him to dismount, and swore tre-
mendously. I remember, too, that once heard
an army-oficer tell about his cursng some general
who disobeyed him in battle
Lee, at Monmouth
'Yes, believe so. Anyhow, my informant
said it was the greatest sort of swearing, yet
wasn't SO awful as Washington's face at the
time. He said, remember 4 never saw the
devI before
These things were told of him, but not told
against him. 1t was the fashion of those times
However, Inever heard rough word from him,
or saw his face when it was not peaceful and
pleasant"
But find must reserve for another paper the
rest of the golden gossip of my charming old
friend, whose silver-crowned head, sunny in the
light Of long ago, had been patted by the hand of
the Pater Pdtrie.