, 1870-08-21
LADY WASHINGTON.


lu tic yEhf lsoI, GeHefA " aSA!f!t,1n. yiCia-
,.l IL the ca!i Of lila couu:Eymea. ait. his cw.
,.u.,ic:.un o, duty to the newborn Stale, and |
uat installed ns President of tAe 5ou2S
Il, pullIc. His wife. Mrr. Martha WaeeiaE- !
ton, generally cs1led by courtesy Lady Wasn- !
iuetun, IT cou1se went up with her husband to
tile Ito, c1n1ne1lt House. She vas raflna,l, /
wouiau. with great l1enling Of
strength. sweetness. aud simplicity iu her
character. With tue calm sc.t-i,osoesaiou Of |
a Christian LADY, she catered on hcr duties A. |
wife Of tue rrrei.itiIt a1;. oascialle. the first
uouan in the lan.l while elle continued to !
maintain i'll her l'aLits ami de?ortment the |
Of dre.s and tie sincerity oE speech
for which she had al.aya been remarked. |
At frst. ehe WAS almost over~helmed with
the hoetn Of Eisitor+, tua.ty OF them i'lle and
tti> Qlous, that she Lad to fcceiSe. THIS was
suou brought into rule. General Washington
had = s. reception" on Wednesdays, from to
s o'clock, and lis wife on Fridays, for tue
much Of me1e Ceremonial and state ns pos
tiblr.
There were, however. some ladies' who
va, ted rlo;c s,.lerdnr and they rerosv.,1 10
aek e1erial audience. and try to alter the
plauA OF tile wife OF their illustrious pres!-
dent.
Oue morning three fair dam.s appeared 1T
the Government House !: they were dres-oA
" to carry dnery aad tsinke,a. Dia-
mouGs epa1Alt1 in tltelr ears and gIittered
on their ucck-. Their hair was putfed
ont. fri1z1ed. criIn1'e.i, and tortured in every
tenn but TINT Of natnIcs elegance. They
y. r., al n. high Eeadtlresses, adorned With
.ssiag tiiLpns to csowu the etince Of hair
which fashion then decreed should cacnmber
tteir leatis and brains. Their hands we're en-
llaznuei viii. rings. their wrists encumbered
With r,,if1tr, clarIr, and bracelets Ssiff mus-
lin rose lie foam around their chests aud
rhoulderz; and though their ieh bto-aded
silks fell IN costly folds about them, and par
TALLY hid tue pressure that gripped il their
waists, ret the peut-up heart had to sympa-
tI4ize with the oppressed brain. overweislated
with fashions load. They came rustllng and
duttering into the presence Of the lady they
ni.Eed room. IN Which she spent her morning.
With dienifed courtesy the thoughtful mat
trc,l rose to greet hez yi-lt0r.- Her wel1-dll~
ed bookcase, made for use not show, Sas,be-
hind her chair: her table. with her work-bAs-
kct and materials tor work befora her; aud
in hc1 Land was her knitting needles, tho use
ful companions cf nsany lonely hours. Grave
~, get mort ccurteou-lv. she heard the re-
marks which, will faltc.lng speech, they had
come to make. For they did not tind it 70
easy to si'esk of luxury aud display as desira-
re When they % wefs E; lace TO ice w'ta the
a,ul privation. had tuini-tered to the wants
and mitigatel the sufferings OF the 4nl1icra
during the terrible struggle for independence.
Somehow their faces lost the defiant sil and
vain tsmpcr they Lad woEn whom sho5 first
entered her presence. and Lad t'eepened into
SERIOUSNESS and respectful attention as the
wife Of Washington, after hearing them,
raid:
ssIai1ic- you came to ailyihe me, and. rs
far ae Ain,1ne4s prompted you. / ain obliged
fer The motive. though cannot act on your
suggestions. You arc iu the bloom OF life.
Many Years. l trslrt, arc before you. Ny age,
even znorc. far moro than my station, salc-
tiuna MY giving you come advice. Dear Ia
dice, st,11er tue word oi exhuy:ation. Shoasd
Christian women, Lonored wives and mothers,
lie content to aim at no higher glor. than that
OF the insect that glitters ii tho sunbnam--to
lie ~ the tirc-Ay, Or the huminius bird? You
spoke Of the greatness Of my husband. His
dear mother ever looked well to tho ways OF
her household. Sic taught lin to be i1lus-
tIious by her example, for the spinning wheel
s!,un the clathcs 10 wore from his earliest
aay-: and altt, like myself. lived the knitting
needles" (She l,oked. a. che spoke. at her
knittius-) Ladies'. ,lurins eight years Of
the mothers Of the land-srcnt no 1noney on
6ntzy for themselves They spe,lt alt their
available meaus in providing clothing for the
srnly, which, itut for that stlccor. must have
rer:-l,cd in cur iong aud hitter winters. l do
!. ot ~:sl. TO boast: ill ouly INT duty: nay.
l,:t'" i: was my privilege. az Naaa:.es:!o.,t
viz, :c tnil fer the men ,lder ltie o:tuls,.d.
afway> went into wimser quarters viii, him,
SUMMER time AM f.i- Mot!,er a.ii my
t:lr:,t'. we're nj oEr spisluns-"heels. 0nse.
/ III :h- vius-1, lad s'At,.u nii.s I'LL ser uie
r''os. all weaving .lot:l-to4rse, inletl. 1,:t
wa,ni-f fcr tile sul1,cfs Of The llatioa- Trait
! La, wcrlnn Nas E1.iir for liuai.r cs1s t.,hl
us=Tc!s 10 1:si':a, i:nel;, n!el. ,:.a:. r.t!lcs
''a' mi:svres lie s,s.ecs that Ea.s1:e !:.s Ls-
slowed.
II L1sw," said one Of The l,.et. .l.o1g:,t-
tsl1y. "saIa1 Mrs. Sarah jlae!le, tho daughter
OF j'e:'iami" Ira1.hp. sud ller ornaments aud
a!i that rho cnull ,s,~ssy spare to rumtncns.e
fund. which oti,tr 1a,l,.r in r.,iln.tc!nl.ia
wtre Induced 10 ai1, rhh !'y l.ar'l AMI purse.
| 1ley made, I remember, 3.3uD shirts iu one
| scason for the army
! ~ ise. aosr ss'..;,g irdies. tho example Of
lra''alns daughter influenced tbs lc.H
tlDngh'ful, hut not less kiLtlileaitcl !a:!ie. Of
sha. city. Ono fa,s'st., ~ofna.,-!,ow au.,ci,else
taEl to toeheck the influences Of luxury and
loliy. {fIlr eolntrywuneu, beforetllc tro.lol:s,
lad e1""n folta Of foreig, faslliul.e. anj it wa,
feared t4at. ar ne depended for 1uxurie- OIL
Enrn,se. the ratsiutt' desire for Independence
| night 10 checked LIT a call@e ro trlSiai. aud
yet 70 dangerous, a. the frippcry Of female
sathios+. Mrs. Warren. remember. ,lni
good service to thu can.e Of lilt:rty AMI tr',,h
Nheh. III poem she write. tl.e sAtlr,ztl tc1
country woman = love OF Dress
THAT fotul. said a1lother fa,1r. t'war Ole
F-fneeerted t.s the remark Of friend vi hers
That all s1tic1et of fureiGn commerce rhould
lse tiispen-tJ With. eAcelt absolute necess.
1ite. ! remember Strs. Warren aml,sn;:is
lat tnntietl list Ut articles MI AMERICAN lad,
t,,uld hot dispense with: forget the words
| lat
II tan lind tAem." sail sl4e lady rresilent
| tral!ti1tE her f1an.} to tuOb on titn ri,a}vs