The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-02-17
WASHINGTON AND HIS LADY LOVES.
THE LOWLAND BEAUTY.
BY REV. j. b. wAKELEY, d. d.


name of Washington that age and time
cannot annihilate. He is an evergreen,
and his name is crowned with a garland
of imperishable verdure. Washington
appears, in his military and civil character,
on the pages of history as gloriously con-
spicuous as the sun in tile heavens.
But we are now to behold him in another
relation; to have an inside view of him: to
consider that part of his private personal
history that has never been made promi-
nent by any of his numerous and gifted
historians. We are to contemplate him as
'orer; yes. and disappointed lover, also
Washington's love disappointments form
thrilling chapters in his life that invest it
with peculiar interests far surprising TO-
nance, more delightful than tales of fiction;
for they are not mere imaginary love stories,
not fancy, but fact, sober truth, read his
tory intimately blended with that of the
nation who delights to call him father.
Love is subject, ancient as the grand
old mountains, and yet as fresh as the
morning.
Love has been the theme of the sage and
the poet of every cline and age; love also
appears in the dreams of fancy, and on the
philosophic page Of reason.
Love is the most wonderful passion of
the human soul. IT'S not easy to define it
for we have no dictionary of love, and yet
ma ,1n 4 L.,
experience what it means. Love has wings,
and moves with wonderful rapidity. Cupid
has his bow of strength, and his golden
headed arrows which, while he takes direct
aim for the heart he shoots with the veloc-
ity of lightning, and yet
"The wounds invisible
That Loves keen arrows make.,'
The cold cynic may deny, and others
laugh, and some ridicule the idea of love
and its disappointments, yet that does not
do away the fact, when there are so many
witnesses who have not only felt the pas
sion of love, but known something of its
bitter griefs, and sad disappointments
There is such a thing as disappointed
love, love sighted, love neglected, love des-
pissed, love unreciprocated.
Love is sometimes trifed with, A man
tells the story of having fallen in love
with one superlatively beautiful. He was
one day walking in the garden with the
fair one, and he made known to her, in
burning words the story of his love. He
expected she would reciprocate the attach
ment, and he was just ready, with throb-
bling heart and anxious looks, to hear her
reply, when she serenely turned, and pluck
ing handful of green gooseberries, gravely
asked, "What are these?' "Gooseber-
ries, my darling" "Eat them," she coolly
replied; "goose berries mast be good for
your complaint"
Disappointed love has clouded the brow,
married the cheek of beauty once radiant
with smiles, dimmed bright eyes once
shining with pesuliar lustre, crushed hopes
broken hearts, covered earth with pail of
darkness, made life failure and burden,
and brought some of it's victims to early
graves.
Washington, when in his sixteenth year.
fell in love with one whom he called his
"Lowland Beauty" To him love unvailed
her charms, and oh, how enchanting was
the fair one, for beauty's budding rose was
on her cheek like summers tint. Nothing
is more admired than the beautiful in
nature, the beautiful in art, and especially
beautiful conference.-the human face
divine.
Plato called beauty ga privilege of
nature;' and Homer, GA glorious gift of
nature" This caution has been given
"Gaze not on beauty too much, lest it
blast thee; nor too near, lest it blind thee;
nor too long, lest it burn thee"
In regard to Washington's "Lowland
Beauty" we have no portraiture of her;
we know not what he beheld in her that
made so deep an impression upon his young
of the color of her hair, whether golden or
raven, or of its hanging in ringlets over
her shoulders and about her alabaster neck
whether her eyes were hazel, blue or black
Or of her ruby lips, or of the delicacy and
beauty of her lily-white hands. Nor do
we learn of delightful interviews they en-
joyed together; over all this veil is thrown
All we know about her is that she was a
woman whom Washington loved, and that
she was "Lowland Beauty
1t was Washington's first love. There
is nothing like the first, young love-
There is melting tenderness, an exquisite
sensibility, superlative delight in the first
warm spring Of love. IT'S like the first
rays of morning light, like the first breath
of spring, like the first opening bud, like
the first early dew-drops upon the beauti-
full and expanding flower.
oh how the spring Of love resembles
The uncertain glory of. an April day;
Which now shows all the beams of the sun,
And by and by cloud takes all away"
Love struck a chord in Washington's
bosom that vibrated through every fibre of
his soul. He could have said:
SAT fond sixteen my rowing heart
Was pierced by loves delightful dart;
Keen transport;throbbed through every vein;
| never felt SO sweet pain
For some reason Washington was disap-
pointed, and his mighty heart felt it keenly;
and he sighed and cried. Whenever he
was at home or abroad, the image of the
beautiful one was before him. 1t untitled
him for study or anything else. 1t dis
tracted his mind; it affected his heart. He
gave evidence of the truth of these ancient
words:
Glove is dizziness,
1t Wilma let a pur body gang ABBOTT his bus
iness.''
How true, "the course of true love never
did run smooth" Multitudes have been
smitten, have been love struck, have felt a
strange sensation around the heart, and
many are disappointed i'll love whether
they are willing to acknowledge it or not.
1t was "Lowland Beauty" or High
land beauty, or a beauty above the High
lands, Or some other beauty.