Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-12-19

Nearly another week was now passed
under the hospitable roof Of his old
friend, and in the society ofhis charm
ing relative. But the urgency of militia
ry engagement forced his; return to
Virginia, and George Washington and
Mary Phillips parted with mutual re-
grets, to meet no more for nearly a
quarter Of century, when one was the
great leader of the patriotic armies, and
the other the wife of a Colonel, fighting
his own countryman, in the service of
the King,
There Is nothing to prove that Wash
ingt0n ever made formal tender of his
hand, or that Miss Phillips ever refused
him.
Letters and memorandums found
among Washington's private papers,
show that their intimacy had not gone
SO far as to call from him declaration
[eflove thangh they each ndefstood
that such an avowal was imminent.
When Washington departed he made
a conidant Of his old army friend, Col
epel Robinson, and he was directed to
convey to his brilliant sister-in-law a
Of the ayowal, which is extreme delicacy,
moro than. anything else, held back
when he was in her society.
In the management of his business
Washington exhibited less than his us
nal sagacity. A young damsel, in her
first affair of heart, does not like to
have love made by proxy. -. az:
So she listened with impotence and
modification to the protestations uttered
by her brother in-law, when, had they
been made by her admirer in person,
with the hesitancy and secrecy with
usually attends such communications,
the might have inclined a willing ear
Robinson made little progress, and
wrote to Washington soon after, urg-
ing him to come on and press his suit
in person. A reply was sent pleading
urged business as reason for postpone
ment; but he soon received another
earnest letter from Robinson, stating
that Roger Morris, rich and accom-
plished gentleman, had obtained the ear
of the tickle girl, and was filing it with
tales of romance, poetry and love, slow
ly and effectually effacing the memory
of the plain Virginia Colonel
If any answer was returned to this
communication, its tenor is now known;
it is probable, however, that his own
passion had began to cool. His pride
may have been touched by the prefer
ence shown another; and he resolved no
longer to dispute the prize.
So mary Phillips became Mrs. Roger
Morris, and the elegant mansion in
which she reigned the beauteous queen
of fashion and fortune, is yet standing,
not far from Croton Aqueduct.
The unsuccessful sutton soon after met
the charming widow Parke; and she
became his wife and the mistress of
Mount Vernon.
There was no visible sign that either
of the parties ever thought of the past
with regret; but in the tumult Of war
which followed, when each took SO
prominent part in the struggle, there
must have been moment when memory
WcIil DdCk W lIldu Dllt COui toulp, anu
they could not help thinking chow it
hight have been"
Twenty years after the parting,
Washington again met Mary Phillips,
then Mrs. Morris He was on his way
to essume command of the patriot army
before Boston, and stopped at Rogers
house. Morris was a Royalist, but both
he and his wife extended every courtesy
to their guest.
They never met again; for before the
end Of the, War of Independence, Mary
Phillips (Mrs Norris accompanied he
husband to England. There she lived
to see the, man who had so unsuccess-
fully sought her hand one of the most
removed and respected statesman and
warriors of the world.
She died in 1928. Her remeins are
enclosed in an elaborate tomb at York,
England.