Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-03-14
WASHINGTON'S FIRST LOVE.
pyprv. r. wAKE1y. DID.


BY REV. j. b. wAKELY, D. D.
THERE is a beauty and a charm about
the name of Washington that age and
time cannot annihilate. He is an ever
green, and his name is crowned with a
garland of imperishable verdure. Wash
sington appears, in his military and civil
character, on the pages of history as
gloriously conspicuous as the sun in the
heavens.
But we are now to behold him in an
other relation; to have an inside view OF
him; to consider that part of his private
and personal history that has never been
made prominent by any of his numerous
and gifted historians. We are to con-
template him as a loce7.,: yes, and disdp-
pointed lover, also.
Washington's love disappointments
form thrilling chapters in his life that in
vest it with peculiar interest far surpass-
ingromance, more delightful than tales of
fiction; for they are not mere imaginary
love stories, not fancy, but fact, sober
truth, real alhistory intimately blended with
that of the nation which delights to call
him father.
The cold cynic may deny, and others
laugh, and some ridicule the idea of love
and it's disappointments, yet that does not
do away with the fact, when there are SO
many witnesses who have not only felt the
passion of love, but known something of
its bitter griefs and sad disappointments
There is such a thing as disappointed
love, love slighted, love neglected, love
despised, love unreciprocated.
Love is sometimes trif1ed with A man
tells the story of having fallen in love
with one superlatively beautiful. Hewas
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 reciproeate the at
tachment, and he was just ready, with
throbbing heart and anxious looks, to hear
her reply, when she serenely turned, and
plucking handful of green gooseberries,
gravely asked, 'sWhat are these?" He
answered, sGooseberries, my darling"
''Eat them," she coolly replied; "goose-
berries mast be good for yoltr complaint"
Disappointed love has clouded the
brow, marred the cheek of beauty once
radiant with smiles, dimmed bright eyes
once shining with peculiar luster, crushed
hopes. broken hearts, covered earth with
pail of darkness, made life failure and
burden, and brought some of its victims
to early graves.
Washington, when in his sixteenth year,
fell in love with one whom he called his
ed 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 beauti-
ful in nature, the beautiful in art, and es-
pecially beautiful conference.-the hui
man face divine.
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 heart. We are not told of her
beautiful form, 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
lips, or of the delicacy and beauty of her
delightful interviews they enjoyed to-
gether over all this vail is thrown.
All we know about her is that she was a
woman whom Washington loved, and
that she was "Lowland Beauty )"
1t was Washingtons first love- There
is nothing like the first, young love.
There is melting tenderness, an ex-
quisite sensibility, a superlative delight
in the first warm spring of love. 'Tis
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 beautiful and expanding
flower.
For.so reason Washington was dis
appointed, and his mighty heart felt it
keenly; and he sighed and cried When
ever he was at home or abroad, the image
of the beautiful one was before him. It
untitled him for study or anything else.
1t distracted his mind; it affected his
heart He gave evidence of the truth of
these ancient words:
Love is dizziness
1t Wilma let puir body gang aboot his business -
How true, 'sthe course of true love
never runs smooth" Multitudes have
been smitten, have been love struck,
have felt a strange sensation around the
heart, and many are disappointed in love
whether they are willing to acknowledge
it or not. 1t was either a "LoWland
Beauty" or a Highland beauty, or a
beauty above the Highlands, or some other
beauty.
We read of the poetry of love. The
poetry of the love-siek is generally love-
sick poetry, partaking largely of the dis
position of the author.
Shakespeare says
Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied;
Cry but ah, mel couple but love and dove.''
Had Washington turned poet, he could
have said:
By heavens, do love;
And it has taught me to rhyme, and to be melan-
He wished and sighed,
And versifed, .----
And thousand other pretty things
beside.''
Washington's poetry does not equal
Milton, or Cowper; Young, or Pollock.
Two lines, think, will satisfy the reader
s.Ah! woe is me that should love conceal:
Long have wished, and never dare reveal"
Washington wrote this to his dear FRIEND
Robin ".My residence is at present a
his Lordship's, where I might, were my
heart disengaged, pass my time very
pleasantly, as there is very agreeable
young lady living in the same hous'
Colonel George Fairfax's wife's sister,
but as that is only adding fuel to the fire
1t makes me the more uneasy, for by Otter
and unavoidably being in company will
her, revlves my former passion for you
Lowland Beauty !; whereas, was I to live
more retired from young women, might
IN some measure, alleviate nv sorrows
by burying that chaste and troublesom,
passion in the grave of oblivion" etc.
Washington Irving says cit is dificul
to reconcile ones self to the idea of tn,
cool and sedate Washington, the grea
champion of American liberty, woe
worn lover in his youthful days, sigh
ing like furnace, and inditing plain
tive verses about the groves of Noun
Vernon. We are glad of an opportunity
however, of penetrating to his nativ
feelings, and finding that under hi
studied decorum and reserve he had
heart of flesh throbbing with the war;
impulses of human nature"
The question will naturally be asked
how was Washington disappointed in hi
earliest love? Benson J. Losing say
Miss Grimes "reciprocated not his love.