Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-01-23

fore lis is an old one, thumbed and
dog-eared by hands that were young
when they turned these faded pages,
but which have long ago gone to dust.
We transcribe the title page in full:
THE LIFE
GEORGE WASHING TON.
WITH
| Curious ANECDOTES
Equally HONORABLE TO HIMSELF AND EXEMPLARY
To HIS loUNG CoUNTRYMEN.
SEvENTHE EDIrIoS.
A life how useful to his country led
How loved while living-how revered, now dead
Lisp! lisp, his name ye children yet unborn,
Andwith like deeds your own great names adorn.
By NJ. l., WEEMS,
FORMERLY RsoToR OF MOUNT VERNON PARISH.
PHILADELPHIA:
! PRISTED FOR THE AUTHOR.
We regret that we know little of the
history of Mason L. Weems. But we
have met aged persons who have seen
him in the flesh, and from these We
have heard nothing but praise. He
was a brave, sincere, enthusiastic, hon
estelergyman-theen enemy of gambling.
intemperance, and the prevailing vices
of his day, against which he wrote
books that had great popularity; and
he was the outspoken but genial and
winning advocate of virtue and reli-
gion, the warmth of his heart endear-
ling him to people wherever he went
and preparing them to give fond ear
to his fervid appeals for truth. Above
all, he was a patriot whose enthusiasm
for the liberties of his country was the
master passion of his soul. He was
the pastor of the old church at Pohick
and the friend of Washington, who at
tended his preaching, and he was for
many years familiar visitor at Mount
Vernon. His love for Washington
bordered on worship, and when he
came to write the life Of his hero his
whole heart was thrown into the work,
and fancy and imagination, which held
sway over all the other faculties of his
mind, were not sparing of tints to COM
iplete the portrait of the perfect man.
We have been informed that Mr. Wecms
lived to great age. but of the time
and place of his death We have no in
formation. He had son who was a
reputable member of Congress sixty
Years ago, and that is all that We know
of his family. But he still lives, and
we trust for the honor of his country
he will always live, in his book.
The opening of the first chapter Of
this curious volume is an admirable
introduction to what follows, present.
ing in a single paragraph a fair speci-
men of Weems' original method of
writing biography. We transcribe it
"Ah, gentlemen" exclaimed Bona
parte-'twas just as he was about 10
embark for Egypt-some young Amer
leans happening at Toulon, and anxi-
ous to see the mighty Corsican. had
obtained the honor of an introduction
to him. Scarcely were passed the Gus
tomary salutations when he eagerly
asked, ''How fares your countrvman.
the great Washington :" lie was
very WE'LL replied the youths. bright
ming at the thought that they were the
countrymen of Washington, "he was
very well, General, when we left Amer
lea" 'Ah, gentlemen" reioined he,
'Washington can never be otherwise
than well, the measure Of his fame is
full. Posterity shall talk of him with
reverence as the founder of a great en-
pire when my name shall be lost in the
vortex of revolutions" Who. then.
that has a spark of virtuous curiosity
but must wish to know the history of
him whose name could thus awaken
the sigh even of Bonaparte:
! Who: surely enough.
This pertinent anecdote, like many
others that enliyen Parson Weems'
book, it is almost needless to say, was
the product of his oyerhowing imagi-
nation, and, as its admirers may argue.
is no more to be despised because it is
without foundation in fact. than an al
legory or parable, or any other fan
ciful device for getting a good moral
or a wholesome example squarely be-
fore the readers mind. To this class
of pleasing and instructive inventions
belongs the famous hatchet story,
which, without any delay, we present
in the original words of Weems:
When George was about six years
old he was made the wealthy master Of
hatchet Of which, like most little
boys, he was immoderately fond, and
was constantly going about chopping
everything that came in his way. One
day in the garden, where he often a.
unused himself hacking his mothers
pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge
Of his hatchet on the body of "a beauti-
full young English cherry tree, which
he barked so terribly that | don't be-