The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-12-30
The Anti-AGonopoliSt.

ton, lost the exalted station which Mar
tina Washington SO honorably filed.
In February, 1856, Col. George Wash
ington, accompanied by two aides-de-
camp, left his residence at Mount Yer
non. on horseback, on journey to Bos-
ton, to confer with Gen. Shirley, con-
corning some military matters.
On reaching New York, he called at
the house of Beverly Robinson. an cid
army friend, who had served with him
under Braddock. Col. Robinson, wishing
to make the visit pleasant to his guest
had invited few friends to add to the
social attractions of his home. Among
the invited was Mary Phillips, a sister
Of Mrs. Robinson. She was then about
eighteen years Of age, bewitchingly
beautiful, with a form of rare grace and
perfection, brilliant accomplishments,
and lively and vivacious. She was
likewise an heiress.
The young Virginia colonel, fresh
from the rural society Of Mount Vernon
and the tolls ofthe backwoods campaign,
was Immediately charmed by this witch
ing vision of loneliness and gayety.
Turning away from every other attract
ions. he spent much of his time in her
society, and the walks, talks, and rides
in which they INDUCED brought upon
them the railery of their associates. In
this way the few days that Washington
had intended to remain passed. but still
he fingered chained by the magic spell
of the fair charmer.
1t was the first time in the history OF
his life that the sly Cupid had hurled
his dart at the young colonel, and the
arrow had sunk deep into his heart.
Days went by almost unnoticed, until
q week had been wasted in these enjoy
ments, and the infatuated man was
forced to tear himself away and proceed
to Boston. They parted, with an en-
gagement on his part to call again on
his return; and it is scarcely necessary
to say that he was true to the promise.
Nearly another week vas now passed
under the hospitable ie5f of his old
friend. and in the society of his charm
ing relative. But the urgency of mill
tary engagements forced his return to
Virginia, and George Washington and
Mary Phillips parted with mutual re-
grets, to meet no more for nearly a
quater of a century, when one was the
great leader OF the patriot armies, and
the other the wife of colonel, fighting
his own countrymen, in the service Of
his king.
There is nothing to prove that Wash
ington ever made a formal tender of
his hand, or that Miss Phillips ever re-
fused him. Letters and memorandum
found among Washington's private pa
pers, show that their intimacy had not
gone so far as to call from him de-
claration of love, though they each un-
derstood that such an avowal was immi-
nent.
When Washington departed, he made
a confident OF his old army friend, Col
onel Robinson, and he was directed to
convey to his brilliant sister-in.}aw a
hint OF the avowa!, which his extreme
delicacy, more than anything else, held
back when he was in her society.
In the management Of his business
Washington exhibited less than his usual
sagacity. A young damsel, in the first
affair OF the heart, does not like to have
love made by proxy. So she listened
with impotence and modification to
the protestations uttered by her brother
inlaw, wher, had they been made by
her admirer in person, with the hesit-
ancy and secrecy which usually attends
such communications, she might have
inclined a willing ear. Robinson made
little progress and wrote to Washington
soon aftcr urging him 70 come on and
press his suit in person. A reply was
sent. pleading urgent business as rea-
son for po.tp0nement; but he soon re-
ceived another earnest letter from Rob
inson. stating that Roger Morris, a rich
and accomplished gentleman, had OBJ
tanned the ear of the tickle girl, and was
filling it with tales OF romance, poetry
and love, slowly and effectually effacing
the memory Of the plain Virginian col
onel. If any answer was returned to
this communication, its tenor is not
known, it is propable, however, that
his own passion had begun to cool.
His pride m y have been touched by the
preference shown another. and he re-
solved no longer to dispute the prize.
So Mary Phillips became Mrs. Roger
Morris, aud the elegant mansion in
which she reigned the beautious 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 pats
with regret; but in the tumult Of war
which followed, when each took so
prominent q part in the struggle. there
must have been moments when memory
went back to that brief courtship, and
they could not help thinking ''how it
might hav, BEEN"
Twenty years AFTER the parting, Wash
ington again met Mary Phillips. then
Mrs. Morris. He was on his way to
assume command Of the patriot army be-
fore Boston, and stopped at the Rogers
house. Morris was . 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.
Morris) accompanied her husband to
England. There she lived to see the
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