The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-28
Anecdotes of Washington,

Lately we are getting good many stories
of George Washington so old they are new
All the centennial words and memories are
raked and scraped for them, TO our great
advantage, for they are all interesting.
Many of them display Washington's human
foibes, thu fierce temper which he kept So
tightly in hand especially, but they cannot
be said to lower the august impression thai
remains of him. How great that impress
sion was may be gathered from the incl
dent that Mis- Jane Stuart gives, in the
July Scli6ner's, Of her fathers first NEE ing
with Washington. Gilbert Stuart was
gay and audacious young man, and was
thoroughly at home in the titled society OF
England and the continent, bur, as he alter
ward declared on being ushered directly
into tho presence OF the great man, he wa
$50 inundated as to lose, for the moment,
all sell-possesson. Many an anecdot.
shows Washingion's love for children
Miss Stuart tells of his taking OF
his knee and talking for some time, at ont
Of tue sitlings he gave her father, with one
of her brothers, who as long as he lived re-
membered the chat with pride. Miss Stuart
records litlle breakfast-table talk between
Gen. Henry Lee and Washington 81 sse
your portrait, the other day-a capital like
ness" said the general, but Stuart SAYS
you have tremendous temper" upon
my word said Mrs Washington, coloring
"Mr. Stuart takes a great deal upon bimset
TO make such remark" ''But stay, my
dear lady," said Gen Lee, she added tina
the president had it under wonderful con
troll" With omehing like smile, Gen.
Washington rema. ked "He is right.
Miss Stuart says she once heard her father
talk with Washington Allston about Gen,
Washington's personal appearance. che
SAID that his figure was ty no means good
that his shoulders were high and narrow,
and his hands and feet remarkably large,
He had aldermanlc proportions and this
defect was increased by the form of the
vest IF that day. But, with al these draw
b cks. his appearance was singulafly fine
l have heard my mother say that, tue first
time she saw HIM, he entered Il c hall door,
rs she passed from the entry TO the pail IT.
and that she thought him the most superb
looking person she had ever seen. He was
then dressed IN black velvet, with white
lace ruff ~, ETC., exactly as Stuarts picture
represented him"
Ia another Scribner article, on "a little
centennial lady," we get several glimpses
ut Washington, at that time in his life
which Thackeray studied up for the pic
ture in his "Virglnians." This is the one
of the glimpses: "In 1854, Washington,
then in Command of the Virginia II myers
at Alexandra, awaiting the arrival If Gen
Bradd1 ck's troops, supported Mr., f .irfaX
In an election contest for the House OF
Burgesses, against Mr. afterward Col. Will
liam Payne of the continental army 7 his
seems to have been one of those rare &C.
casions when Washington's hot blood got
the better OF his peerless Judgment. Fierce
words passed between the two gentlemen,
in the market square of Alexandria, end
ing by an outburst of rage from Payne, In
which he felled Washington to the earth.
The rangers rushed from their barracks
and surrounded Payne, but Washington,
with calm dignity, dispersed them A du.
ell seemed inevitable. On the following
day, however, Washington sent for Payne,
and, tx'endlng his hand, said, with gen
tie courtesy, that touched the other to the
heart; Mr.. Payne, to err is human. |
was wrong. yesterday but if you have had
sufficient satisfaction, let us be friends. I"
Until the day Of his death, Col Payne re-
tanned for Washington devoted and un-
broken regard.
OF the anecdotes in Mr.. Scudder's book,
we quote a British girls account of her
honest meeting of Gen. Washington's chal-
lenge at dinner party, In New York.