The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-03-15
WASHlNGTON'S PRECOCITY AND HIS
DEATH.

wASiIlNGTON'S PRECOCITY AND HIS
DEATH.
The youth OF Washington was ore of rtc
most prccociuus of which we have any rec
ord; lis great qualities seem almost innate.
Ills father died when lie was still child !;
his mother, left with "A large family and
slender means OF support. could give him
little education. lie was brought up IN
poverty, sent to 4 common country school,
aud scarcely learned TO read and write. In
spelling he was always inaccurate. He
read little, knew none of the learned Ian
guagss. could never even master French
4 tall. grave, awkward boy. lie probably
lato-ed on his mothers farm, was plainly
dressed, knew none of the elcgances aud
refine ments OF literary culture, was sur
passed by all his contemporaries of emf
n-uce in know ledge Of the world and books.
J effeIsGn, an accomplished scholar, was al
ways an author, man Of letters; he had
followed ut college the usual studies Of the
time, had read Pope and mastered Swift
aud Addison. To John Adams, the poor
student aud teacher, the charm of letters
was carly familiar, 4 solacs, source Of
strength. Still more with Pinckuey, Rut-
Judge, Carroll, Morris, Samuel Adams,
Hancock, learned education seemed 4
necessity, and all the chief leaders Of the
Republicans in Congress were excellent
scholars f.-rl lin y-ns lrpnSf :la ma II
Of science, Lee al author. Henry an ora
tor. But 10 the young Washington came
none Of those advantages Of instruction and
study that seemed in that ago even more
than a; present the first requisite of an
able politician; no learned profcsso. taught
him the charm of classic letters, no resu
lar discipline was enforced upon Linn 10y
college life: TO library lay open To him, no
books. lectures, popular instruction. lie
was hinScl; his only teacher; he began
almost Is L CHILD to lay down i plan OF con
duct founded upon the golden rule of duty:
he would be humane, grave, polite, respect
iul, patient. !, is impossible that any
thin. should be more complete than these
rules for the formation of a great charac.
ter that shall also bs good ono, and Wash
incton at Thirteen almost furcshsduws him
self. No one can tell whence lie took them.
from what book OF author. They conclude:
Labor to keep alive in your breast that
little spark of celestial lire called con.
science" Bat the student of Marcus An
touinus can not doubt their source.
lie was SIX feet high, strong, we'll foined,
Of a line expression, ard d iii lent manners.
Modesty lie always felt AID showed: he
knew, 10 doubt, his own infeIinrity in
scholarship, and at last regretted it. But
to one branch of knowledge his lind turned
insiiuctively- studied mathematics with
success, became 4 good draug htsman, and
learned regularity and precision: won tina,
philosophical oIdzi in his life, language
conduct, that neither Adams nor Jefferson.
excellent scholars. could attain. From
early youth his mind acted with mathe-
maiical precision: philosophy, religion.
ruled his heart. lis passions we're violent
and sometimes oycI!eapcd the boundaries
by which lac wsuld cuniilc them. His tenn
per was stormy. He loved. and wrote lines
TO his unknown fair that are iu;uic;ablr:
he sighed, lie plead; iui philosophy ani
composure soon returned, and his heart
was not one easily broken. Possibly, had
lie married the dark eyed mistress of his
youth, lie might have been happier and
less renowned, but freedom wouid have
wanted Its prescrver, the world its fay.riie
example. Washington at thirteen kept
! his journal, studied geometry, was fond OF
| writing oIt business forms. aud even sclcc
| ions of poetry. 1t is said his selections
are not COED; it is only wonderful thai AT
such AZ age lac could have selected them at
al. Eat We may discover already in ali
his boy ish exercises the ueatuess, regular
rty, minute labor that in all his later life
only rose To flesh exactness For his amuse-
mcnt he surveyed tie fields around the
school house he attended, he entered ali
MS results formally in his book-the
squares, plots. calcu !aticEs.
\ life of hardship, toni, obscu!i,y, seemed
his only prospect when, in his seventeenth
year, lie was selected by I.old Fairfax to
measure his immense domains in the ALE
ghany valleys; yet that lie should be chosen
for so important duty shows what conf
dcrcc and respect ne had already won from
those around him. What boy of sixteen
~ these lower times would be selected To
measure the wilds Of Dakota, aud Tx TIE
upuuiaIiss of Tho uukupvn wiIdsrnexs'
But Washington sc: out amidst the melt
ing SHOWS of Spring, the rocks, the w.lds.
aud completed the survey with his usual
accuracy. lie WAS made a public surveyor,
aud II seventeen Was already famous in his
profession. Al an age when Jefferson was
coming his Cicero at college, John Adams
teaching upruly boys a. Worcester, when
Hope had just printed his pastorals, when
johnson was an urgainly student, Wash
rnston had taught h!msc a trade, an ant,
and was already earning a labcrious sup
pelt. He WAS already distinguished FOR
his virtue, his native strength, his indus
try, aud his gains were large. a; ninsteeu
he was made an adiutaut general Of the
Virginia militia, 10 inspect and discipline
them; his salary MAS cons ldera5.o, the posi-
ton important; he filled it we'll. Next his
brother Llwrcuca dies and Washington at
twenty-such was still his prcccciiy-was
left the manager OF al extensive property
aud o. Mount :rnon, of which he became
aftaTwaFd the heir. At twenty, appointed
commissioners by the Governor, lie mad,
his way through hardshps almost intolcr-
abe TO meet the French cfii :ials in the will
de:nsss, was drcnchei with rains, half
frozen amidst the SHOWS of the Allegha
MES, OF in the ill crossings Of the rivers.
pursued, in danger. yc; fulfilled his duty
IT twenty two was lieutenant colonel of
the Virginia forces, the wise counselor OF