Smyrna times., 1879-09-24
One Of George Washington's Pets.
THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN ol
HER DAY-AS INTEREsTIN LETTER THE FATHER
OF HIS COUNTRY WROTE HER ON LOVE
AND MARRIAGE.


One of the most beautiful young women of her |
time was Elinor Parke Custis grand d-daughter of
General Washington. Her portrait. painted by Gil |
bert stuart was the most attractive picture among the
rare paintings at Arlington House. the residence of
her BROTHER George Washington Parke Custs for |
about fifty years 1t is the likeness of the maiden
when she was about eighteen years of age the ad- |
mired OF all who were at the Republican Court during
the last year of Washingons administration She is
dressed IN plain white garment in the Scant fashion
of the day, one of her plump bare arms forming |
conspicuous feature of the picture her chin resting
upon hnger CT her gently closed hand. Her sweet
face regular N every feature, is garniShed by her
dark cuIs tastefuly clustering around her forehead
and temples, While her long hair. gathered in APP
parently careless manner the top of her head is
secured i'll its place by long bodkfn, concealed by
modest, simple, beautiful.
Nelly Custs," as she was called in her maiden
hood, was as witty as she was beautiful; quick at
reparee highly accomplished, full of information a
line conversalionalist, the life of any company
whether of the young or the old, and was greatly
beloved by her toster-father the beloved Patriot
From the lips of her BROTHER the late George Wash
ington Parke C1Stis (who survived her four years.
heard much concerning his charming sister, for he
never Wearied in talking of her the observed of
all observers in any company into which she en-
tered; as devoted wife and mother as a " Lady
Bountiful among the poor, and a real blessing to all
who came under her influence. She retained her
beauty of person and character until her death
which occurred in Clarke county, Virginia, in 1882
when she was about seventy three years of age.
When in June. 1775, Washington was appointed
Commander-ln-Chief of the Continental army, he
placed John PaTke Custs, father of Nelly" on his
/
| long war that followed. He was aide-decamp to
washington at the siege of Yorktown in the autumn
| OF l1Sl and was then member of the Virginia
| Assembly violent camp fever seized him and he
retired to the house of Mr.. Basset blood relative
not far from Yorktown, where he was attended by
| DR.. Crak WashingtOns family physician. Mr
Custis wife and mother were sent for. The Com
mander-in-Ch hastened thither possible
| He was met at the door by DR. Craik, who told him
that the spirit of the sufferer had just departed
Bowling his head in deep sorrow the conqueror
| OF CornwalliS wept with the weeping women
and said, II adopt the two yonnger children
| as my own" So 1t was that Eleanor Custis then
aged about two years and nine months and George
Washington Parle Custis then about six months old
| became the adopted children of General Washington.
Nelly Custis was sweet child, and blOssomed into
| a charming woman. When She was sixteen years of
age she first attended ball at Georgetown and wrote
an animated description of it to her foster father
| then President Of the United States the seat of
government being in Philadelphia. In her letter
Nelly made remark about her Indifference TO the
beaux. This letter drew from Washington follows,
which your correspondent copied from the original
manuscript in possession of the late Mrs Lee, wife
OF General RoberS E. Lee:
| PHILADELPHIA January I6 1856
Your letter, the receipt of which l am now ac-
knowledging is written correctly and in fair charac-
ters' which is an evidence that you command, when
tages, it will be your fault if you do not avail
| yourself OF them, and attention being paid to the
eholce o. your subjects you can have nothing to fear
from the malgnancy of criticism, as your ideas are
| lively and your descriptions agreeable.
| Let me touch little now on your Georgetown ball
and happy, thrice happy, for the fair who were
assembled on the occasion, that there was man &c
|
only seventy-eight gentlemen, there might in the
| course of the evening, have been some disorder
among the caps; Notwithstanding the apathy which
one of the company enertains for the youth" OF
the present day, and her determination never tC
give herself moments uneasines account of any
OF them: hint here Men and women feel the same
inclinaons to each othor that they always have
DONE and which they will continue to do until thert
is new order OF things and you, as others have
done may find. perhaps, that the passions of youl
sex are easier raised than allayed. Do not, there
fore. boast too soon or too strongly of your in
| SenSlDility to, resistance Of its In
composition of the human frame there is good dca
OF infammable matter, however dormant it may Ii,
FOR time, and, like an intimate acquaintance q
yours IA sister just marred), when the torch is put L
It. that which Is within you may burst into blaze
lOr whlch reason and especially too, as l hav,
entered unOn the chapteI of advices l will read vol
O lecture drawn from this text
Love Is said to be an involuntary passion and il is
therefore, cOntended that it cannot be resisted Thi
Is true IN part only for, like all things else, whe
is rapid in its progress but let these be withdraw
and 1t may be stied in its birth OF much stinted il
us grown, For example a women the same may b
n will. while her hand and heart undispOsed Of
turn the heads and set the circle in which she
on fire. Let her marry and what is the consequence
The madness which she has caused ceases an
all is quiet again. Why? Not because there is an
| diminutien in the charms of the lady, but becaus
there is an end of hope Hence it follows that Low
may and therefore ought to be under the guidance
reason for rathough cannot avoid first i'm preston
we may assuredly place them under guard; and m
motives for treating on this subject are to show yol
while you remain Eleanor Parke Custis spinster an
retain the resolution to love with moderation tn
proprety of adhering to the latter resolution at lea
until you have secured your game, and the way b
beginning 70 kindle and your heart grows warm pr
pound these questions to it: Who is the invader
Have a competent knowledge of him? Is he ma
OF good Character, man of sense For, be assured
sensible woman can never be happy with foe
What has been his walk in life? Is ne a gambler
spendthrift or drunkard? Is his fortune sufficient
maintain me in the manner have been accustome
Iy to live and my sisters do live? And is he OF
= to whom my friends can have no reasonable obie
~ ton? If these inteIrogatores can be satisfactory
n answered there will remain but one more to
= asked That. however, is an important one. Have
sufficient ground 70 conclude that his affections a
will struggle against passion that is reciprocatC
delicacy, custom. or cali 1t by what epithe you wi
having preeuded all advances on your part.
The declaration without the most Indirect invit
tion of yours, must proceed from the man to rend
it permanent and valuable, and nothing short
as good sense and an easy unaffected conduct dra
the line between pru,lery and coquetry It would
90 no great departure from truth to say that
67 rarely happens otherwise than that thOroughpac
ISL coquete dies in celibacy punishment for her
tempts to mislead others. by encouraging lool
words actions. given for no other purpose than
draw men to make overtures that they may be j
of iected,.
- Best regards are presented to your mamma,
Stuart and family, and every blessing among viii
good husband, when you want and deserve one
Yours, aifectionately, q. WASHINGTON
DR.. Stuart referred to had married the mother
Nelly Custs Washington wrote @ this essay on 10
foser-child while the cares of state were weight
heavily upon him: At about & this Tn time he puIc;has I.
, at left at Mount Vernon and was taken TO Arngt
inc House by her brother II was restored 70 the mansi
9-u at Mount Vernon few years ago by Mrs. Robert
SEI1Y's MARRIAGE.
. Washington had favorite nephew named La
renee a son of his sister, Mrs. Lewis. He was mu
at Msunt Vernon after Washington's retirement fr
the Presidency. and the blessing Of "a good h
band" for Nelly when she should want and desc