Sharp County record., 1879-04-10

story OF the Most beautiful Woman of
Her Time.
From the Philadelphia Tines
One of the most beautiful young wOm-
en- of her time was Eleanor Parke Gus
tis, a granddaughter of Martha Wash
ington and adopted daughter OF Gen.
Washington. Her portrait, painted by
Gilbert Stuart, was the most attractive
picture among the rare paintings at
Arlington House, the residence OF her
brother, George Washington Parke Gus
tis, for about so years. 1t is the like
ness of the maiden when she was about
10 years of age, the admired OF all VINO
were at the republican court during the
last wear Of WashingtOn's administra-
ton. She is dressed in a plain white
garment,in the scant fashion OF the day,
one of her plump bare arms forming a
conspicuous feature of the picture, her
chin resting upon a finger Of her gently
closed hand. Her sweet face, regular
in every feature, is garnished by her
dark curl tastefully clustering around
her forehead and temples, while her
long hair, gathered in an apparently
careless manner on the top Of her head,
is ssecured in its place by long bodkln,
concealed by q small bunch OF white
flowers. The whole picture is modest,
simple, beautiful.
"Nelly Custis," as she was called IN
her maidenhood, was as witty as she
was beautiful quick at trepartee, highly
accomplished, full of information, a fine
conversationalist, the life Of any COM
panv, whether Of the young or the old,
and was greatly beloved by her foster
father, the beloved patriot From the
lips of her brother, the late George
Washington Parke Custis (who survived
her four years., | heard much concern
inc his charming sister, for he never
wearied of talking of her as "the OBJ
served of all observers" in any COM
pany into which she entered; as a de-
voted wife and mother, as a "Lady
Bountiful" among the poor, and a real
blessing to all who came under her in
auence. She retained her beauty Of
person and character until her death,
which occurred in Clarke County, Vir-
ginia, in 1852, when she was about 73
years of age.
When, in June, 1775, Washington
was appointed Commander-in-Chief of
the Continental Army, he placed John
Parke Gusts, father of " Nelly" on his
staff, in which capacity he often served
during the long war that followed. He
was aide-de-camp to Washington at the
siege of Yorktown IN the autumn OF
1881, and was then a member of the
Virginia Assembly,. A violent camp
fever seized him, and he retired to the
house of Mr. Bassett, q blood relative,
at Ethan, not far from Yorktown,
where he was attended by DR.. Craik,
Washington's family physician. Mr..
Custis's wife and mother were sent for.
The COmmander-in-Ch'ef fastened
thither as soon as possible. He was
met at the door by DR.. Craik, who told
him that the spirit of the sufferer had
lust departed. Bowing his head in deep
sorrow the conqueror of COrnwallis
wept with the weeping women, and said
"I adopt the two younger children as
nv own" So it was that Eleanor
Parke Gusts, then aged about 2 years
and 9 months, and George Washington
Parke Custis, then about 6 months old,
became the adopted children Of Gen,
Washington.
Nelly Custis was a sweet child, and
blossomed into a charming woman
When she was 16 years of age she at
tended 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 some remark about her In
difference to the beaux. This letter
drew from Washington reply as fol
lows, which l copied from the original
manuscript in possession of the late Mrs
Lee, wife of Gen. Robert E Lee:
WASHINGTON ON " love"
"PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16, 1855
Your letter, the receipt Of which an
now acknowledging, is written correct.
ly and in fair characters, which is an
evidence that you command, when you
please, fair hand. Possessed of these
advantages, it will be your own fault il
you do not avail yourself of them, and
attention being paid to the choice OF
your subjects, you can have nothing to
fear from the malgnancy of criticism,
as your ideas are lively and your de-
scriptions agreeable.
"Let me touch little now on your
Georgetown ball, and happy, thrice
happy, Tor the fair who were assembled
on the occasion, that there was q man
to spare; for had there been seventy
nine ladies and only seventy-eight gen
tlemen, there might, in the course Of
the evening, have been some disorder
among the caps; Notwithstanding the