Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-05-09
George Washington on Love.
A LETTER FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENT
TO HIS ADOPTED DAUGHTER.

A LETTER FROM THE FIRST PREsIDEN,
TO HIS ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
Mr.. LOSING IN thePhiladelphia Times.
Nellie Curtis was sweet child, and bios
somed into charming woman. Whel
she was sixteen years of age she first atten
ded ball at Georgetown and wrote an an
mated description of it to her foster faith
er, then President of the United States
the seat of Government being in Philadel
phia. In her letter Nellie made some re
mark about her Indifference to the beaux
The letter drew from Washington reply
as follows, which copied from the origi.
nal manuscript, in possession OF the late
Mrs Lee, wife of Gen r. E. Lee:
| PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16. 1794-Y our let
ter, the receipt of which I am now &C
| knowledgng, is written correctly and in
I fair characters, which is an evidence that
| you command, when you please, q fail
hand. Possessed of these advantages, it
will be your own fault if you do not avail
yourself of them, and attention being paid
to the choice Of yorr subjects, you can
have nothing to fear from the malignityof
criticism, and your ideas are lively and
your descriptions agreeable.
Let me touch little now on your George
town ball, and happy, thrice happy, for the
fair who were assembled on the occasion.
that there was man tospare; for had there
been seventy-nine ladies and only seventy.
eight gentlemen, there might in the course
of he evening have been some disorder
among the caps. Notwithstanding the apa-
thy which one of the company entertains
for the youth of the present day. and her
determination never to give herself mo-
ment's uneasiness on account of any OF
| them" A hint here. Men and women feel
the same inclination to each other now
that they always have done, and which
| they will continue to do until there is a
| new order of things, and you. as others have
done, may find, perhaps. that the passions
| of your sex are easier raised than allayed.
Do not therefore, boast too strongly of your
linsensibility to or resistance of its powers
In the composition of the human frame
| there is good deal ofinfammable matter.
and, like an intimate acquaintance of yours
| Ia sister just married), when the torch is
put to it that which is within you may
burst into blaze; for which reason, and
especially. too, as have entered upon the
chapter of advces, will readyou lecture
| drawn from this texte.
| Love is said to be an involuntary pas.
l,sion, and it is therefore commended thai
| it cannot be resisted. This is true in part
only; for, like all things else, when nour
| ished and supplied plentifully with aliment,
1T is rapid i'll its progress; but let these b
| withdrawn and it may be stifed in its
birth or much stinted in it's growth. For
example. a woman, 1.-THE same may be said
of the other sex, all beautiful and accom-
plished, will, while her hand and heart are
undisposed of, turn the heads and set the
circle in which she moves on fire. Let her
marry and what is the consequence? the
madness ceases and all is quiet again.
| Why Not because there IS any diminu-
| ton in the charms of the lady, but because
there is an end of hope. Hence 1t follows
that love may and, therefore, ought to be-,
under the guidance of reason; for, although
we cannot avoid first Impressions, we may
assuredly place them under guard; and my
| motives for treating Gu this subject are to
show you, while you remain Eleanor
Parke GUSTS, spinster, and retain the res
olution to love with moderation, the pro-
priety of adhering to the latter resolution.
at least untl you have secured your game.
and the way by which it may be accom-
plished. When the fire is beginning to
kindle and your heart grows warm. pro-
pound these questions to it.: Who is the
invader? Have 1 competent knowledge of
him? Is he man Of good character, a
man of good sense? For be sure, sensi
BILE woman can never be happy with fool.
What has been his walk in life? Is he a
gambler, spendthrift. a drunkard? Is
! his fortune sufficient to maintain me in the
| manner in which have been accustomed
! to live and my sisters do live? Aud is he
one to whom my friends can have no rea-
sonable objection? If the interrogatories
can be successfully answered there will re-
main but one more to be asked. That,
however, is an important one. Have 1
sufficient ground to conclude that his at
fections are engaged by mef Without
this the heart of senslbility will struggle
against passion that is not reciprocated
-delicacy, custom, or call it by what cpl
tibet you will. having precluded all advan-
ces on your part.
! The declaration, without the most in
direct invitation of yours, must proceed
{ from the man to render it permanent and
valuable, and nothing short of good sense,
and easy, unaffected conduct can draw the
line between prudery and coquetry. 1t
would be no great departure from the
truth to say that 1t rarely happens other
wise than that thorough paced coquette
dies in celebacy as punishment for her
attempts to mlslead others by encouraging
looks, words or actions, given for no other
purpose than to draw men on to make
overtures that they may be rejected.
| Best regards are presented to your
mama, DR.. Stuart and family, and every
! blessing, among which is a good husband
7 when you want and deserve one, is be-
slowed on you by yours. affectionately,
6. WASHINGTON.
KINDNESS from the "Golden
Rule,'' is as true as it is beautiful: .'Who
| ...,, ii a roo1 Lipdpoco opofbor with