The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13
A Romance Of a Century Ago

the Capitol as if the weight of state ques-
tlons had been for this one hour entrust-
ed to their wise deliberations. Washing
ton, the mighty yet imam bilious hero of
the time, while yet the idol of the pub
lie heart, was on this day to lay down his
laurels by resigning to Congress his
commission of commander-in- chief of the
brave little army whose triumphs he
had directed and whose sufferings he had
shared.
Accompanied by his aides, Colonel
Benjamin Walker and Colonel David
Humphreys, and the officers appointed
as escort, Washington entered the hall
where the assembled Congress awaited
him, every manly voice among the spec
tators cheering, and every feminine kerr
chief waving an enthusiasm of approval
and welcome; but the cheers were hushed
into breathless silence by the first words
of the great hero's dignifed address, to
which General Miff1in, as President of
the Senate, made an eloquent and ap-
propriate reply.
On Washingtons left stood the valiant
soldier Colonel John Eager Howard, of
Mary land, and facing Colonel Howard,
conspicuous among the foremost group
of Senators, was General Read, of South
Carolina, the hero of this short legend
of by-gone love. How little did either
OF these young men, strangers to one
another, dream of the day to come when
a son and daughter of each were to be-
come husband and wife to the daughter
and son of the other.
Many were the men whose names were
already distinguished, OF to become his
toric, who were present, either as men,
bers of Congress or spectators of the inn
pressive scene. Madison, Jefferson,
Monroe; Lee, of Virginia; Osgood, of
Massachusetts,; Morris, of Pennsylvania,
McComb, of Delaware, and General
Ohio Williams, Generals Smith and
Swan, of Maryland The well-known
Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, was ac-
companied by his two daughters, one of
whom was afterward, as Mrs. Cation,
mother to the trio of celebrated beauties
who became respectively Lady Stafford
the Marchioness of Wellesley, and the
the Duchess of Leeds.
But absorbing as was the attention
given to Washington by the august as
semblage of heroes and patriots, who
recognized in him the greatest hero and
patriot of any, the young Cerolinian's
eyes wandered up to the gallery above,
where Mrs. Washington, with her grand
children at her knee. was seated in all
the dignity and legitimate pride Of the
wife who crowns herself with her hus-
bands glory.
Grouped around her were the three
Calvert sisters, Maryland's blood royal, !,
the family Of Lord Baltimore; and never
was the fame of Maryland beauty better
maintained than by the contrasting love-
illness of the youngest, Miss Ariana Cal
vert, with the more brilliant charms of
her elder sisters, who had been espousod
during the perils of the war, both on the
same evening, the one by Washington's
stepson, Parke Curtis, and the other by
Mr.. George Stuart, of Maryland.
1t is told of these gentlemen that each
received the announcement of the birth
of q son-born on the same day, o year
after the marriages on the battle
field.
But it was not the rich bloom or dark
eyes of the beautiful young matrons
which SO riveted the attention of the
young Southerner that even the sublime
presence of Washington was for time
forgotten. To his eyes the youngest Sis
up at the unconscious young girl until
buc AklCuu ~ LID CAOOWt IxAks O0IiSo XAOu-
roe-too thorough Virginian not to re-
cognize the phenomina of love at first
whispered her name in his ear and
the offer to present him before the lady
quilted Annapolis town for home in the
country. The offer was gratefully 40
cepted, and ere the winter was half over
Miss Calvert was affisnced to her eager
and snraptured young lover; but not,
alas! with the entire consent and appro-
baton of her family and friends, and
thence arose the cloud which darkened
the horizon of this love legend.
As usual, the passion youth deifes.
age coldly ignored. The Carolinian was
wealthy, of prominent position and good
birth, and Of distinguished education;
but the lady was threatened with de-
cline. She was also the youngest dar-
ling of the household; her sisters had
married SO well, yet remained in their
midst; and her family grew more and
more reluctant that this comparative
stranger should bear away their tender
and fragile flower to his fav-of Southern
home, to pine away, and die perhaps.
out Of sight and hearing of those who
had loved her from her cradle; and the
angered lover saw the feeble health Of
his lady-love give way under the conflict
Of duty with feeling, until she became
indeed ssriously III.
But the passionate 6outherner was not
TO have the woman Of his heart granted