Middletown transcript., 1883-02-23
George Washington.
PREDATORY;

George Washington.
: PREDATORY.
: The writer has long intended to prepare
brief biography Of the late George Wash
} ington, widely known as the Father of his
Country, whose birthday we have JUS
celebrated, each in a manner after his own
heart. We are aware that most excel
, lent and extended biography of Mr.. Wash
J ington, from the immortal pen Of Irving
already exists, and we trust that all young
readers of the TRANSCRIPT who have the
opportunity, and have not already done
so, will peruse that great work, for they
cannot peruse it except with much plea
sure and profit to themselves. But we
feel that there is room for still another BIZ
ography Of George-a biography on alittle
different plan from that of Mr.. Irving
and, therefore, we have written it. That
is, we have written the first chapter of it
and shall go on with it as the spirit moves
us until we have reached the end, or the
end has reached US, and our labor shall be
a labor of love. One thing we want to tell
you right now, dear reader, so that you
may not hereafter be deceived, this is to be
solemn history of George Washington.
This is subject that will admit OF no
trifiing.
CHAPTER 1.
George Washington, the Paternal An
cestor Of his Country, was born in West
morland county, Virginia, on the twenty
second of February, 1872. He is with us
no more, but he has left us his birthday.
Only great men leave their birthday be-
hind them when they die; common NOR
tails take their birthday with them. You
had noticed this, perhaps, before we called
your attention to it. His own birthday is
one of the very few things a mean man
can take with him when he goes away out
of the world, and it is as well one of his
very few things that he is entirely willing
to leave behind. George was a great and
good man, therefore, to repeat, he has left
us his birthday.
In the times when George was born,
names were scarcer than they are now,
so his father called him simply " George"
and this was a sensible thing for his father
to do. How would it sound, dear reader,
to say that George William Henry Wash
ington was the Father of his Country? Or
that William Henry George Washington
was a great and good man? Or that the
birthday Of w. Henry George Washington
was approaching? That would sound sort
of flat, now, wouldn't it? Here is a sub
ject worthy the attention of fathers and
mothers. Let us be saving of names for
fear we will not have enough to go round.
For, in the earlier stages of matrimony,
the wisest of men cannot tell just how
many names will be needed in the family,
and it seems better to be sparing of them.
And besides, the names of great men
seem to sound so much better for their
brevity. Think Of calling the immortal
Bard Of Avon, William Henry Shakes
peare! Think of referring to the great
American orator as Daniel John Thomas
Webster! Think Of speaking of the man
who said in that impressive style of his,
" Give me Liberty, or giUe me Railroad
Sandwich % as Patrick Peter Henry
But to return to George.
Before the infant George had cut his
first teeth coal flew out of the fireplace
one night and the house of Augustine
Washington, his father, went upin smoke.
But he had another house on the Kappa |
hammock, short distance below Freder-
icksburg, and there he went, taking with |
him, of course, the feather beds that had |
during the fire been carefully carried |
down stairs and the pieces Of family wash
bowl and looking-glass that had been cast |
out of the second-story window. We are |
not sure that there was a second-story |
window to Mr.. Washington's Westmor-
land house, but if one was omitted it was
the fault of the architect, and it is the |
province of the truthful historian to supply
all omissions. We purpose supplying in
this brief biography Of the Father of his
Country many omissions. 1t is labor of
love with US, in this instance, to supply
omissions.
In his infancy, George had at various
times one hundred and forty-two colored
nurses, Some of our younger readers
may doubt this, but let us say to them
IlAlb AOICy IL blOJ Cet1AOO IL hog Ao VII
early in this our greatest biographical
work, they had better stop right at this
line and turn to another part of this paper.
We say that George Washington had at
various times during his infancy one hun
dred and forty-two colored nurses, and by
that statement we are willing to have our
reputation as truthful historian stand or
fall.
During the past hundred years these
once-faithful nurses have been dropping
off one by one, and to-day, alas but few of
them are left. Every now and then Father
Time clips one of them down, and the
vigilant newspaper reporter writes feel
ingly of the virtues and patient life-trials
Of the faithful, ripe old departed nurse.
Probably within the next fifty years there
will not be left on the face of this earth
a colored woman who nursed George
Washington in his infancy. Dear reader,
this is almost too sad to think of, but let
us take comfort in the assurance that we
shall still have with us a few Of his faithful
old body servants But they are going
too. Georges old body servants are also
falling by the restless scythe of Time, and
we can hardly hope that more than two or
three of them can be held over to the end
Of another century.
ITO be COntinued.)
Death of an Estimable Young Man.
4 Charles A. Knotts son Of the late Will |
liam Knots, died of pneumonia at his