The Ottawa free trader., 1886-02-20

them honor For fifteen successive years
Washington was a member of the legislature
OF his state His wife always acconpanlbI
him to William. burg then the caNital OF
Virginia And 80, tIeadmg on flowers, time
slipred away uosclessly for & csc happy peo
pie. Then came timo at last whnn tol
ei hit wears the com OF cannon AMI the roar
ot musketry shook every home IN the Land
The happy family nt Mt. Yer on suffered
disruption with the rest, for its head was
the header Of the o,d Continentals. who fal-
ter .t not
Every year in October Mrs Washington,
loaded with supp les. visited her husband in
camr and spent the winter with HIM. Each
wear she hoped would end the war and con
c,ule h ) 'opL Absence At last, wien peace
Vas doclrcd aud the country for which the
fa rs fought became really their own,
Washington was once more cilIe from his
HON, to rs Ume the presidential char, which
he filed conscicut!ous!y for eight years and
;teu ie used thirl nomination
The seat of government was then in New
York Tn, yrasid nrs house was elegantly
iIrui,bcI and almost as formally coudu Ted
as the home Of king. Mrs. Washington
was an aris ocrat by nature, and, III accord
ance with the custom Of the times, CON
Quoted her rcCeptiOnS after the manner oi
English aud French drawing rooms. The
Republican court then located ut No.
Franklin square, Now York, called together
the most elegant and estim bio OF the
country. Very diT rent from tho present
mothol Of receiving the puulic were those
receptions The mot rigid rules governed
them, aud access was not easy. Dress, too,
was n consideration. Ger ain requirement:
in hat particular must ho observed.
The second year OF Washlngton's admin
istration tho seat OF government was re
moved. 10 Tniadelnh,a, where he sam
ceremony was observed III the management
of the ure idents household as ut New York
The house chosen WIS on Market street be
tween Fifth and Sixth, on the south side
and it was handsomely furnished No hou'
was provided for the p esident by the gov
ernmeut then, as now. The first plesideh
| rented and furnished his own
Mrs. Washington held her receptions, oil
| drawing rooms, rs they were called, on Fri
| day evening Of each week. The guest
! assembled early, and left before lO:H
These occasions sre said 10 have been eX
cecSiingly stiff, oomn and awkward. III
atmo ptere of awful dignity that radiate'
| from the great Wash ngton rather over
poaerrd the guests II was nm honor to b
| admitted. hut It. wa also IA fearful triu /
any addicted 10 paturalne's ot mann o
! bUOyancy OF Spui,I
! The lady Of the mansion sat at tho hen
! of the room, and the guests were placed in
circle around which the president passed
| speaking ceremOniously to each one. Their
| is nothing TO tell US what MIR, NashinSto
| wore on these occasions, or how she looked
! The society reporter had not then been II
! vented, as il was the age OF bronze, n,
| tiuseL We know, however, that tho pres
| dent powdered his hair and never oi:erc
! his hand to any Of hi- guess aud that b
wore the oil Continental uniform
| At this time Mr.. Washington was IS year
| old, as Was the genera, 10th having bee
! born in the same year. Mrs Washington
! children, Martha ari John Parke oustt
were cherished and guided ty NashinSto
as tenderly as II the had been his owl
| Both died after reayhius maturlty. Ih
son, who was colonel in Warrington
army. was married sui left wi'loS an
four children Washir ton ioptei two {
the children at once nnl rearei them VII
| the most cOnsc ent Gus care.
| Washington died 90 Dec. II, i'n. st
| slrned from the cham r thlt held hi dea
form, never to enter IL Tgln. Iui> vas u
last event Of her life. Thirty months latei
IN the pring Of lSJi, at the age Of 40, she
too, slipped out of life, leaving q LOOK
! peace On her dead feature.