The Wilmingtonian., 1886-02-20

them honor For fifteen successive years
Washington was member of the legislature
of his state. His wife always accompanied
him to Williamsburg, then the capital of
Virginia And so, treading on flowers, time
slipped away noiselessly for these happy peo-
pie. Then came a time at last when for
eight years the boom OF cannon and the roar
of musketry shook every home in the land
The happy family at Mt Vernon suffered
disruption with the rest, for its head was
the leader the old Continentals, who fall
tered not
Every year in October Mrs. Washington,
loaded with supplies visited her hus band in
camp and spent the winter with him. Each
year she hoped would end the war and CON
clude his long absence At Inst, when peace
was declared and the country for which the
fathers fought became really their own,
Washington was once more c illel from his
homs to assume the presidential chair, which
he filed conscientiously for eight years and
then refused u thirl nomination
The seat of goveTnncu vas then IN New
York. tn president house wa, el gult'y
furnished, and almost as formally conducted
tne home OF king. Mrs Washington
was an ars' a. by nRturc and, IN accord
ancc with tho custom Of the times, con-
English and French drawing rooms The
Republican court then lnca ed at No 8
Franklin squire, New Work. called together
the most elegant ami cs,impble of the
country Very diff rent from the present
method of receiving the pI lie We're those
receptions The most rigid rules governed
them, and access was not easy. Dress, too
was consideration Certain requirements
in that particular must lie observed
The second year of Washingtons admin.
istEation the seat OF government was re-
moved TO Philadelphia, where the same
ceremony was observed in the management
of the presidents household as at New York.
The house chosen was on Market street, be.
tween Fifth and Sixth, on the south side,
and it was handsomely furnished. No house
was provided for the president by the gov.
ernment then, as now. The first president
rented and furnished his own
Mrs. Washington held her receptions, or
drawing rooms, rs they were called, on Fri
day evening of each week. The guests
assembled early, and left before 1890
These occasions are said to have been ex.
ceedingly stiff, solemn and awkward. The
atmosphere of awful dignity that radiated
from the great Washington rather over.
powered the guests. 1t was an honor to be
aunllltetlt bul IL WAS also le0rlul tIlal To
any addicted to naturalness of mann.r or
buoyancy of spirits
The lady Of the mansion sat at the head
of the room, and the guests were placed in a
circle around which the president passed
speaking tremendously to each one There
is nothing to tell us what Mrs Washington
wore on these occasions, or how she looked,
The society reporter had not then been in.
vented, as it was the age of bronze, no,
tiusel We know however, that the presi,
dent powdered his hair and never offered
his hand 10 any of his guests, and that he
wore the old Continental uniform
At this time Mrs. Washington was IS years
old, as was the general, both having been
born in the same year Mrs. Washington's
children, Martha and John Parke Gusts,
were cherished and guided by Washington
as tenderiy as if they had been his own.
Both died after reaching maturity. The
son, who was a colonel in Washington's
army, was married, and left widow and
four children. Washington adopted two OF
the children at once, and reared them with
the most conscientious care
Washington died on Dec. II, 1893. She
turned from the chamber that held his dead
sorm, never to enter it again This was the
.ast event Of her life Thirty months later.
in the pring OF 1901, at the age of 20, she,
too, slipped out of life, leaving look OF
peace en- her dead features.