St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-28
TOPICAL TALK.

I have Sc metimes thought that MARTHA
WASHINGTON, like JOBS wife, has suffered
because OF the very great prominence given
to her husbands exalted virtues. Her place
in history as the mother of her country has
never been as firmly established as the facts
warranted, and would like to see this histor-
ical injustice remedied. The truism that
man is what his wife makes him perhaps
never had more faithful illustration than in
Gen. WAsHINGToN's case. The accepted idea
that MARTHA WASHINGTON was a meek, sub
missive little woman, whose only delight was
to do the will of her lord and master, is I'M
just to both herself and her husband. Gen.
WASHINGTON would never have loved
woman of cringing nature, and such
woman could not have been the educator of
man with such sterling qualities.
TTr
Some years ago. while visiting in the
neighborhood of Alexandria, Va. gathered
some local traditions concerning the WASH
INGToN family which greatly exalted the
mistress of Mount Vernon in my estimation
1t is tue these traditions came to me second
handed, but as l got them from the children
of parents who lived in the time of WASH
INGToN, and in the immediate neighbor-
hood of Mount Vernon, l find no
reason to question their accuracy I
popularity in the community than her Illus
trious husband. In local parlanee she was
described as being "a good neighbour as
those who have lived in a rural community
know what that signifies She was sociable
with the families who lived on adjacent
plantations. She was a frequent visitor 10
their houses, and according to the custom OF
the times she always took her knitting and
spent the day when she paid a visit to a
neighbours house Where there was sickness
in the community she was promptly on hand
to offer her services as a nurse If there was
a case of restitution she was ALWAYS among
the first to furnish food and clothing, and it
is said that many basketful of supplies
went from the back door of the Mount Yer
non mansion on its way to lonely homes
that General WASHINGTON never knew any.
thing about Thus in thousand and one
ways, by little acts of kindness, she endeared
herself to the community, and to-day her
memory is sweet incense to the descend
ants of the people whom she befriended
fIH
But what was most interested IN was list
ening to stories of MARTHA WAsHINGToN's
domestic life. She was veritable queen in
her home, and no one recognized her posi-
ton more readily than her own husband. AS
is known, she was a young widow when she
married Lord FAIRFAX's surveyor. There is
local tradition that when WASHINGTON
made formal proposal of marriage to the
Widow GUSTS she talked frankly to him. She
told him that she admired him and believed
she would always have reason to respect
him; she would give him her hand, but her
heart was buried in the grave of her first love.
In after years she told neighbor woman. in
confidence, she had lived to learn that there
was such thing as second love. MARTHA
WASHINGTON was not a cultured woman;
and, i'll fact, she had very little taste for lit
erary pursuits. She was a home body,
who loved her home above all earthly things,
and who considered that woman's sphere
of usefulness was in giving charm to the
home circle. She had an aversion 20 all
forms Of social display. and the severest trial
of her life was when she was called upon to
maintain the dignity of her husbands posi-
lion when he was president. byappearing at
the public receptions in full dress. One day
of domestic comfort III the home at Mount
Vernon was worth more to her than life.
time of official glamour.
1fT
Aad yet was told that Mrs. WASHINGTON
always manifested the deepest concern
about her husbands public life. She was as
much of a patriot as he. and during the