The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-04-27

The monument Will StanQ near Ine
rock shown il the picture and overlook
the former bed of the Rappahannock.
Twenty thousand dollars have already
been collected for the monument fund
from various States of the Union, Vir-
ginia having donated $1,000 of that sum.
To Mrs. Pryor, one of the Vice.Presi.
dents of the association, belongs the
credit of having set the ball rolling.
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison. Mrs. Levi P.
Morton, Mrs. Nicholas Fish and Mrs.
Spencer Trask guaranteed their patron
age to Mrs. Pryor for any entertainment
she might plan for this purpose. The
latter is a stately Virginia lady, whose
resemblance to Mary Washington is so
striking that she was selected to imper-
senate her at the colonial ball given last
summer at White Sulphur Springs. On
that occasion Mrs. Pryor wore kerchief
or needle point and cap which belonged
to the mother of Washington. From her
throat dangled a medallion containing
painted miniature of the General. These
relics, furnished by the ladies of Fred
ericksburg, were secured from some OF
Mary Washington's descendants.
Mary Ball was born at Epping Foress,
in that part of the Old Dominion known
as the Northern Neck. The brave old
manor.h house Is yet standing. Mary Ball
was beauty and belle, and was known
far and wide as ''the Rose of Epping
Forest" The portrait herewith, which
has never before been published and
which represents her ar the age OF
eighteen, is from an original painting
taken in England, and now in the pos
session of one of her defendants, Mrs.
BENJAMIN Story, of New Orleans. The
authenticity Of this picture is discussed
and established by Losing in his "Mary
and Martha Washington"
We owe Mary Washington a good
deal. Not only did she give us George
but she preserved him to fight our bat
ties for US. But for. her wisdom and
spirit he would have passed his youth
upon the deck of q British man-of-war.
Colonel Lawrence Washington procured
for his half-brother, when not quite
fourteen years of age, a midshipman's
warrant in the British navy, and Georges
luggage was actually on board British
ship in the Potomac when Madam Wash
ington forbade his going. Let your i'm
agination run riot for moment and
fancy George in scarlet coat whistling
.sGod Save the King"
The entire current of the nations
history would have been turned by a
mothers weakness. The nation owes
the mother of Washington an endless
debt and suitable monument to mark
her last resting place.
Mrs. Ella Bassctt Washington says in
a Century article that those who remem.
bered Mary W.shington's appearance in
the later years of her life describe her
person as being of medium size and we'll
nroportioned, the dignity Of bearing, the
erect carriage, giving something ofs!ate-
Illness to her presence, while her features
were regular and strongly marked, her
brow fine and her eyes Il clear blue.
At Fredericksburg, on the day OF her
funeral, all business was suspended,
and, though the August sun shoue hot,
crowds of citizens from town and the
country around "througed st. Georges
Church, = where the impressive
funeral service Of the Protestant Episco-
pal Church of America was con-
Quoted by the Rev. Thomas Thornton,
her pastor" And then, borne revercntly
in her coffin by stong men, the mortal
remains OF Mary Washington were con-