The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-11

ing In plain rural colonial home
Her history hovers around IT, She nurs-
ed a hero at her breast. AT her knee
she trained 10 the love and fear OF
God and to the kingly virtues. honor.
truth, and vaior, the lion OF the tribe
that gave 10 America liberty and inde-
peDdence This is her title to renown.
IL is enough. Eternal dignity, and heav-
enly grace dwell upon the brow OF
this blessed mother; nor FURNISHED gold.
nor sculptured stone, nor rhythmic praise
could add one jot or title % her chaste
glory. Tributes 70 the lofty genius which
Is the rare gift of nature. and 10 the
brilliant deeds which are the rare fruit
OF fitting opportunity. fulil a noble func-
tion, but they often excite eXtravagant
emulations that can never he satisfied,
and individualize models that few by
possibility may copy. This tribute is not
TO them. IL Is 10 one who possessed only
ne homely virtues Of her sex; but what is
there I'm human life that can be more
admirable, or bring IL in closer proximity
70 the divine? She was simply a private
citizen. No sovereigns crown rested on
her brow. She did not lead an army.
IKE Joan Of Arc, nor shay a tyrant
like Charlotte Corday. She was not vers-
ed IN letters or I'm arts. She was not an
gale. nor the consort OF hero. like the
mother Of Napoleon. She did not shine
amid the throngs which bow 10 the
charms OF wit. and beauty and hospitaii-
". but in any assembly OF the beautiful,
the brilliant, the powerful or the brave
OF her sex, no form could awaken a holier
sentiment OF reverence than she. and
that sentiment is all the deeper because
she was the unassuning wife and mother
whose kingdom was her family. whose
world was her home. In the shadow and
Tn the silence from day to day and year
to year she followed the guiding star OF
that truth which tells us that "to do
that which before us lies in daily life
is the prime wisdom" She was the good
angel of the hearthstone. the special
! providence Of tender hearts and help
| less hands. content 10 bear her burdens
IN the sequestered vale Of life, her thought
unpetyerted by false ambitions. and all
unlocking FOR the great reward that
crowned her love and toll.
REPRESENTATIVE WOMAN.
But for the light that streamed from
the deeds Of him she bore. we would
doubtless have never heard the name
of Mary Washington, and the grass that
grew upon this grave had not been dis
ential hands. But it does not follow
that She shines only I'm the reflection OF
her offspring fame. Her virtues were
rot created, they were onl. discovered
by the marvellous career Of her illustri-
Gus SON This memorial might, indeed,
be due to her because Of who she was,
but IL is far more due TO her because
OF what she was. II is I'm her own right
and as the type Of her sex. her people.
and her race, that she deserves this
tribute stone.
There were ten thousand Mary Wash
i1gtons among the mothers OF the revo-
luton, and IGNORING her we honor the
motherhood of heroic days and heroic
men. II was I'm his character all sutii-
cient I'm every emergency. that w8s dis
played the overtowering greatness of
George Washington. and f. is not doubted
that this character was toned and shaped
bv his mothers hand. The principles
which he applied 10 a nation were those
simple and elementary truths when she
first imprinted upon his mind in the
discipline OF home.
THE gosE or ErrINO rorEsr.
In Lancaster coInty on the banks II
the Rappahannock where the riNcr
broadens as it blends into the Chesapeake
bay, was Epping Forest, the plantation
home OF Colonel Joseph Ball. and 'here
his youngest child Mary was born, on
the Both Of november, i1O6 The Ban
family was Of sturdy English stock, and
i'm the old country, as In the new, were
neighbors Of the Nashingtons. In the
old White Chapel church, IN Lancaster
are the remains Of many Of this house.
whose tom1Hones bear record OF their
honorable deeds
We catch but single glimpse Of Mary
Ball In ner youth, wnen she was known
as "The Rose of Epping Forest, ana
"Ths Belle of the Northern Neck ana
that Is from an old letter which was
picked up during the war, in deserted
mansion near the York river. IL Is
dated Williamsburg, Ye dh October
l722." u SAYS. "Ame. Bail, OF Lancaster
and her sweet Molly have gone home
Mamma thinks Molly the cOm"liest maid
ON sh. knows. She is about sixteen
years old: Is taller than me- Is very sem
slble and loving Her hair is ike unto
fax Her eyes are the color OF yours,
and her checks are Ike May blossoms. |
wish YOU could see her" This IS all, for
the Signature is lost and the writer IS
unknown.
There is but one letter eXtant written
bv Mary Ball I'm her youth, and IL IS
I'm fair. round, though somewhat cramp-
ed hand She writes therein that I'VE
hov, not had q school-master in our
neiahborhood until now I'm nearly four
wears" but adds: I'VE have now a
young minister living with as who was
educated AZ Oxford who teaches her
sister and herself. and that she Is learn
ing pretty fast The idea has gone oat
that she was ulterate. but this impress
sion has probably been created more by
tbe quaint. Old-fashi0ued orthography
az her composition IN the few letters
which survive than from any other
eourcc II must be remembered that
when she grew UP Virginia was but
feeble colony on the frontier OF civillZa-
tion. with a meager and scattered popu-
lation Of some two hundred thousand
souls: that 10 was before the days OF
schools and newspapers ana postal IA
cuiies. and tnat the standards OF TINS
dav cannot be applied TO H.
The only TWO letters written In her
ola age which are known contain some
errors Of expression. but the hand@rit-
ING rs by no means deficient, and she was
probably as well educated as was Gus
fouiary in her time. and certainly she ex-
hibited no deficiency in qualifications Tor
her duties in lie.
There Is but a single known portrait
TNgNNYNx,