St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-05-15
Washington's Courtship.


tier, Washington rode straight upon
an adventure he had not looked for.
He was within few hours ride of
the little capital; old plantation lay
close upon the way; neighborly
homes began to multiply; and so
striking horseman, riding uni,
formed and attended, could not
thereabouts 60 far unrecognized. He
was waylaid and hailed to dinner,
despite excuses and protests of pub
lie business calling for despatch.
There was churming woman to be
seen at the house, his friend told him,
il good dinner was not argument
enough-and his business could not
spoil for an hours stay in agreeable
company. And so, of a sudden,
under constraint of Virginian hospi-
tally, he was hurried into the pres.
ence of the gracious young matron
who was at once, and as if of right,
to make his heart safe against fur
Their quest or adventure. Martha
Gusts was but six-and-twenty. To
the charm of youth and beauty were
added that touch Of quiet sweetness
and that winning grace of self
possession which come to woman
wived in her girlhood, and widowed
before age or care has checked the
first full tide of life. At seventeen she
had married Daniel Park Curtis, a
man more than twenty years her
senior; but eight years of quiet love
and duty as wife and mother had
only made her youth the more gra.
cious in that rural land of leisure
and good neighborhood; and a
years widowhood had been but
suitable preparation for perceiving
the charm of this stately young SOL
der who now came riding her way
upon the public business. His age
was her own; all the land knew him
and loved him for gallantry and
brave capacity; he carried himself
like prince-and he forgot his
errand to linger in her company.
Dinner was soon over, and his horse
at the door; there was the drilled
and dutiful Bishop, trained servant
that he was, leading his restless and
impatient charge back and forth
within sight of the windows and OF
the terrace where his young colonel
tarried, absorbed and forgetful ;
man and beast alike had been
in the service of the unhappy
Braddock, and might seem to
walk there lively memorials of duty
done and undertaken. But dusk
came; the horses were put up; and
the next morning was well advanced
before the distracted young officer
got at last to his saddle, and spurred
on belated to Williamsburgh. His
business concerned the preparations
then afoot for General Forbes
advance upon Duquesne, II came
here at this critical juncture," said
Washington to the President of the
Council, "by the express order Of Sir
John St. Clair, to represent in the
fullest manner the posture of our
affairs at Winchester" - lack of
clothes, arms and equipage, lack of
money, lack of wise regulations
touching rank and discipline.
General Forbes had been in Phila-
delphia a month already, awaiting
the formation of his army in Vir.
ginia; Sir John st. Clair, his quarter
master-general, had come into the
province to see that proper plans
were made and executed; it was
necessary that matters should be
pressed forward very diligently aud
at once; and Washington, when once
at the seat of government, was not
slack to urge and superintend official
action. But, the troublesome business
once in proper course, he turned back
to seek Mrs. Gusts again, this time
at her own home, ere he went the
long distance of the frontier. The on
set was made with soldiers prompt
ness and audacity. He returned to
his post, after delay too slight to
deserve any reasonable mans remark,
and yet with a pledge given and
taken which made him look forward
to the end of the campaign with a
new longing as to the winning of a
real home and an unwonted hap
piness.
The campaign dragged painfully
far into the drear autumn. Deem.
Der had come before the captured
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