The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-17

tNsa~ served In the
library of the Department of State,
are four poems written in his youth;
probably in his seventeenth year. Two
of them are undoubtedly original.
The other two are manifestly copied
from some newspaper or magazine,
perhaps from book, without credit
or reference to Gheir authorship. But
the boy who wrote the other two could
not possibly have written these, as
will be seen by the slightest COM
parison.
One OF the original poems has re.
Gently been discovered to be an acros.
tic, which was fashionable trick of
love making in those days, and the
initial letters of the lines form the
name "Frances Alexa"-the last word
evidently being intended for "Alex.
snder." But the poem is unfinished,
the remainder of the page on which
it is written being blank. The muse
of the youthful poet and lover prob
ably became weary. It reads as fol-
lows:
From your bright sparkling eyes I was
undone;
Rays, you have more transparent than the
sun,
Amidst its glory in the rising Day,
None can you equal in your bright array;
Constant in your calm and unspotted mind;
Equal to all, but will to none Prove kind,
30 knowing, seldom One so Young, you'll
Find.
All! wo's me, that should love and conceal
Long have J. wished, but never dare reveal
Even though severely Loves Pains I feel;
Xerxes that great was Mt free from Cupid's
Dart.
And all the greatest Heroes, feltthe smart"
The traditions of the family indi-
cate that the object of this sAusion WAS
Miss Fanny Alexander, daughter of
Captain Philip Alexander, a descend
ant of the Earl Of Stirling, from whom
the city of Alexandria, Va, was
named. The Captain owned and lived
upon the estate adjoining Mount
Vernon on the north. The young
lady was two years older than Wash.
ington, and was probably his first
love. Nothing is known of their
courtship further than the evidence
furnished by this poem.
"a Journal of MY Journey over the
Mountains" which was kept by Wash.
ington between the 18th of March and
the 18th of April, 174s, when he was a
little more than sixteen years old,
contains a copy, or, perhaps, the
original draft of friendly, and rather
confidential letter to "Dear Friend
Robin, who was undoubtedly ayouth-
full schoolfellow, although he has
never been identified. The original
of this journal is in the library of the
Department of State, having been
discovered by Mr.. Sparks, the his
torian, in 1927, when overhsuling a
chest of cd letters and documents at
Mount Vernon in search OF historical
material. In 1884, with quantity
of other papers, it was purchased by
Congress, and in 1892 was printed
literally with copious and valuable
explanatory notes by DR.. J. NJ. Toner.
the accomplished oracle of Washing
tonia. The letter reads as follows:
My place OF Residence is at present at his
Lordships Lord Fairfax) where might, was
my heart disengaged, pass my time very
pleasantly, as there's very agreeable Young
Lady Lives in the same house (Col. George
Fairfax's Wife's Sister) but as that's only
adding Fuel to fire it makes me more uneasy
for by often and unavoidably being in COM
pany with her revives my former passion for
your Lowland Beauty, whereas was to live
more retired from Young women might in
some measure eliviate my sorrows by bury
ing that chast AMI troublesome Passion In the
grave of oblivion or entarnall forgetfulness
for as I am very we'll assured that's the only
antidote or remedy that ever shall be re-
leived by or only recess that can administer
any cure or help to me as am well convinced
was ever to attempt anything should only
get denial which would be only adding
grief to uneasiness
The sister of Mrs. Fairfax, who re-
vived "a former passion" in this youth
of sixteen, Was Miss Mary Cary, the
daughter of Colonel Wilson Cary, for
thirty-four years collector OF customs
at Hampton, Va, and for the lower
James River. He wac man of large
wealth and aristocratic connections,
his eldest daughter having married
the cousin of Lord Fairfax and the
manager OF his American estates, which