The St. Johns herald., 1899-03-11
FARMER WASHINGTON.
Em p1oyInents (Which Our First Pres ideht Passed His Declining Years.

ideht Passed His Declining Years.
 "Grandpapa is very well, and much
 pleased with being once more Farmer
 Washington" wrote Nelly Custisr
 March 19, 1797, four days after Wash
 ngton and his family had arrived at
 Mount Vernon. John Adams had been
 naugurated President and Thomas Jef-
 :erson Vice-President, and Washington
 lad been present at the scene. After President Adams had delivered his speech and taken the oath of office, he retired. Then there was a little scene which illustrated WashingtOn's appre- ciatiOn of good form. Vice-President Jefferson, instead of retiring from the
 nall immediately after President Ad- ans, waited for the eX-President to fol-
 Ow his successor; but Washington, a l master of courtesy, insisted on the Vice Presidents preceding him. Reluctant
 y Jefferson yielded.
 John Adams wrote to his wife that Washington seemed to enjoy triumph over him. "Methought 1 heard him say, Ay! I am fairly out and you fairly
 n! See which of us will be happiest! In the chamber was a multitude-and believe scarcely a dry eye but Wash .ngton's."
 Farmer Washington began at once re pairing the Mount Vernon mansion, sur rounding himself with masOns, joiners and painters. He wrote to his old friend, Oliver WOlcott:
 "To make and sell little four annu- ally, to repair houses (going fast to ruin), to build one for the security of my papers of a public nature, and to amuse myself in agriculture and rural pur- suits, will constitute employment for the few years I have to remain on this terrestrial globe"
 'T begin my diurnal course with the sum-" he writes to his former Secretary of War, James McHenry; eff my hire lings are not in their places at that time I send them messages of sorrow for their indispositiOn. Having put these wheels in motion, examine the state of things further; the more they Ire probed, the deeper I find the wounds which my buildings have sustained by an absence and neglect of eight years.
 By the time 1 have accomplished these matters breakfast Ia little after seven o'clock) is ready; this being over, mount my horse and ride round my farms, which employs me until 1t is time to dress for dinner, at which I carely miss seeing strange faces, come IS they say out of respect for me. Pray would not the word curiosity answer as we'll? And how different this from having a few social friends at cheer iul boardI
 'The usual time of sitting at table, a walk and tea, bring me within the dawn of candlelight; previous to which, if not prevented by company, I resolve that, as soon as the glimmering taper supplies the place of the great luminary, [ will retire to my writing table and acknowledge the letters I have receiv- ed; but when the lights are brought feel tired and disinclined to engage in | this work, conceiving that the next | night will do as well. The next night 1 comes, and with 1t the same causes for postponement, and so on. Having given you the history of day, it will serve for year."
 At no period of my life," he writes ! again, "have been more engaged than | In the last six or eight months"
 Housekeepers will appreciate this la- nfent: "The running off of my cook Ca Slave) has been a most incOnvenient thing to this family, and what rendered It more disagreeable is that I had re- solved never to become the master of another slave by purchase, but this res ,lution I fear I must break I have to hire, black or white, but m not yet supplied"