Willmar tribune., 1900-02-21
A WASHINGTON. STORY.
- ~ -
-'' ,sis5lA%S7
Probably Is Not, But Might
I :. Have Been, True.


nation, if not of the world. A hero
means one who is brave gentleman all
the time.
Says Gen. Washington's diary, June
30, 1855: "Dined with only Mrs. Wash
ington, which believe is the first in
stance of it since my retirement from
public life" That was is months after
coming home from his victorious wars.
Think of the horror of it! For all that
time the inquisitive hero worshipers
had been dropping in just about dinner
time to say: ''How wonderful, really,
Mr.. Washington! 1t makes me quite
shudder to think of; really and truly it
does. Oh, I must kiss your hand!" And
poor George would have to be polite and
ask them to stay for dinner.
How cozy that little dinner on June
30, 17S5, must have been; how homelike
at last, when Gen. Washington raised
his glass and said: Martha, my love,
your health. That ribbon becomes you
vastly. You look too young for bat
tered old hulk like me-"
George" said Mrs. Washington,
"don't dare talk like that! You a
battered what-did-you-say! The idea!
Why, not young man in old Virginia
has your fgure.''
Then she got up and came round the
table and kissed him, the cupbearers
having Withdrawn, and they walked to-
gether in the gentle summer afternoon,
and his excellency said, as he gathered
some cherries: "Why can't people al
ways leave us in peace, Martha? How
nice this is. Let's go and look at the
pigs"
There were heaps of birthday pres
ents awaiting his excellency, and all
the jolly black house servants wished
him long life and happiness, and
table was weighed down with 5000
birthday poems from the 5000 most
promising poets in the country, and
there was heap of newspapers with
marked editorials in his praise, and
every man who had ever invented any
thing, from clockwork clambaker "a
most curious and amusing contrivance)
to baseball, sent the general one, and
every man, woman and child who had
written book, even if not published,
sent copy to George Washington. Yes,
everybody sent him present and
wished him joy, and most of them
wished something for themselves in re-
turn.
Certainly George Washington should
have been happy with all these beauti-
full, costly things; but somehow he
slipped to the attic and left all the gifts
and looked at the little hatchet his
father had given him years and years
ago, and he said, as he put it back:
"When was happier, then or now?"
Then the visitors came, very old men,
who told him he could never hope to live
as long as they, for they had constitu-
tions like iron, and he must enjoy him
self before it was time to give him a
state funeral; and very old ladies who
had known his father and called him
'"Georgie," and very young misses who
tremb1ed so they could hardly utter the
words of congratulation they had
Learned by heart. And there was one
manly little rascal who rode on his pony
bearing his grandfather's compliments,
and pushed straight at the hero, crying:
"Gen'ral, grandpa's compymens,
happy returns, mine, too. General, I
want to know, grandpa says you're
hero, and I want to be hero, too, when
I'm growed up. Can't I, please? Grand
pa says not to talk nonsense. 1t isn't
nonsense, is it, general? Can't 1 be
hero when I'm growed big?''
Big Washington stopped and lifted
the child-did you ever know a hero
that didn't love children ?-and kissed
his cheek and whispered:
"None of us can be great or good
without Gods blessing. To be hero
you must be good as great. So pray
first and always that God will make
you good"
The little enthusiast looked deep and
grave into the generals eyes, suddenly
kissed the kind mouth hard, said: II
will,'' and, sliding down, rode off with
his sgroom-alwaysa better man for that
caressing whisper.
When it was still long from the state
~ festival dinner George Washington
slipped away from the crowd at the
house and wandered off by himself,
though with great dread that some pale
young man should jump out from
bush and fire birthday ode at him.
Now he was off Mount Vernon'farm,
and by lane away from the main road.
In the corner of the lane, in most de-
serted, newly-cleared spot, about so
feet back in the bushes, was the new
est of tiny cottages, with unpainted
walls, and rough timbers, and a newly
laid-out garden at the back. George
Washington looked from the wood
through which he was wandering, and
paused.
THAT was not there when had time
before the war to run about" said he.
''Who can they be? They're not A.
ricaDs. Oh, no!''
For from the house came a bright
voice that was certainly Virginian.
"Now, jack" said the voice, you
must not be so lazy, because there is
ever so much to do before father comes
home"
Il amt lazy, Martha.'' said another
voice, Enthusiastically the shrill one of
Il boy. "I'm doing what dad said
I'm looking after you and protecting
you.'
"Oh, Jack, do you call eating rails
ins and sitting on the table protecting
me?'
well, it is. If anyone was to come
round now to hurt you, even King
George himself, wouldn't be ready to
kill him?" ''. .'