The Van Buren press., 1900-02-17
A WASHINGTON STORY.
y u y
Probably Is Not, But Might
Have Been, True.
SSNSNSSSaISSvS aSSlSalS az ~ II
T HAVE Just been reading note fiom

7 HAVE Just been reading note flom
the diary Of Gen. Washington, who
will remain until the crack of doom the
one great, nawless, dignided hero Of the
nation, IL not OF the world. A hero
means one who is a brave gentleman all
the time,
Says Gen. Washingtons diary, June
80, 1885: "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.
time the inquisitve hero worshipers
had been dropping in just about dinner
time to say: How wonderful, really,
Mr.. Washington 1t makes me quite
rhudder TO think of; really and truly it
does. Oh, 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, 1885, must have been; how homelike
at last, when Gen. Washington raised
bis 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
battered what-dd.you.say! The idea!
Why, not young man in old Virginia
has your figure"
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having withdrawn, and they walked to-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
aays leave us in peace, Martha2 How
nice this is. Let's go and look at the
pigs"
There were heaps Of birthday pres
rn,s awaiting his cxeelency, and oil
the jolly black house servants wished
him long life and happiness, and u
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 contrlvancc)
to u baseball, sent the general one, and
every man, woman and child who had
written n book, even II not published,
sent n copy to George Washington. Yes,
everybody sent him u 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 beautl.
ful costly things; but somehow he
slipped to the attic and left all the gifts
Ind looked at the little hatehet his
father had given him years and years
igo, and he said, as he put II back.
when was happier, then or now2'
\ Then the visitors came, very old men,
who told him he could never hope TO live
AZ long as they, for they had eonstliu.
lona Ike IRON, and he must enjoy him
'elf before II was time TO give him
.tnte funerals and very old ladies who
/. had known his father and called him
'Gcorgie," and very young misses who
,rembled SO they could hardly utter the
words OF congratulation they had
"'earncd by heart. And there was one
aanly little rascal who rode'on hls pony
Gearing his grnndfather's compliments,
md pushed straight at the hero, crying.
., "'Gen'ral, grandpa's eompymens,
Nppy returns, mine, too. General, /