Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-16
SHE cDNvERSED
WITH WASHINGTON.
Mfs.Sarahtiamilton Remarkable
Old Lady.
Stories Of old Colonial Homes A Lady of
the Old school Grows reminiscent and
AZ Tolls OF the Christmas of the Past and
Life Among the High and Low.

q letter from New Castle, Craig
s coun W, a.. and signed e. S. g., says:
MRS MRS. Sarah Hamilton, who was Sc
suddenly taken i'll few weeks ago,
4 mas as quite recovered her usual
health and when some one read her
4 the little sketch of her young days
I she fe was greatly amused and became
reminiscent at once.
Some OF her inquisitive neighbors,
3 Just as a village folk will often do.
: paid her q visit, to test her mental cali
4 pre-, and TO decide for themselves II
i she really could have spoken with lips
7 which had spoken with Washington.
she assumed the attitude to these
Sdoubtins Thomases who never live he
pind nor beyond their own door
stones of the multitudious old slaves
Who progressed to have seen Washing
q Ton put in his "cavort" as one recall
IN my childhood swore solemnly 10 me.
& But there is neither mystery nor ms
representation in the present case OF
Z ancient memory. Mrs. Hamilton came
& to Newcastle about 1855 or 1910, as the
\ wife of the first diplomaed physician
4 ever in this part of the country Or.
Wharton had taken his degree in Phil
q adelpnia. He was u son OF Judge
Wharton, of Bedford county. Dr.. Thos.
( j1 ,s.e wharton, had oroui i,a
-, -, Wharton, ana .,,s ST. Dr
DIX, of Alexandria. VA, who was at
the time of WashinCton's death one of
his surgeons and his family surgeon
before.
1T was in her extreme old age that
4 Mrs. Dix and her adopted daughter,
Nancy lived with Mrs. Dabney
sWhurton in one OF the old colonial
- -. ~ ,,Nly nr n
tetourt county. MS II was then When
i DIR. Thoinas Wharton visited his broth
q ersss fnn,ily in comranv with his young
Wife tfey had the Measure of know
irfe5sthe old rentlewo1nan. Mrs. Dix.
ssba ,,.ss :, sn,oIi .,vor,on Mrs. Ham
iIto,, s,,ys hut ias oriie ms a girl.
sti,n,,,,b ~, e. On voars az nge. She had
ss,,ss,, ,,i,,d Coz thi,tv wears but her
,ss,.,,s ~, ,iia,,t a,d She onpre-
-, a., ,s,,.,,i,ia 10 tho extent
49,, ~. i.nnvode,. to others
a., 4, - ,,e,,,a,,. r,,I ,,,a,ner
WY, ,ir,,a "ory fond Of
y =. - :, ~. ~ -, ia,aif ,ary fond
~ rn; rome eytracts
Il 80. ~, for tho nress
,,,s,,,atnd lie rasearches
~ ~, , ~ ,, - hi;,,J CO Ionp
s,lass,se,,, IT, XII, ,,harn m find the
s,.s-, 800 - ,,archn,ent ~. noner
4 i.na.,.s,., - ~ r.iich bod been
\
2 - - : - =
X OhlfI CHILL
al short time after this Mrs. Dix died.
and the woman she had raised, who,
IN the way. WAS a drift child from Il
!; fureign shin wrecked near Alexandria.
1iid whose name no one ever knew.
B DEED he next day. or same night, from
,srief. and both old ladies--one the mis-
stTass the other faithful servant.
seventy udu-were included in the
same grave That WAS away back In
Tie forties. and Mrs Hamilton sui re-
calls wildly the personalities of each.
When Mrs. Hamilton came TO New
castle she was an educated lady. and
she was OF the old school. when ladies
aid not fashionably go "slumming and
get sup in "meetlng" and harangue
their wicked neighbors or misguided
friends. Still Mrs. Hamilton found
plenty to do in her capacity OF doctor :
wife. and she filed her position with
snIl rnodesty and wisdom and such
dainty dignity as would shame the
hai-liin-scarum young woman III furs
cabins Of the abjectly poor nowadays
is rnanifestiy offensive. For in some
7uUUr cabins in the remote businesses
Z OF s. these mountains people live who
never saw a silver spoon, and the doe
tor had to carry one as strupulously
as his saddle pockets There We're
other simple needfuls that Mrs. Ham
iiton Kept on hand, together With her
wonderful Christian charity and JUS
tice and mercy--so poignant in the
hearts OF the old blue-stocking Presby-
terians OF the Valley When, for in
stance in remote cabin, the cedar
10 ee Se o,I for o thn 70 Sc
arrived Infants velvety skin: and
4ntJ,e,. Snioneer resources always within