The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-22
WASHINGTON WAS A MOTHERS BOY.

George Washington ''mother's boy
When he child his father died. leaving George
the eldest of the family.
From that time until her death Mary Washington
the teacher companion and intimate friend of her
Upon his character she left the imprint of her
George In every but at the great crises
OF his his conduct and decisions eloquent of
the mothers influence.
He mothers boy
John Ball, in England $50 years before the birth of
George Washington in Virginia, met his death the
scaffold for champoning the rights of man under Wat
Tyler.
From John Ball came line of soldiers But they were
champions of the weak rather than eutenants of royalty
True, they served their king but when the established
order and the sanctty of property and the privilege of
the few into conflict with the natural gifts Of the
manythe common peope-the descendants of John Ball
served their God and their feowman frst-and the king
afterwards.
They tell us that Mary Ball Washington descend
ant of John Ball, who died at the end of rope
When her husband died, Mary Washington consecrated
her life to the education and upbrngng of her six chill
dren and especially to her sturdy rsborn George then
only 10 years old.
When George arrived at the age of 16 he wanted to
run away just all boys do He wanted to Ego to
sea-, just boys nowadays dream of being Indian fight
But the mother love held him to home and humdrum
duty He his mothers boy, and he didn't away.
When the time to choose between the splendid
service of the king and the prvatons of the colonial
vice, it was the feminine spirit of selfsacrfce that made
the harder lot appear the only way
When the pitifu struggle dragged and on, men s
told them that the contest hopeless Might
would crush right The congress of the colonies turned
the feminine instinct that gave the lie to mans reason,
and kept George Washington in the field. With hungry
handful of troops he fought and just his mother
would have him do. Just wOmankind has been doing
since the world began
When the ended it passed masculine virtue for
Washington to quietly withdraw, pick up the thread Of
his country life, and the quiet routine Of the
farmer.
Could Caesar stop in the very foodtide of his success
set aside CROWN master growing ambition and quietly
retire from the center of the world stage? No, but
Washington could, because he was mothers boy What
true will not set aside the gores of conquest for
the peace and joy of home life?
All through the speeches and letters of Washington
show the womany influence Of Mary. His intuition pro-
jeced his mind and his craftsmanship far into the future
Often he could gve-Or at least did give-lttle
for his conclusions but they marvelousy correct.
Many of the wise of his day thought George Wash
ngton stupid Rather he had the feminine faculty of
seeking to do what at the moment to be the right
thing rather than the wise thing And that though it
takes the highest courage is after ALL the wisest thing
to do
Four months after Washington became the first pres
dent his mother died. aged IS years. For half century
she had guided her faheress boy and in that time the
silent part she played in the building of this nation
probably the greatest part played by any other single
human being.
For the Father of His Country Mothers Boy.
ONE EXTREME VERSUS ANOTHER