The state herald., 1909-02-19
49zZesl;3E5s
8WS TyNT VILLAGE
lsf 6RING7DN, ENGLAND
s~Ess %

the burdens OF the presidency, leit Nasmhs'oi
with ,he simple instincts and habits oil the couh-
ty magnate and man OF business ne NIo'o " "
friend I'm those latter days that he had found MI
ye,non i'm need of careful attention ON his return
from IN. army Friends were welcome, but they
must eNpect simple fare-a bit OF mutton ana
rluss of wine were all the table boasied. ishter
still after Washington had definitely laid aside
the cares of state. Col. Darlington found at MI
Vernon stIlI marked simplicity The veteran upon
the occasion of Carringion's visit went To bed ht
midnight instead of nine o'clock, extending MS
time three hours In honor of his guest Mrs.
Washington always spoke of her Official HE win
it's eyees and formnlity her lost days ana
Mrs Darlington found her IN her own rooms win
a chambermaid knitting In one corner. ana ntue
negress learning TO sew In another. The first lady
Of the White House was even then knitting gloves
and stockings for friends and dependents. II was
Of this period or perhaps few years earlier. that
an English actor tells a pleasant story. He was
ON the public road somewhere near MI vernon
when n priv<te coach was upset. The occupants.
n fine lady and her escort. almost angrly demand
ed help Whis the actor was doing what he could.
n large man rode up ON horseback. dismounted.
rendered crccual aid for which he received scant
thanks. and started the mannered pair upon
their journey Then the stranger turned TO the
actor, recognized him and recalled the fact OF nav
Ing scon him more than once upon the stngc, By
this time the actor In turn had recognized the man
ON horseback as Gen. Washington, The incident
closed with the actor ON his way TO dine at Mt
Vernon
For most of us to-day that CLAN, figure In tho
background OF our short national history su'ices
to hide The perspective of the earlier Washington
In his successive stages n colonial American
Nevertheless. the plain planter and provincial sol.
der. called upon to lead n new nation In war and
In peace and to take nm unwilling hand In world
politics must always have thought OF his later
life In relation with his humber past. Whoever
would know Washington In his entirety must not
content himself with reading American history
from Bunker I'M TO the middle Of John Adams
administration, and standing barred before the
tomb a, MI Vernon.
"Hc must visit the Northern Neck. where
Washington. even at his greatest loved To live nm
equal among his noighbors: he must see Frchcr'
Icksburr. with the Htil standing homestead Of
wnahingtonu mother and the house Of his sister;
he must take the delicious walk from Wakefield
wharf to the lonely birthplace monumon, In tho
great wheat field overlooking the Potomac. sec
the very plantations that the sohoolboy OF i7iO
looked upon. hear the mad mocklngbirdH M he
mus, have hcntd them. Ab1yo all. such n student
must navigate the lovely waters " the Potomac
IN iiA lower courno. where The stream and lta
tributaries spread aud branch like an inland sea-
mus, hear The homey speech of the native popu'
lation 10 whom the name Washington connotea
no, only the dead hero. but their living neighbora
uf one blood with the FIRST president"