The Holbrook news., 1912-01-12
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 public affairs. Interest Jagged, and i the frail invalid in South Carolina had to muster all her optimism, draw on all her mental resources to keep up courage and continue the fight
 It was in 1856 that a severe blow fell. A charter had been drawn up for the purchase of Mount Vernon by the ladies' association When it was submitted to John Augustine Wash ington he declined to sign it. All along he had refused to take the work of the women seriously. To his mind. as to the minds of many other men in those days, women could not swing an enterprise of that kind.
 But Miss Cunningham did not falter. She wrote letters daily to women in all parts of the country, cheering them on. expressing her belief that success might come. She went on completing the work of organization and taking in new vice-regents. She suffered greatly physically, with nervous at tacks, convulsions and headaches that exhausted her; but she worked un- ceasingly
 On March g. 1856, she met Edward Everett. and so great was her elo- Quence that he promised to devote to the cause the proceeds of his lectures for stated period. AS a result of this he turned over to her $69.O64.
 Although the association did not have the full $2OO,00O with which to buy, they had more than half the amount But MT. Washington's refu- sal to sell the place. encouraged refu- sals from outsiders to contribute money for the purchase. There were some who pretended to doubt the sin cerity of the Southern Matron" and the association. Despair conquered nearly every woman in the cause ex- cept Ann Cunningham.
 She went to Mount Vernon, making part of the journey by railroad, all though the motion of the train at that time aggravated her suffering. She went down the river in a boat, was transferred to a rowboat in front of the Mount Vernon house and was car ried in a chair into the house. There she talked to MT. Washington and his family, but they were obdurate in their refusal
 Pleading With Mir. Washington.
 MT. Washington, it seemed, could not take the project of the women se- riously. Miss Cunningham, weeping and bitterly cast down, told the family goodby and was carried to the wharf and placed in a small boat to catch 1 a steamer on its way up the river to Washington. But she was late and had to be taken back to Mount Yer non to spend the night Upon her ar rival in the house once more she col lapsed utterly and had to be put to bed.
 Late in the evening. by the exercise of her indomitable will, she recovered | sufficiently to have herself carried | down to the parlor, where she re- newed her entreaties to MT. Washing ton that he sell Mount Vernon to the Mount Vernon Ladies' association But he still refused. The next morning before her departure, she pleaded with him again. Her whole heart was in her words. Here is her own descrip- ton of that last interview with MT. Washington:
 "The spirit moved me as never be- fore I never spoke to mortal as spoke to him. told him the isles of the sea would send their tributes to Mount Vernon; that he would live to see it, though I would not. eve both did, for Havana and the Sandwich islands both send contributions.)
 When I saw I could not shake his
 .TT. l buy Mount Vernon, for he was very indignant at that and considered it would be mean for Virginia to accept the purchase money, went so far as to point to him the light in which com ing generations would view his con- duct in preventing our tribute to Washington. I told him his descend ants would mourn having descended from him.
 "Unawares, I had at last touched the sore spot'-the obstacle no money could have removed. now found that he thought the whole thing had been arranged between the associa4 ton and Virginia to put an indignity on him.
 'T held out my hand, he put his in mine; then, with quivering lips, moist eyes and heart too full to speak, ouf compact was closed in silence"
 All the purchase money was paid in by February 22. 1859, and only two years intervened between that time and the outbreak of the Civil war. For nal possession of the home and it's grounds were taken by the association on February 22. 1880.