The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-03-21


ond marriage, left to the guardianship
of his young mother, shared with the
four younger children the residue Of
the estate. He was to inherit his
fathers farm upon the Rappahannock,
to possess, and to cultivate if he
would, when he should come of age;
but for the rest his fortunes were to
make. He must get such serviceable
training as he could for life of indie
pendent endeavor. The two older
brothers had been sent to England to
get their schooling and preparation
for life, as their father before them
had been to get his-Lawrence to
make ready to take his fathers place
when the time should come; Angus
tine, to fit himself for the law.
George could now look for nothing
Of the kind. He must continue, as he
had begun, to get such elementary and
practical instruction as was to be had
of schoolmasters in Virginia, and the
young mothers care must stand him in
the stead of fathers pilotage and
oversight.
A. Wise and Provident Mother.
Fortunately Mary Washington was
wise and provident mother, wom-
an of too firm a character and too
steadfast courage to be dismayed
by responsibility. She had seemed
only a fair and beautiful girl when
Augustine Washington married her,
and there was a romantic story told
of how that gallant Virginian sailor
and gentleman had literally been
thrown at her feet out of a carriage
in the London streets by way OF intro
duction-where she, too was a visit
ing stranger out of Virginia. But she
had shown singular capacity for bus
mess when the romantic days of
courtship were over.
Lawrence Washington, too, though
but five-and-twenty when his father
died and left him head of the family,
proved himself such an elder brother
as it could but better and elevate a
boy to have. For all he was so young,
he had seen something of the world,
and had already made notable friends.
49,
land until he was turned of twenty
one. and he had been back scarcely a
twelve-month before he was off again,
to seek service in the war against
Spain.
His Brother a Captain.
The colonies had responded with an
unwonted willingness and spirit in
1740 to the home governments call
for troops to go against the Spaniard
In the West Indies; and Lawrence
Washington had sought and obtained
a commission as captain IN the Vir-
ginian regiment which had volunteer
ed for the duty. He had seen those
terrible days at Cartagena, with Yer
mons feet and Wentworth's army,
when the deadly heat and blighting
damps of the tropics wrought a work
of death which drove the English
forth as no fire from the Spanish can
non could. He had been one of that
devoted force which threw itself
twelve hundred strong upon Fort San
Lazaro, and came away beaten with
six hundred only. He had seen the
raw provincials out of the colonies
carry themselves as CALAMITY as any
veterans through all the fiery trial;
had seen the storm and the valor, the
vacillation and the laundering, and the
shame of all the rash affair; and had
come away the friend and admirer of
the gallant Vernon, despite his head
strong folly and sad miscarriage. He
had reached home again. late IN the
year 1912. only to see his father pres
entity snatched away by sudden III
ness. and to find himself become head
Of the family in his stead.
All thought of further service away
from home was dismissed. He accept
ed commission as major In the CO.