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

housekeeper lived, and there he might
depend upon being received with hos
pitality;" and twas certain many be-
sides strangers would seek out the
young major at Mount Vernon whom
his neighbors had fastened to make
! their representative in the house of
| burgesses, and the old soldier of the
soldierly house of Fairfax, who was
president of the kings council, and
so next to the. governor himself. A
| boy who was much at Mount Vernon
and at Mr.. Fairfax's seat, ~Belvoir,
might expect to see not little that
was worth seeing of the life of the
colony.
George was kept at school until he
was close upon sixteen; but there
was ample vacation-time for visiting.
Mrs. Washington did not keep him at
her apron-strings. He even lived,
when it was necessary, with his broth
er Augustine, at the old home on
Bridges creek, in order to be near
the best school that was accessible,
while the mother was far away on
the farm that lay upon the RaDpahan-
mock. Mrs. Washington saw to it,
nevertheless, that she should not lose
sight of him altogether.
Apprenticeship in the Woods.
When he was fourteen it was pro-
posed that he should be sent to sea,
as so many lads were, no doubt, from
that maritime province; but the pru-
dent mother preferred he should not
leave Virginia, and the schooling went
on as before-the schooling Of books
and manly sports. Every lad learned
to ride-to ride colt or horse, regard
less Of training, gait, or temper-in
that country. where no one went afoot
except to catch his mount in the pas
ture. Every lad, black Or white bond
or free, knew where to find and how
to take the rowing game in the for
ests. And young Washington, robust
boy that he was, not to be daunted
while that strong spirit sat in him
which he got from his father and
mother alike, took his apprenticeship
on horseback and in the tangled
woods with characteristic zest and
ardor.
Acquires the Art Of Mastery
He was, above all things else, a
capable. executive boy. He loved
mastery, and he relished acquiring the
most effective means of mastery in
all practical affairs. His very exer-
else books used at school gave proof
of it. They were filled, not only with
the rules, formulate, diagrams and ex-
ercises of surveying, which he was
taking special pains to learn, at the
advice of his friends, but also with
careful copies of legal and mercantile
papers, bills of exchange, bills of sale,
bonds, indentures, land warrants,
leases, deeds and wills, as if he meant
to be lawyers or merchants clerk
1t would seem that, passionate and
full of warm blood as he was, he
conned these things as he studied the
use and structure of his fowling piece,
the bride he used for his colts, his
saddle-girth, and the best ways of
mounting. He copied these forms of
business as he might have copied
Beverley's account of the way fox or
'possum or beaver was to be taken or
the wild turkey trapped
The men he most admired-his
elder brothers, Mr.. Fairfax, and the
gentlemen planters who were SO much
at their houses-were most of them
sound men of business, who valued
good surveying as much as they adj
mired good Craftsmanship and skill in
sport. They were their own mer-
chants, and looked upon forms of
business paper as quite as useful as
plows and hogsheads. Careful exer-
else in such matters might we'll
enough accompany practice In the
equally formal minuet in Virginia. and
so this boy learned to show in almost
everything he did the careful preci-
sion Of the perfect marksman.
Goes to Mount Vernon.
In the autumn of 1747, when he was
not yet quite sixteen, George quit his
formal schooling, and presently join
ed his brother Lawrence at Mount
Vernon, to seek counsel and compan-
ionship.
Lawrence had conceived a strong
affection for his manly young broth /
er. Himself man of spirit and hon
or, he had a high-hearted mans lik- |
ing for all that he saw that was in |
domitable and well-purposed in the
lad, a generous mans tenderness in !
looking to the development of this /
thoroughbred boy; and he took him
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