The Washington herald., 1913-02-22
TOPICS OF INTEREST TO EVERY WOMAN
EDITED CHANDLER
THE MOTHER OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON
Father of Our Country Attributed All
that He Was to Mother.

Those who like TO trace the possible
mother-influence in the lives of men
whose achievements have made them
really great wish that more was known
Of the mother of George Washington and
that We did not have to guess so much
regarding the characteristics of a woman
who must have been wondrously fine and
strong 10 merit the much-quoted tribute
from her son:
An that ] am owe to my mother
Perhaps We ought 10 look no deeper
than that. because with that significant
tribute in mind, and with the few facts
that have been sifted from the mass of
conjecture and fiction, it is fairly easy
To see the luminous wOman-fgure in the
background of life that bore wonderful
fruit for the country We love.
But il does seem a pity that We have
50 many portraits, So many memoirs and
interesting "reminiscences of the favor
ties Of kings and comparatively so little
that is authentic TO connect us with
woman whose own sturdy characteristics.
as they are picced together, must have
left their imprint on the son whose trib-
ute tells its own beautiful story.
Possessed Dignity of Manner.
They tell us that the mother. grown
inhrm and almost helpless with the
weight Of many years still possessed in
striking degree a certain dignity, almost
austerity. of manner that made even
her iIlustrious son hasten to do her bid
ding. And the awe-inspirinE manner
passed on to the Father Of Our Country.
But they also tell us that the reserved.
sincere woman, for all her stately dig
uity and for all her busy days in the
carly years of her widowhood, took time
tu read to her sons and her stcpsons
from few favorite books that she al
ways kept close at hand, because she
loved them and wanted her children to
love them, too. and the lessons they un-
failnGlY taught. And reading. in the
midst OF the tasks of those crowded days.
meant rather more than il means to-day.
But when she was left with five fatherless
children. she gathered her brood about
her and directed their education. their
amUsements, and themselves. And tradi-
tion says that her guiding hand was
pretty frrl-but one of her boys became
great commander, and had mighty need
fpr frnncss.
ENacted Truth of Her Boys.
They assure us that the young widowed
mother had rare form OF courage which |
enabled her to bear long suspense and |
great responsibility without shrinking or
failing: gave her strength. too. to go on |
with an undertaking without stopping to
measure the risk of representation or |
The dreaded cost f Unpopularity. and |
kept her calm and self-COntrollcd in the |
midst Of great anxiety.
And in later years there is tho story |
"f III" intrepid son who read dispatch |
Announcing the surrender "f Burgoyne's |
army read and never raised an eyebrow, |
Sincere and consistently true herself, |
N" mother exaCted truth in her boys
and whoever can forget the cherry tree
incident. which We fondly hore and he |
live is true
In that husy Southern home, where
ther" was spinning, knitting. and sewing.
curing and preserving Of meats. fruits
and medicinal herbs. and a hundred and !
ono oIh"- Things for the woman head and
III" woman-hand to follow, thor" was al
most mania for method. eNactness. and I
punctuaIiJy.
And the mothers teaching and her
pronounced example followed the son all
through a life in which method. exact
ness. and punCtualiry were abundantly
needed
InassuminE Wife.
Had i happened that the mother had
h", drawn in the limclight earlier in
life-sHe was over seventy years old when .
she really began to he mea sured as the
mother of a great man-we would have
had more intimate looks at her life in
it's youth and in its prime.
And We would have known rather more
a the characteristics and tn" moral force
rf woman to whose influence a son,
who grew to h" a mighty man. attrib-
ut"d all that was worth while in his life
She was an unassumng wife and
mother. living in ohscurity until her son
became renowned. but she created the
sturdy. wholesome homesetting in which
the son grew to manhood.
And something is due to the mother of
a. statesman and a hero.
Was''~-'hun is calling for automobile frc-fEhtinz