The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-20

county, Maryland, who married George Mason.
Others maintain that she was Lucy Grymes, who
married Henry Lee and became the mother of
the famous Light Horse Harry" who was a
great favorite with Washington, and who re.
ferred to the commander in chief as first in war,
hrst IN peace, and first in the hearts of his coun-
trymen." Those who favor the, Lucy Grymes
identification point to the affection of Washing
ton for Light Horse Harry" as a resultant of
the early love he entertained for Harry's mother.
Others will have it that the "Lowland Beauty"
was Betsy Fauntleroy, and base their assertion
on a letter written in May, 1852, by Washington
to the grandfather of Miss Fauntleroy, in which
he says, among other things, he purposed as soon
as he recovered his strength Che had been i'll
with pleurisy) ito wait on Miss Betsy in hopes
of a revocation of the former cruel sentence, and
see if l can meet with any alteration in my
favor"
In l74S Washington became surveyor of Lord
Fairfax lands. He was then but sixteen. In an
undated letter, probably written about the end of
1850, or the beginning of 1851, to his Dear
Friend Robin" POSSIBLY Robert Washington of
Chotauk, afectionately remembered in his Will
we also find allusion to the "Lowland Beauty"
My place of residence is at present at his lord
ships, where l might, were not my heart olsen
gagged, pass my time very pleasantly, as a very
agreeable young lady lives in the same house
but often and unavoidably being in COM
pany with her revives my former passion for
your 'Lowland Beauty whereas, were l to live
more retired from young women, l might, In some
measure, alleviate my sorrows by burying that
chaste and troublesome Passion in the grave of
oblivion of eternal forgetfulness."
History might have been different had Washing
ton been accepted by the "Lowland Beauty" If
the "Lowland Beauty" was Betsy Fauntleroy-
and good authorities think she was-she married
Ebenezer Adams, progenitor Of the Virginia fam
lily Of that name, and became the mother of
Thomas Adams, alumnus of William and Mary
college. signer of the articles Of confederation,
and member of the Philadelphia convention OTIS
1880.
The agreeable young lady" mentioned by
Washington in his letters from the Fairfax resi-
dence, was Miss Mary Cary, the sister of Colonel
Fairfax wife. He turned to her for consola-
ton and it seems her charm mitigated his "trou-
blesome passion" But Miss Cary had no genuine
love for the ardent young man. In 1852 she mar
ried Edward Amber.
After his wooing of the Lowland Beauty" he
had another charmer, presumably a member of
the family of Alexanders, who had a plantation
near Mount Vernon.
Washington, while in Barbados with his sick
half-brother Lawrence, met a Miss Roberts, who
exerted an influence over his tender heart and
to whom he refers as IAN agreeable young lady"
1t would seem that nearly all the young ladies
were agreeable to him. Miss Roberts, 1t APP
pears, was the only one, however, who really cap
tivated him in Barbados. While allowing that
all the ladys generally are agreeable" he notes
that by i'll custom they affect the negro style"
When returned from his first campaign and rest
ing at Mount Vernon, the time seems to have been
beguiled by som charmer, for one Of his inti-
mates writes from Williamsburg: Il imagine you
by this time plunged in the midst of delight
heaven can afford and enchanted by charmers
even stranger to the Cirpian Dame" and a foot
note by the same hand only excites further curl
osity concerning this latter parsonage by in
definitely naming her as Mrs. Neil"
1t is said that at one time and another Wash
ington had half a hundred sweethearts along tbs
banks of the Potomac, the Rappahannock, and the
James, and even up to the gates Of Mount Yer
non. Perhaps the number is exaggerated. but
at any rate we have but scant account of most OF
the fair ones and are not even told the names
of the great majority. This we do know, that