The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-02-19

disputed. Losing the historian, pro-
nounced her Mary Bland, and some
inclined to the belief that she
a Miss Ebeck beauty Of Charles
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
great favorite with Washington, and who re-
ferred to the commander in chief first in war;
first in peace, and first in the hearts of his
trymen" Those who favor the Lucy Grymes
Identification point to the affection Of Washing
ton for Light Horse Harry" resultant Of
the early love he entertained for Harry s mother
Others will have II that the "Lowland Beauty"
Betsy Fauntleroy and base their assertion
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
If / meet with any alteration In my
favor"
In 174S Washington became surveyor OF Lord
Fairfax lands. He then but sixteen. In
undated letter, probably written about the end OF
$780, the beginning OF 1851, to his Dear
Friend Robin" (possibly Robert Washington OF
Chotauk afrectionately remembered in his willy
also find allusion to the "Lowland Beauty"
my place of residence is at present at his lord
ships, where | might, were not my heart olsen
gagged, pass my time very pleasantly, as very
agreeable young lady lives in the same house
. but often and unavoidaby being in COM
pany with her revives my former passion for
your Iowland Beauty whereas, were to live
more retired from young Women, 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" II
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 Q77S-
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-
tion 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 "Lowand Beauty" he
had another charmer, presumably member or
the family of Aexanders, who had plantation
near Mount Vernon.
Washington, while In Barbados with his sick
halfbrother Lawrence. met Miss Roberts, who
exerted an influence his tender heart and
to whom he refers "an agreeable young lady.
were agreeable to him. Miss Roberts 1t APP
pears. the only one however. who really cap
tivated him in Barbados. While allowing that
all 1.-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
beguied by some charmer, for one OF his fnti-
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 foot
note by the same hand only excites further curl
osity concerning this latter parsonage by In
definitely naming her Mrs. Neil"
II Is said that at one time and another Wash
ington had half hundred sweethearts along the
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
M the great majority This we do know, that