The Ordway new era., 1918-12-20

begin and might be kept up almost indefinitely,
though, for his part Washington never went be
yond second glass of wine, and 1t was his usual
custom to leave the table within n few minutes
after his wife hnd gone.
Toasts. In those days were never drunk until
after the ladies had left the table, and no beautys
health pledged In this fashion while she
was present. But when the men found them
selves alone 1t was the proper thing for young
gentleman to get upon his feet-which 1t is to
be hoped, We're still steady-and to say 81 give
you Betty Lomax the most beautiful girl In West;
mOreand county," OR perhaps 1t might be Susan
Lee of Rappahannock Such toast custom
arily drunk standing-wlth all the honors, the
phrase
Indeed, Christmas xas great day of festiv-
ity in the Virginia of that epoch. Breakfast
at eight nine O'Clock. unless it had been de-
cided to go a-hunting in the mornng-in which
case the meal was eaten by candle-ght. If there
was fox-hunt-a spart of which Washington was
very fOnd-the host brilliant red waist
coat trimmed with gold lace, and the ladies who
rode beautiful In scarlet habits. On such
occasions Mrs. Washington would go out in her
chariot and four keeping as close to the hunt
the roads would permit. Not until 1875
the Mount Vernon kennels abolished and the dogs
sold.
Those were days when meals were ample but
not multiplied. Eating, when undertaken,
was no mere frivolity, but serious business This
Christmas dinner at 80 p. m. there had
been no lunch and there supper to come.
After dinner there were games-blind mans buff.
hunt the slipper and the like-with much rpmping
and more or less kissing sprig of mistletoe
was hung up in convenient place. and If girl
happened to be kissed under 1t by young man
she did not faint or call for help. In fact, 1t
might be suspected that she did not seriously OBJ
ject.
Never and nowhere. in this world were there
more capable and expert makers of love than the
young men of Washington's day In old Virginia.
Nobody ever saw jollier fellows than they were.
If they loved fercely, they proved their sincerity
by marrying early; and. when one of them was
so unfortunate to lose his wife, he would in
variably marry again. Marriage was considered
just about the most important duty of life. and
the love affairs of the gentlefolk freely
confided to the servants. Black Tom knew
that Mars james was 'gong after" Miss Sale
Lee and would talk the matter with his
young master. And 1t the way with
the girls.
So 1t may easily be imagined that a festive
occasion such as this Christmas celebration n
good deal of Incidental love-makng, some of 1t
serious enough. accomplished But the
Master of the Revels. though he himself had been
sufficiently ardent In his YOUTH was in later life
eager sympathizer with such follies.
Though Mr.. Washington took part in the
romps that followed the dinner, he heartily en-
Joyed the fun. Occasionally he rellshed a game
of cards. and probably on this Christmas evening
he INDUCED in some such amusement, In company
with the older people, while the young folks
but the stakes small.
There were two young people at Mount Vernon
in those days-the and daughter of Mrs.
Washington by her first husband. 1t is easy to
imagine the part they took In the romps Christ
day. John and Martha, their names We're.
but everybody knew them Jacky and Patsy.
Patsy died in 1773. when just budding into wom-
anhood, while her brother married young, and
had four children two of whom. George and Mel
lie Custs. were adopted by Mr.. Washington To
George he left the famous Arlington estate. oppo-
site the city of Washington, which afterwards
Lee.
On Christmas there dance to which
all the nelghbors for many miles around were.
as n matter of course. invited. The party began
before eight, aud by ten O'Clock
Young ladies' beauty In those times was not
spoiled by late hours. For music there was
single fiddle, played by old slave the place
"a white-haired negro who kept the time and
helped the tune by pounding the floor with
his big foot.
All the young ladies' wore ownecked dresses
making brave display of pretty shoulders, and
the were In kneebreeches and silk stockings
Mrs. Washingtons' gown. cut V-shaped and filed
In with ruchng. of French silk; but the
clothing she ordinarily of domestic
manufacture. being woven at Mount Vernon where
fewer than sixteen negro women kept