Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-12-19

though, Tor his part, Washington never went be-
yond second glass Of wine. and 1t was his usual
custom to leave the table within few minutes
after his wife had gone.
Ioasts, In those days, were never drunk until
aIter the ladies had left the table and no beautys
health was ever pledged in this fashion while she
was present But when the men found them
serves alone, 1T was the proper thing for young
gentleman to get upon his feet-which, it is to
De hoped were still steady-and to say II give
you Betty Lomax, the most beautiful girl in West
moreland countyl" Or perhaps 1t might be Susan
Lee of Rappahannock. Such toast was custom
artiy drunk standing-with all the honors, as the
phrase was
indeed Christmas was great day Of festiy-
ly In the Virginia Of that epoch. Breakfast was
at eight or nine o'clock unless 1t had been de-
clded to go a-hunting in the morning-in which
case the meal was eaten by candle-lipht n there
was rox-hunt-a sport Of which Washington was
very fond-the host wore q brilliant red waist
coat trimmed with gold lace and the ladies' who
rode were beautiful In scarlet habits On such
occasions Mrs Washington would go out in her
chariot and four" keeping as close to the HINT
Rs the roads wenld permit Not until 1785 were
the Mount Vernon kennels abolished and the dogs
sold.
Those were days when meals were ample. Int
were not multiplied. Eating when undertaken
was no mere frivolty, but serious business. This
Christmas dinner at $3.50 %. m: there had
After dinner there were games-blind mans buff
hunt the slipper, and the like-with much romping
anu more or less kissing. A sprig of mstletoe
was hung up in a convenient place. and If q girl
happened to be kissed under it by young man
she did not faint or call for HELM In foc+ q
might be suspected that she did not seriouslv OH
ject
Never, and nowhere in this world we're 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
II they loved fercely, they proved their sincerity
by marrying early; and, when one of them was
SO unfortunate as to lose his wife he would in.
variaby marry again. Marriage was consdered
just about the most important duty of life and
the love affairs OF the gentlefolk were freely
connded even to the servants. Black Tom knew
that Mars james was "going after" Miss Sallie
Lee and would talk the matter over with his
young master. And 1t was the same wav With
the girls.
So 1t may easily be imagined that on a festive
occasion such as this Christmas celebration
good deal of incidental love-making, some Of IT
serious enough was accomplished But the
Master of the Revels, though he himself had been
sufficiently ardent in his YOUTH was in later life
no eager sympathizer with such follies
Though Mr.. Washington took no part in tho
romps that followed the dinner he heartily en-
joyed the fun. Occasionally he rellshed game
of cards, and probably on this Christmas evening
he INDUCED in some such amusement In comnanv
with the older people, while the young folks
scampered and rOmped. He played for MONEY!
but the stakes were small.
There were two young people at Mount Vernon
in those days-the and daughter Of Mrs
Washington by her first husband It is easv tn
imagine the part they took in the romps on Christ
mas day. John and Martha, their names were
but everybody knew them as Jacky and Patsy
Patsy died in 1913, when just budding into WON.
anhood, while her brother married young and
had four children, two Of whom, George and Nell
lie Custis, were adopted by Mr.. Washington. To
George he left the famous Arlington estate onno
site the city Of Washington, which afterwards
fell by inheritance to the wife Of Gen Robert n
Lee.
On Christmas eve there was dance to which
all the neighbors for many miles around were
as matter of course, invited The party began
before eight and was by ten o'cocl,
Young ladies' beauty in those times was NOT
spoiled by late hours. For music there was
single fiddle, played by an old slave on the place
Ia white-hared negro who kept the time and
helped on the tune by pounding on the floor with
his big foot.
All the young ladies wore low-necked dresses
making brave display Of pretty shoulders, and
the men were in knee-breeches and silk stockings
Mrs. Washngton's gown cut V-shaped and filled
In with ruching, was Of French silk; but the
clothing she ordinarily wore was of domestic
manufacture, being woven at Mount Vernon, where
no fewer than sixteen negro women were kept