The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1918-12-20

though, for his part, Washington never went be-
yond second glass of wine, and it was his usual
custom to leave the table within few minutes
after his wife had gone
Toasts in those days, were never drunk until
after 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
selves alone. it was the proper thing for young
gentleman to get upon his feet-which, it is to
be hoped, were still steady-and to say, Il give
you Betty Lomax, the most beautiful girl in West
moreland county," Or perhaps it might be Susan
Lee of Rappahannock. Such toast was custom
arly drunk standing-with all the honors, as the
phrase
Indeed, Christmas great day of festiv-
ity in the Virginia of that epoch Breakfast was
at eight or nine o'clock, unless it had been de-
cided to go a-hunting in the morning--in which
case the meal was eaten by candle-light. If there
was fox-hunt-a sport of which Washington was
very fond-the host a 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 close to the hunt
as the roads would permit. Not until 1885 were
the Mount Vernon kennels abolished and the dogs
sold.
Those were days when meals were ample, but
were not multiplied. Eating, when undertaken
was no mere frvolity, but serious business This
Christmas dinner at 80 p. M; there had
Deeu no luncH, ana there was no supper to come
After dinner there games-blind mans buff
hunt the slipper, and the like-with much romping
and more or less kissing. A sprig of mistletoe
was hung up in a convenient place. and If a girl
happened to be kissed under it by young man
she did not faint 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
of WaShfnptOn'S 0av in Viroin
Nobody ever saw jollier fellows than they were
If they loved fiercely they proved their sincerity
by marrying early; and, when one of them was
so unfortunate as 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 were freely
confided 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 it the same way with
the girls.
So it may easily be imagined that on a festive
occasion such this Christmas celebration a
good deal of incidental love-making some of it
serious enough, 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 the
romps that followed the dinner, he heartily en-
joyed the fun. Occasionally he relished game
he INDUCED In some such amusement in company
with the older people, while the young folks
scampered and romped He played for money.
but the stakes were small.
There We're two young people at Mount Vernon
in those days-the son and daughter of Mrs
Washington by her first husband 1t is easy to
imagine the part they took in the romps on Christ
day. John and Martha their names were
but everybody knew them as Jacky and Patsy
Patsy died in 1878, when just budding into won.
anhood, while her brother married young. and
had four children, two of whom, George and Mel
lie Gusts, were adopted by Mr.. Washington To
George he left the famous Arlington estate oppo-
site the city of Washington, which afterwards
fell by inheritance to the wife of Gen. Robert r.
Lee
On Christmas there was dance to which
all the neighbors for many miles around were
as a matter of course, invited. The party began
before eight, and over by ten O'Clock.
Young ladies' beauty In those times was nor
spoiled by late hours For music there was q
single fiddle, played by an old slave on the place
"a white-haired 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. Washington's gown. cut V-shaped and filled
In with ruching. 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 ke-