Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-24

begin, and might be Kept up almost indefinitely,
though, for his part, Washington never went be
yond second glass of wine, and it was his usual
custom 70 leave the table within few minutes
after his wife had gone.
Toasts, in those days, drunk until
after the ladies had left the table, and beauty's
health was 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-whch, it is to
be hoped, were still steady-and to say, 81 give
you Betty LOmax, the most beautiful girl in West
moreand county!' Or perhaps it might be Susan
Lee of Rappahannock. Such toast was custom
arily drunk standing-with all the honors, as the
phrase was.
Indeed, Christmas was a great day of festv-
fty in the Virginia OF that epoch. Breakfast was
at eight or nine O'clock unless 1t had been de-
cded to go a-hunting in the mOrning-in which
case the meal was eaten by candle-light If there
was roxhunt-a sport of which Washington was
very fond-the host wore 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 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 frivOlity, but serious business This
Christmas dinner at 80 p. M; there had
been no lunch, and there was no supper to come
After dinner there were games-bind mans buff
hunt the slipper, and the Iike-with much romping
and more or less kissing. sprig of mistletoe
was hung up in convenient place. and if a girl
happened to be kissed undeg it by young man
she did not faint call for help In fact II
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 WaShingtons day in old Virginia
Nobody ever saw jOllier fellows than they were
If they loved fiercely, they proved their sincerity
by marrying early; and when of them was
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 tn gentlefolk were freely
conhded even to the servants. Black Tom knew
that Mars '1mes 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-makng some of it
serious enough accomplished But the
Master of the Reyels, though he himself had been
sufficiently ardent in his youth 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 a game
of cards, and probably this Christmas evening
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 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 70
imagine the part they took in the romps on Christ
mas day. John and Martha their names were
but everybody knew them Jacky and PATSY
Patsy died in 1913, when Just budding into wom-
anhood, while her brother married young and
had four children, two of whom, George and Nell
lie Custs, 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 n
Lee.
On Christmas there was a dance TO which
all the neighbors for many miles around were
as IL matter of course invited. The party began
before eight and was over 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 on the place
"a 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 Iow-necked dresses
making a brave display of pretty shoulders, and
the men were in knee-breeches and silk stockings.
Mrs Washingtons gown. cut y-shaped and filed
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 were kept
FROM THE HEART.