The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-02-16
VIRGINIA in the days of Wash

" ington's early manhood; Vir-
ginia with it's vast tobacco
plantations sloping to the river; its
where, loyal to the king, the master
was above all else a gentleman and a
sportsman, and the mistress a lady
who directed the affairs Of her house
hold with the imperiousness of a prin-
cess of the blood; Virginia of stiff
brocades, of hoops and powdered wigs /;
a land where hospitality ran free and
good wine was never wanting-such Is
the setting chosen by Thackeray for
his sequel to Henry Esmond," the tale
entitled, 1.-THE Virginians."
1t was a picturesque period in his
tory, and the author of the novel was
indeed daring to present to us in the
first pages of his book George Wash
ington, the young colonial colonel,
who comes hither in his coach from
his adjoining estate to visit Madam
Esmond, the daughter Of our old
friend Henry Esmond at her Ameri-
can home, "Castlewood," and there
meet her nineteen-year-old twin sons
George Esmond Warrington and Harry
Warrington. Hitler, also, comes Cen
eral Braddock, the English commander
who expects with the aid of his forces
to bring about an end to the French
and Indian wars; and in his company
is Benjamin Franklin, the Philadel-
phia printer.
All, Thackeray had courage to pre-
sent to us in the flesh these familiar
celebrities
But he does 1t delightfully."-.
We see George Washington, a fire.
quent and welcome guest at "Castle-
wood" greeting the Widow Esmond
with friendship so ardent that her
sons, jealous of every attention paid
their mother mistake his gallantry for
a tenderer sentiment and are on the
point of challenging the colonel to
duel when they discover their error,
Afterward George, the elder twin by
the narrow margin of a half-hour,
goes forth with Braddock and Wash
ington into the campaign that costs
the English general his life, and in
which the kings troops are defeated
by the French and Indians. From
this disastrous pilgrimage Washing
toms young aid, George Esmond War
rington, fails to return, and great IS
the grief at "Castlewood." Madam
Esmond reproaches Colonel Washing
ton that he should come back I'M
scathed when her son is missing. AS
for Harry, the loss of his elder broth
er so overwhelms him that it is
deemed wise to send him on sea voy-
age to England in the hope of divert
ing him from constantly mourning the
twin he so devotedly loved.
Hence we next behold Harry at the
home of his English cousins at "Cas-
at first receives but scant welcome.
My Lord Castlewood and the ladies
would not have tolerated either Harry
or his black servant Gumbo had not
Aunt Bernstein. the Beatrix Esmond of
Harry's grandfather's day, been Il
guest at the house. Although the
baroness Is now old and has lost her
beauty she has not lost her money
and because the impoverished Castle
woods are eager to inherit the latter
they dare not oppose her. She will
have Harry Warrington welcomed to
the home of his ancestors.
Therefore the young American Is
granted tardy invitation to the fam
fly estate to which his grandfather,
Henry Esmond, although the rightful
heir, waived all claims before emigrat-
ing TO Virginia.
Harry is an ingratiating young fell
low and his Aunt Bernstein promptly
falls In love with him, urging him to
go with her to Tunbridge Wells, n
fashionable resort, whittier she is
bound. The shrewd old woman is in
slstent In her demand for she sees that
the rnsophIsticated lad has already de-