Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-02-21

ton had a very tender spot in his
heart for women. At 16 ne writes
with all of youths solemnity of q
Hurt of the heart uncurable.
And from that time forward
there is ever some "Faire Maybe
in the story of his life. As Il
matter of fact, Washington got
along with women much better
than he did with men; with men
ne was often ditIident and aNk-
ward, i'll concealing his uneasi-
ness behind a forced dignity; bur
he knew that wome nadmired
him, and with them he was at
ease.
When he made that first West
ern trip of his carrying Il mes
sage to the French, he turned
aside to call on the Indian prin-
cess, Aliguippa. She was vastly
impressed by the tall, handsome
young Virginian. He records
quantity in his journal that he
presented her with a blanket and
bottle of rum, "which latter
was thought the much best pres
ent 'of the two"
; The story of his various court
ships is written down in his e;i-
pense account, which he keeps
from boyhood with painstaking
care. Such entries as Treating
the lays, 2 shillings"; Present
for Polly, shillings"; My share
of the music at the dance, ?
shillings"; Lost at loo, ) Shiil-
ings"; prove that he was the
average Virginian in these re-
spects of his time.
One of the most serious ro-
mances before he met and fell in
love at sight with the Widow
GUSTS was with Mary Phillipse,
sister of Mrs. Beverly Robson.
rtansplanted Yirgtaian, as it
were, then residing iu New York,
She was older than Washington,
a society belle, The attractive
Washington, with his refreshing
country manners, his tales Of the
frontier and military life made
him a novelty in the Phillpso
drawing-room.
She showered him with at.cn
tons. and his ardent young heart
soon succumbed with the natural
delight that a younger man feels
in awakening the interest of a.
older woman. But Mary Phillipse
while she admired and respected
him, did not love him, and gent
" but Enthusiastically turned him
down. Two years afterward Mary
Philipse married Colonel Roger
Morris, of the Kings army. by
this time, 1853. Washington had
found the one love of his life in
Martha GUSTS, and he could read
Mrs. Morris wedding cards with
equanimity.
Washington always attributed
his defeat at the hands of Mary
Philpse to being too precipitate
and mot waiting until ye ladye
was in We mood" The long arm
of coincidence reached out again
in after years, when the Wash
ington who was commander-iA-
chief of the Continental army in
1776 occupied the mansion near
New York of Colonel Morris, tho
colonel and his lady oeing fugitive
Tories.
Before actuall greeting the ro-
nance of Washington and Marths
Gusts. it is well to give little
of this first lady of the lands
history.
The Colonial settlers of Virgin
ia brought their prayer-book ano
their preachers with them. Amone
I the flock of spiritual advisers
was good Master Rev. Orlando
Jones, Welsh clergyman, whose
descendants lived at Williams
burg. Va. There in May, 49,.
in a plantation, was born Martha
cambridge, she who afterwards
became the bride of George Wash
Iington. While surrounded by the
simple luxuries of the time, it
is doubtful that Martha Dand-
ridge ever received more than
the Smatteriug and fashionable
education of young ladies of that
period, which was composed large
" of social accomplishments, dane
ing. embroidery and the graceful
and gentle arts of gentlewomen.
The blue stocking was as yet
unknown and Martha cambridge
Gusts Washington misspelled like
q lady and was never troubled at
heart because she did so. Her
instruction was given her at the
hands of a governeSS, because
girls never went to school in that
era. Such general knowledge as
she possessed of the world was
CLEANED from the few books she