Evening star., 1928-02-19
, in Peace---But in Hearts of His COuntryw0men?

tenor Is one Of restraint. Then, sud-
denly, one letter spoke all-the only
time. the last tine-a letter written
under the most amazing circumstances.
when an avoval was to be least ex-
pected: a letter which forms one Of the
most dramatic episodes In Washington 3
personal life, one Of the most dramatic
episodes In any love affair. II hap
pened In this way:
Washington finally becoming dis
heartened at sustaining so long this
hopeless passion and hoping probably
to quiet 1t by some other engrossment,
had decided upon marriage OF ez-
pediency. He was to marry the widow
Gusts, toward whom he was probably
attracted for her personal qualities
aside from her wealth, but who in the
beginning at least inspired in him no
depth Of passion. Mrs Fairfax wrote
to him, congratulating him upon his
engagement and entering into some
coquettish teasing. II vas then that
he wrote TO her, telling her for the
first time-not in 80 many words, not
with crude openness but still With un-
mistakable intination-that ne loved
her.
"'Tis true profess myself a votary
to love. / acknowledge that lady IS
in the case, and, further, confess that
this lady Is known TO you. Yes. macam,
as we'll as she Is to one who is too sensi-
BILE Of her charms to deny the power
whose influence he feels and must ever
submit to. You have drawn me,
dear madam, or rather have drawn
myself into an honest confession OF
simple fact. Misconstrue not my mean
pose 1t. The world has no business 70
know the object Of my love declared n
this manner to you when I want TO
conceal it. One thing above all things
in the world I wish to know. and only
one person Of your acquaintance can
solve me that or guess my meaning
whether she loved him in returr?I
but adieu to this till happier times, j:
ever I shall see them: the hours a.
present are melancholy dull; neither
the tolls Of war nor the gentler cor
ficts OF A. BIS (asssembly oalls) Is m
choice. I dare believe you are happ-
as you say. wish vas happy also
DID he wish to punish Mrs. Fa.rfaz
~ for her cruelty in the gay letter o.
| tent. but vindictiveness alone does No.
take quite this tone. 1t was much
more the seizure OF the only occasion
| for avowal when avoval would not
| have been indecent. the occasion OF
| which he was about to go forever out
| Of the life Of the one he loved. Per
/ haps this avowal Of love On the par
! OF a man engaged seems indecent
! toward his fancee, but q more subtle
! consideration Of the circumstances
brings extenuation. Psychologically
Washington felt the need Of speaking
/ once his old love before he could de-
vote his heart to new.
/ What Mrs. Fairfax answered Is not
known-vhether IN the manner OF
diplomatic evasion on rebuke. Prob
ably it was in the manner Of the first,
for Washingtons next letter could oe
casual enough He had the dignity not
! to furnish any anti-cltmax. As fo-
their further relations. the Washing
tons and the Faifaxes were ariia5le
reishbo-s for many years TIL the latter
went TO England TO live.
-Four months after the letter 70 MIS-
Fairfax Washington married Martha
Gusts, 70 whom he devoted himself
with such sincerity that the union be-
came source OF serenity and content
rens. Il was not, IN truth, union os
happiness n the ecstasic sense Tie
burning memory Of Sally Fairfax was
probably never extinguis5ed- and when
wrote TO her that the times he spent
with her were the happiest moments
Of my life
Perhaps it was 10 the advantage o.
the res. Of Us that Washington did not
reach such ecstattc happiness n lore
The success that comes 20 au-corcus--
ing young gallants usually produces
ego-ism and yulgariEat,on- not ths
strength of character which Is needed
20 meet stern events with aT -es-ect
for his inherent virtues we may not
overlook the enrichns1. OF spirit xh:ch
must have come from the Overcoming
OF temptation and the meeting ot dis
appointment IL the love OF Sally Fair
fax Washington missed his greatest
personal love. but becoming the greater
for t. he was the better endowed 20
take the first place n the hearts Of his
courtryTen.