Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-16
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the BookloVer

School children studying American
history, with whom Lafayette is one OF
the most popular heroes, usually visualize
him as a mature man, already full OF
honors, at the time when he first came
to America. They rarely realize that
he was but little older than themselves
and that his American expedition was
the first adventure of very advertur-
Gus life. Brand Whitlock, in his
biography La Fayette," gives spir-
tied picture Of the young Lafayette IN
l777, when, at the age of 10, he landed
on American shores, in North Inlet IN
the Bay of Georgetown at the mouth
Of the Great Pedee River, some so miles
overland from Charleston. The por-
trait. at the beginning of Mr.. Whit
locks first volume, of Marie Joseph
Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motler.
Marquis de La Fayette, at the age OF
49, shows smooth, youthful, oval face,
with reflective dark eyes, rounded chin,
slightly upturned mouth, and q white
wig, neatly parted at the side and
curled in two rolls over each ear. He
wears the uniform of French oficer,
with epaulets and q lace jabot. La
fayette had been married at 1872 to
girl of 141a, Adrienne, Mile. d'Ayen,
daughter Of the Duke d'Ayen and at
10 was the father of one daughter. He
loved his family, he loved his country,
out from earliest childhood adventure
and liberty had drawn him more
strongly than all else. So, when he be-
came interested in the struggle of the
American colonies for independence and
fell under the influence of Baron de
Kalb nothing could hold him in
France. His family pleaded with him
and finally secured from Louis XVI
lettre de cachet commanding him to
90 into exile in italy. Instead of obey
ing the lettre de cachet. which made
him furious at both King and family,
he galloped off in disguise to Los Pas
safes in Spain, where Kalb was await
ing him with the vessel Victoire,
which Lafayette had bought with his
own funds.
The Victoire, with Lafayette, Kalb
and a company of fellow FSlventurers,
put out to sea from the port of Los
PASSAGES on Sunday evening, April 20,
1777, and laid a course for the nearest
point on the coast of North America.
1.-THE Victoire made heavy weather
from the first and the Argonauts were
under matches for days, too seaSick for
dreams of glory. When they could ind
their sea-legs and go on deck again,
and stand forlornly at the rail and look
out over that tossing waste OF grey
waters, 1t was to realize that they were
ing for a long voyage. La
Fayette had brought some books with
him, and he tried to study English
which he could practise now and then
on old Kalb and on young Price, and
the science or the art of war--a major
general ought to know something about
the manual at least But the sea made
him melancholy and he was lonely and
homesick" The landing of the aristo-
cratic adventures was as dramatic as
their departure. They had headed Tor
Charleston, but the wind had not IA
Vored them and, in constant fear OF
English frigates, they put in toward
shore when they sighted sheltered
bay, and after 81 days at sea, cropped
anchor. They had no idea where they
were, but "the marquiS's first act was
to swear that he would vanquish, or
perish, with the American cause" the
place where they found themselves was
at the mouth of lonely river, in SUI
locating heat to which they were I'M
used. Rowing up the river, they came
upon some Negroes fishing for oysters,
slaves from a plantation farther up
the river. At about midnight they
reached a landing and saw the lights
of the plantation home of Mai. Ben
iamin Huger. And now, after all those
miserable weeks in the fusty cabin OF
merchant vessel, safe on American
shores at last, La Fayette turned In
between cool linen sheets once more
and fell sound asleep"