Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-16

More than a month later, after a
rough journey, they reached Philadel-
phia. None of them had the slightest
knowledge of the country. Over Wretcned
corduroy roads that led through
swanps or by mere wagon trails out
through the forests they toiled on in
the sitting heat. In four days the car
riages were in splinters, and they pro-
eeeded on horseback. But the horses
were old and broken winded; they Went
lame, and several of the poor things
oied. They bought others on the way,
and when these gave out they trudged
along on foot. Unable to provide trans
I,ort for their baggage, they were forced
to abandon part of 1t; the rest was
stolen, They were tortured by mos
ouitoes and flies: by day they were
BOILED by the insufferable heat and by
night, sleeping in the woods, they sniv-
cred with the cold; they went for days
without food; several OF them had FEVER
IN their spirits by thinking of the bril-
liant reception awaiting them at Phila-
delphia." And then, when the ragged,
weary men dragged themselves into
Philadelphia the reception was not bril-
liant at all. There had been intrigues
carried on in Philadelphia, in which
certain Frenchmen had been involved,
and the suspicious officials OF the new
Nation were inclined to distrust all
Frenchmen. But after only few days,
when MISUNDERSTANDING had been
cleared, Congress adopted the following
resolution, which opened the way for
the brave and generous services of
Lafayette to the American colonies:
Whereas the Marquis de La Fayette, out
of his great zeal to the cause of liberty,
i'll which the United States are engaged,
has left his family and connections and
at his own expense come over to offer
his services to the United States with
out pension or particular allowance, and
is anxious to risque his life in our
cause, Resolved, That his service be
accepted, and that in consideration of
his zeal, illustrious family and con-
nexions he have rank and commission
of major general in the Army Of the
United States"
~
Some of the personal characteristics
and habits of Robert E. Lee, whose dis
tinguished history is so well known that
little can be added to it, are described
in "MarSe Robert: Knight of the Con-
federacy," by James c. Young. Mr..
Young does not, as so many of the
new" school of biographers do, invent
anecdotes and peculiarities to attach to
interesting to the senSation-loving
reader But he does attempt to show
the human man rather than the great
general. The material used is chiefly
Lees letters, of which he wrote many.
Deeply religious we know Lee to have
been, and his letters reveal religious
feeling in connection with nearly all his
experiences. AS he rode about the
country he saw God in all the beauties
nkN fnI. Ia -
most common faults of the great even
when they have no worse, is violent
temper. Lee seems not to have had
one; at least he seldom gave 6>.dence of
1t. Lee rarely smiled, so this biog-
rapher tells us, except with his eyes.
EIe diSliked personal contacts, even
handshaking. He disliked the touch
of another hand. or to have another
person stand near him-never behind
hlm!" He learned how to cut his own
hair, because he could not bear to have
a barber touch him, and was especially
disguised when he once saw barber
gather up his clipped hair for souvenir
purposes"
"All men," writes James Truslow
Adams in The Adams Family" ARE
born Londoners or Parisians, as they
are born Platonists or AriStotelians.
Henry" he adds of the author of THE
Education of Henry Adams" was a
Londoner." In facts old John Adams,
the founder of the dynasty and the
second President of the United States,
was one of the few Adan1ses who was
temperamentally a Partisan There Is
all entry in his diary to the effect that
"un a Sunday / will sometimes read
Ovids Art of Love to Mrs. Savil."
James Truslow Adams comments: The
iArs Aniuris' to 4 married lady on q
New England sunday sets the period