Evening star., 1936-02-16
By John Clasett Proctor.
1HERE are few people living who


can recall the days OF the
hrthnight ball, when Wash
u ington's birthday was always
celebrated by the many dancing as
semblies throughout the country, and
the proceeds usually went toward some
charitable or worthy purpose. OF
course, the idea is not new one, for
it is so old that it might be difficult
to trace its origin, but the custom, at
least, so far as our own country Is
concerned, dates back to the days Of
the illustrious Father of His Country,
so correctly characterized by that great
Revolutionary soldier, Gen. Henry Lee,
as being first in war, first in peace
and first in the hearts of his country
men"
In George Washington's day the
birthnight ball, given in his honor,
was an annual custom, and was gen.
orally continued for at least half a
century after the death of this illus
trious patriot.
There are thousands Of people all
over this world who have stored away
in their minds great funds of informa-
ton which may die with them if they
do not record what they know before
they leave this earth. However, George
Washington Parke Gusts, adopted son
of Gen. Washington, was not one of
those who believed in locking in the
silent vault of death information he
knew would be interesting to those who
would follow him here. AS is we'll
known, it was he who built the famous
Arlington Mansion of today, in which
his daughter and her husband, Gen.
Robert E. Lee, made their home, and
in the grounds nearby-in the great
Arlington National Cemetery-lie all
that is mortal Of Mr.. and Mrs. Cust1s,
the worthy owners of that once large
estate.
THOUGH not the son by consan-
guinity of the first President, yet
40 real son could have been more loyal
to a father than was Gen. Washing
tons namesake, and it is but natural,
therefore, that we should find in his
writings of his foster parent a sincere
sense of attachment and devotion.
Much of his early life was spent with
Gen. and Mrs. Washington, the latter
being his own grandmother, and the
one who reared him from infancy,
and, consequently, his opportunity for
observing the general, particularly in
his home life, must necessarily have
been greater than that of many who
have written of him, but who never
knew him personally.
But Of Importance, at the moment,
Is his description Of the birthnight
ball, in which he says:
"The birthnight ball was instituted
at the close Of the Revolutionary War,
and its first celebration, we believe,
was held in Alexandria. Celebrations
of the birthnight soon became general
In all the towns and cities, the 22d Of
February, like the 4th of July, being
considered a National festival, while
the popularity attending the former
was that its parade and ceremonies
always closed with the birthnight ball.
I'm the larger cities, where public
balls were customary, the birthnight,
In the olden time, as now, was the
gala assembly of the season, attended
by all the beauty and fashion, by the
foreign Ambassadors md strangers of
distinction at the seat of Government.
"The first President always attend
ed on the birthnight. The etiquette
was not to open the ball until the ar
rival of him in whose honor it was
given, but so remarkable was the
punctuality of Washington in all his
engagements, whether for business or
pleasure, that he was never waited for
q moment in appointments for either.
Among the brilliant illustrations of a
birthnight Of five and thirty years ago,
the unique and most imposing was
the groups of young and beautiful
ladies, wearing in their hair bandeaux
or scrolls, having embroidered there
on, in language both ancient and
modern, the motto Of Live the Presi-
dent
~T'HE Minuet (now obsolete), for
the graceful and elegant dancing
of which Washington was conspicuous,
In the vice-regal days Of Lord Bote-
tourt in Virginia, declined down after
the Revolution. The Commander in
Chief danced, for his last time, a
minuet, in 1881, at the ball given in
Fredericksburg, in honor of the
French and American officers on their
return from the triumphs of York
town.
"The last birth night attended by
the venerable Chief was in Alexan-
dria, 22d February, 1893. Indeed,
he always appeared greatly to enjoy
the gay and festive scene exhibited
at the birth-night balls, and usually
to remain to a late hour; for, re-
markable as he was for reserve, and
the dignified gravity inseparable from
his nature, Washington ever looked
vxyf%t, y~aav% LiaA and fox,ovino ANA