Evening star., 1938-12-25
By Edna NJ. COlman.

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Sixty-six Christmases punctuated
the life span of George Washington
and brought him gifts of many
kinds. These Yuletides, measured
by their events as he recorded them
probably present pageant of JOY
adventure, suffering, grave danger.
festivity and achievement which
held more thrills and strange hap
penings than ever fell to the lot OF
any other man in the course OF the
longest cycle of life.
Christmas came to Washington
first at the lovely old Bridges or
Popes Creek plantation mansion
house, built by his great-grand-
father. Col. John Washington, the
emigrant. The place was bought
by Augustine Washington from his
brother, who had inherited it. When
Georges father died, in l743, the
estate went to Augustine Washing
ton, second son of Georges father
by the first marriage.
Three Christmas seasons of baby
hood we're spent in his birthplace.
three living at the Hunting Creek
farm, later the property OF Lawrence
Washington, who named 1t Mount
Vernon. and the next half a dozen
wears were spent on the family farm
near Fredericksburg. Up to the time
of the fathers death it was a Jolly,
happy family. Fact and tradition
have combined to tell us that
Georges boyhood was enriched with
gifts of a pony. saddle and riding
clothes according to the style OF the
day for young gentlemen of Vlr-
einia, and these were secured IN
London by Capt. Augustine WASH
ington. 1t is also matter OF record
that young Georges father pro-
vided him with a soldier suit, cooked
hat and small tin sword.
After the fathers death life took
on harsher meaning and George S
davs of playtime and froic we're
over. The only reco-. d gift OF his
mother to her eldest I II was small
pocket knife purchased by her when
her regular supply order went 10
London. Georges plan to enlist IN
a sea career-become what his
uncle so bitterly called "a common
seaman''-brough his mothers de-
termined veto and because he gave
her instant if not cheerful obedience
she made him a gift of the little
knife when he was about IA Christ
mas, 1745). The knife and the IN
junction, Always obey your su-
periors,' played an important part
in his life. 1t is now treasured III
the great memorial to his honor.
Between his fathers death and
the beginning of his surveying
career life was not easy for this boy
denied the dream of his life to &c
to England for his education, as had
his father and brothers. There was
little money and there seems little
to indicate that George had any
more boyish desires gratifled.
of Christmas, 1747, his diary re-
corded as to his stay at Mount Ver-
non with Lawrence's family: I'VE
dined on Irish goose with some beet
etc, and drank health to our ao-
sent friends"
The next three years found young
Washington in the employ OF Lore
Fairfax, surveying his vast estate
in the Northern Neck of Virginia
He is believed to have spent the
first of these Christmases at the
Ferry Farm with his mother and the
two others with Lord Fairfax al
Greenway Court.
Christmas, 1751, was spent aboaro
the ship Industry homeWard pouno
=, from Barbados, where he had le1'
Lawrence to recuperate, and where
he had spent month of severe Ill
ness with the smallpox. Lawrence
Washington came home to die IN
few months and the Christmas OF
1852 was a mixture of sorrow anc
elation. George grieved for his best
loved brother, but the death OF Law
rences last child brought the large
estate of Mount Vernon, dream o1
+ his boyhood that became reality
before boyhood had entirely passed
He was In Fredericksburg the latter
part of November. 1852, and natu.
rally joined the family at home.
The Christmas of 1853 proved tt
be different from any others he hac
ever spent. He was an adjutant gen.
eral of the militia with the title o.
major, was 81, had made the dan
gerous journey to Fort lie Boeu
taking Gov. Dinwiddies letter to L.
Guardier de st. Pierre, the French
commander, and had made the re
turn trip to Venango by Decembe
%, when the horses became so ex
hausted that it was decided to b
So useless to try to force them to breas
any more snowdrifts through tn
wilderness ahead of them. Christ
mas dinner in the snow-covere
forest far from their own stor
of provisions was vastly difteren
from the bountiful home table. Ma
Washington decided to make tn
rest of the way afoot. Before n
reached Williamsburg on Januar
l6 he had narrowly escaped deaf
twice. The Governor was so i'm
pressed with the journal OF the tri
that he had it printed and widel
distributed. Many historians clail
that it started the French and In
dian War.