Evening star., 1939-05-07

Owen Fauntleroy Runcie, founder OF
Minerva Society.
Cornelius Tiebout, French artist,
and George Davidson, another early
American scientist, and Ellinor
Fauntleroy, his wife.
Miss Mary is daughter of Will
liam Fountleroy and granddaugh-
ter of Joseph and Emily.
Her collection of family history
includes a picture of Betsy Faunt-
leroy, born in 1876 at MAYORS Hole,
Richmond County, Va, the daughter
OF 1t. Col. William Fauntleroy and
the second great-aunt of Miss Mary
Betsy, revealed as the 'Lowland
Beauty" left her impression on the
heart of George Washington. In
1872 the following extract from the
original letter of Washington to
Betsy's father was published in the
Alexandria Gazette over the sigma
ture of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. 1t read:
"Sir: L should have been down
long before this, but my business in
Frederick County detained me some
what longer than expected. And
Immediately upon my return from
there was taken down with violent
pleurisy, which has reduced me very
low. But propose as soon as I re-
cover my strength to wait upon
Miss Betsy" in hopes of revoca-
ton of the former cruel sentence.
And see if I cannot meet with any
alteration in my favor. I have en-
closed letter to her which should
be much obliged to you for delivery
of 1t. I have nothing to add but
my best respects to your good lady
and family and that I am, sir,
your most obedient servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON"
Rejected in his efforts to win her
hand, the dashing young Washing
ton later married Martha Custis,
who became the first of the Ma
tion's first ladies'.
Portrait In Alexandria.
An oil portrait OF Betsy Fauntle-
roy hangs in the George Washing
ton Memorial Lodge room in Alex
andria, with the printed copy of the
letter framed and hanging just
below.
How the family name came. to be
perpetuated by the fiction of
Frances Hodgson Burnett is one of
the most interesting stories told
by Miss Mary. The inspiration for
the story, Little Lord Fauntleroy,"
was Mrs. Burnett's own son, Vivian,
who once played in the building on
I street. 1t was in the third floor
den that the English-born Mrs. Bur-
nett wrote her classic.
To take up Miss Mary's story at
the very beginning, Henry Fauntle-
roy left New Harmony as young
man and went to Vincennes, Ind,
another town famous in American
history, and secured employment in
the Rathburn Bank. Fortune IA
vored him. He became director
of the bank. He fell in love with
Miss Isabelle Smythe, daughter of
Thomas Smythe, member OF an old
North Carolina family. They mar
ried and moved to Chicago, where
Mr.. Fauntleroy became quite land
owner. To them were born three
sons, one of them Thomas Smythe
Fauntleroy.
Thomas FauntlerOy.
Thomas Smythe Fauntleroy was
most successful in his business ven-
tures," recounted Miss Mary. HE
built handsome home in the resi-
Dental section adjoining the resi-
dence of Mrs. Mapes Dodge, in
Chicago. A strong friendship grew
up between the families. Mr.. Faunt-
leray appointed Mr.. Dodge's son to
an important position.
About this time," Miss Mary
continued, Mrs. Burnett wrote her
famous story and asked Mrs. Dodge,
editor of then famous st. Nicholas
Magazine, to publish it. She added,
in writing Mrs. Dodge, If you do not
accept this story, will you kindly
give me your criticism?'
Mrs. Dodge replied that she
thought it was a charming story
and would publish it. She would
have offered no criticism, but be-
cause she was asked she told Mrs.
Burnett she did not like the name
of the little lord in the story.
From Washington, Mrs. Burnett
wrote back Immediately: You prob
ably have a name in mind-name
him. Mrs. Dodge had no name in
mind when she first offered the
criticism, but in answer to Mrs. Bur-
nett, her reply was:
"It will give me great pleasure
to honor my friend, Thomas Smythe
Fauntleroy, who has been 50 helpful
to my son.
And so the story was published IN
the st. Nicholas Magazine as Little
Lord Fauntleroy'," Miss Mary de-
clared. Thomas smythe Fauntleroy,
now dead, was her first cousin.