Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-02-17

ever soften with tenderness or
CLEAN with the quick light of love.
His massive head, firm, thin
mouth and commanding presence
unite to make us think of him as a
cold man wrapped iE his own
righteousness which knew neither
pity nor mercy.
He was stern man, with lofty
ideals of duty and honor, but un-
der this exterior we find tender
ness of heart that caused him to
weep over the terrible slaughter of
Maryland's boys at the battle of
Long Island, sympathy that led
him to take the musket from a
hungry sentinel at Valley Forge
and gravely walk up and down, do
ing guard duty while the hungry
soldier found a morsel of food
from their scanty store.
But it does require a great
stretch of the Imagination to pic
ture General Washington moving
in the gay throng at social func-
tions as one of the most beautiful
dancers of his day, a dancer who
put into it a relish and abandon
that kept him on the floor for an
hour or two at time without once
sitting down. Indeed, l was told
that upon the occasion of little
dance at General Greene's quar-
tiers one evening the commander
in-chief and Mrs. Greene danced
upwards of three hours without
sitting down.
Washington was always seen at
his best when in the company of
women. At his wife's receptions he
met her guests with an affability
and air of good fellowship that
soon put them at their ease.
One young lady left on record
her impressions of the famous man
seen in his own home when she
wrote to a friend: "When General
Washington throws off the hero
and becomes the chatty, agreeable
companion, he can be downright
impudent sometimes-such an i'm
pudence, Fanny, as you and like"
1t was in 1855 that George
Washington on a mission to Bos-
ton stopped in New York where
he was entertained by a fellow Vir-
ginian, Beverly Robinson. 1t was
in this pleasant home that he met
and lost his heart to Mrs. Robin
sons sister, beautiful Mary Phil
lipse, the heiress of Phillipse Man
or on the Hudson.
He fingered as long in her COM
pany as his sense of duty allowed
him, both on the way to Boston and
returning, but he seems to have
been unable to overcome his shy
ness and left for his Southern
home without putting into words
his very evident feeling and wishes.
Before his departure, however,
he took the precaution to confide
his secret to friend who promised
to make for him a proposal of mar
rage on the first suspicious occa-
sion. But somehow the friend
failed in the trust reposed in him,
and another sutton appeared on the
scene and while Washington wait
ed in suspense, Colonel Robert
Morris won the fair lady's heart
and led her to the altar.
Before this, Washington had
been smitten by the charms of at
least two Virginia maidens while
he was an officer in the Virginia
line and even wrote poetry to some
of the fair sex before the plump
and comely widow GUSTS chained
his wandering fancy.
1t was love at first sight with
them both, his former shyness dis
appeared and in three months
time he was writing as ardent love
letters to her as any woman could
desire. His choice proved a fortu-
nate one. Though she was one of
the richest women in Virginia she
was a notable housewife and had
much of his habit of methodical
routine, and the love with which
they began life endured through
the forty years they spent as hus-
band and wife. She was his Dear
est Patsy" to the very end.
Miss Lewis was an intimate
friend of my aunt and spent three
years in her home. She was always
ready and eager to talk of "Great
Uncle Washington" and l was
equally eager to hear what she
had to say. She bore a very strong
resemblance to her famous uncle.