Year: 1871

The story rests upon the slighte:


foundation, and it is safe to disregar


it. Great housekeepers, however, ar


not usually noted for amiabiliy c


disposition, and ladies whose hu:
bands are very famous, are apt to b


over run with company, which is no


conductive to domestic peace, no
does it tend to curb the license of
woman's tongue to remember that, a


her marriage, she brought her HUSBAND


vast increase, both in his estate an,
of his importance in the social system


How far George Washington was


in his youth, from anticipating tn


splendid career that awaited him


He was by no means 50 favored ii


fortune and family as his biographer


wculd have us believe. Every reade


I suppose, remembers the fine tale


which even Mr.. Irving repeats, OF. thu


youthful Washington getting mid


shipmans commission and yielding i


to his mothers tears. There lay thu


British men of-war at anchor in the


river. The boat was on the shore


the lads trunk was packed; and,


think, his uniform was on. But, Al


the last moment, the tender youth


overcome by his mothers tears, de
iclined to go. ghe truth was this:


His mother, left widow, was anx
ious for the future of her boy, four
teen years of age, whose only inner
itance was farm and tract of land on
the Rappahannock. of no great value
Or promise. She was advised to
send the lad to sea, before the mast, in
one Of the tobacco ships that so often
ascend the broad rivers of Virginia.
She was for while disposed to favor
the scheme. But her brother, Joseph
Ball, a London lawyer, in large
practice, demonstrated against her
sacrificing her son in that way, and
advised her to bring him up a
planter.


81 understand" he wrote, "that
you are advised, and have since
thought of putting your son George
to sea. L think he had better be put
apprenti e to a tinker, for common
sailor before the mast has by no
means the common liberty of the
subject; for they will press him from
q ship where he has fifty shillings a
month, and make him take twenty
three, and cut and slash, and use him
like dog. And as to any considera-
bic preferment in the navy, it is not
to be expected, as there are always so
many gaping for it here who have
interest; and he has none"


He proceeds to tell her that Vir-
ginia planter, with three or four hun
dred acres of land, and three or four
slaves, has great deal better chance
of winning a comfortable and indepen-
dent position than even the captain of
merchant ship-and it was far from
being easy to get to be captain
George" he concluded. "must not
be in too great haste to be rich, nor
aim at being free gentleman before
his time" but ''go on gently and with
patience. The mother accepted this
view Of the situation, and the boy was
not cut and slashcd on board the ship.
He learned, as we all know. the busi-
ness of surveyor, and practiced that
vocation until The death of his brother
gave him a competent estate.


He was Colonel commanding the
Virginia troops, twenty-seven years of
age, and shining with the lustre of the
fame recently won on Braddock' s field
when first the rich young widow Custis
cast upon him admiring eyes. He
was riding booted and spurred, in hot
haste, from headquarters to the CAPT
ital of the province, where he was TO
confer with the Governor concerning
the defense of the frontiers. Within
a few miles of his destination, he was
pressed by friend to stay to dinner.
With extreme reluctance he consent
ed, intending to mount the moment
the meal was over. At the table he
met the widow, and was captivated.
The horses were paving at the door,
but the young Colonel came not forth.
The afternoon flew by, yet he came
not. Evening drew on, and the hor-
ses were taken back to the stable and
Colonel Washington had made up his
mind to stop all night. 1t was not till
the next morning that he rode away.


Within a year they were married at
the "White House," which was her
home, and they took up their abode
at Mount Vernon soon after. Her
first husband had left vast esate in
lands, and forty five thousand pounds
in money, one third of which was hers,
and now became the joint property of
Colonel Washington and herself. =
By their marriage, he became one of
the richest men in Virginia. She also
gained an excellent husband, and her
three children a wise and careful
father.


If any lady in Virginia could claim
from the cares and labors
If a household, on account Of her vast
wealth and social standing it was Mrs.
She had been an heir
,ss and Il beauty. For generations
Ter ancestors had been persons of
wealth and high consideration. Her
irst husband possessed great fortune
nd her second was the most illustri-
us parsonage of his time But she
leemed it a privilege to attend to the
etails of housekeeping, and regarded
he days when she was obliged to shine
n the drawibg-room as "lost.''


1