Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

shallow boast of a fine skin, which time so quickly tarnishes, nor of those short-lived roses, which sometimes wither almost as soon as blown. But it sprung from the heart-from the divine and benevolent affections, which spontaneously gave to her eyes, her looks, her voice and her manners, such angelic charms, that I could never look on her, without exclaiming with the poet, O!

"She was nearest heaven of all on earth I knew;
And all but adoration was her due."

For two such kindred souls to love, it was only necessary that they should meet. Their friendship commenced with the first hour of their acquaintance, and was soon matured to marriage, which took place about the 27th year of Washington's life. His lady was, I believe, six months younger.

But that it is contrary to the rules of biography, to begin with the husband and end with the wife, I could relate of that most excellent lady those things which the public would greatly delight to hear. However, gratitude to that bright saint, now in heaven, who was my noblest benefactress, while I preached in her parish, compels me to say, that her virtues and charities were of that extensive and sublime sort, as fully to entitle her hic jacet to the following noble epitaph, a little altered, from one of the British poets.

Underneath this marble hearse,
Lies the subject of all verse.

Custis' widow-great George's wife-
Death! ere thou robb'st another life,

Virtuous, fair, and good as she,

Christ shall launch a dart at thee.

CHAPTER VIII.

Washington's mother has a very curious dream-it points to great coming trouble-a cloud arising in England-the causes of the revolutionary war.

WHEN a man begins to make a noise in the world, his relatives, (the Father, sometimes, but, always that tenderer parent, the Mother) are sure to recollect certain mighty odd dreams, which they had of him when he was a child. What rare dreams, for example, had the mothers of " Macedonia's madman, and the Swede," while pregnant with those butchers of the human race! Mrs. Washington also had her dream, which an excellent old Lady of Fredericks. burg assured me she had often heard her relate with great satisfaction; and, for the last time, but a few weeks before her death.

"I dreamt," said the Mother of Washington, "that I was sitting in the piazza of a large new house, into which we had but lately moved. George, at that time about five years old, was in the garden with his corn-stalk plough, busily running little furrows in the sand, in imitation of Negro Dick, a fiue black boy, with whose ploughing George was so delighted that it was sometimes difficult to get him to his dinner. And so as I was sitting in the piazza at my work, I suddenly heard in my dream a kind of roaring noise on the eastern side of the house. On running out to see what was the matter, I beheld a dreadful sheet of fire bursting from the roof. The sight struck me with a horror which took away my strength, and threw me, almost senseless, to the ground. My husband and the servants, as I saw in my dream, soon came up; but, like myself, were so terrified at the sight, that they could make no attempt to extinguish the flames. In this most distressing state, the image of my little son came, I thought, to my mind.

more dear and tender than ever: and turning towards the garden where he was engaged with his little corn-stalk plough, I screamed out twice with all my might, George! George!-In a moment, as I thought, he threw down his mimic plough, and ran to me saying," High! Ma! what makes you call so angry! 'an't I a good boy-don't I always run to you soon as I hear you call?" I could make no reply, but just threw up my arms towards the flame. He looked up and saw the house all on fire: but instead of bursting out a crying, as might have been expected from a child, he instantly brightened up, and seemed ready to fly to extinguish it. But first looking at me with great tenderness, he said, "Oh, Ma! don't be afraid: God Almighty will help us, and we shall soon put it out." His looks and words revived our spirits in so wonderful a manner, that we all instantly set about to assist him. A ladder was presently brought, on which, as I saw in my dream, he ran up with the nimbleness of a squirrel; and the servants supplied him with water, which he threw on the fire from an American gourd. But that growing weaker, the flame appeared to gain ground, breaking forth and roaring most dreadfully, which so frightened the servants, that many of them, like persons in despair, began to leave him. But he, still undaunted, continued to ply it with water, animating the servants at the same time, both by his word and actions. For a long time the contest appeared very doubtful: but at length a venerable old man, with a tall cap and an iron rod in his hand, like a lightning rod, reached out to him a curious little trough, like a wooden shoe! On receiving this, he redoubled his exertions, and soon extinguished the fire. Our joy on the occasion was unbounded. But he, on the contrary, showing no more of transport now than of terror before, looked rather sad at sight of the great harm that had been done. Then I saw in my dream that after some time spent as in deep thought, he called out with

[ocr errors]

much joy, "Well, Ma! now if you and the family will but consent, we can make a far better roof than this ever was; a roof of such a quality, that if well kept together, it will last for ever; but if you take it apart, you will make the house ten thousand times worse than it was before."

This, though certainly a very curious dream, needs no Daniel to interpret it; especially if we take Mrs. Washington's new house, for the young Colony Government-the fire on its east side, for North's civil war-the gourd which Washington first employed, for the American three and six months enlistments -the old man with his cap and iron rod, for Doctor Franklin-the shoe-like vessel which he reached to Washington, for the Sabot or wooden-shoed nation, the French, whom Franklin courted a long time for America and the new roof proposed by Washington, for a staunch honest Republic-that "equal government," which, by guarding alike the welfare of all, ought by all to be so heartily beloved as to endure for ever.

Had it been appointed unto any man to quaff unmingled happiness in this life, George Washington had been that man. For where is that pleasurable ingredient with which his cup was not full and overflowing?

Crowned with honours-laden with riches-blest with health-and in the joyous prime of 27, sharing each rural sweet in the society of a charming woman who doated on him, he surely bid fair to spend his days and nights of life in ceaseless pleasure.—But ah!-as sings the sweet bard of Zion,

Our days, alas! our mortal days,

Are short and wretched too!
"Evil and few!" the Patriarch says,

And well the Patriarch knew!

'Tis but at best, a narrow bound,

That Heaven allots to men;

And pains and sins run through the round
Of three-score years and ten!

[ocr errors]

From this, the universal lot, not Washington himself could obtain exemption. For in the midst of his favourite labours, of the plough and pruning-hook, covering his extensive farms with all the varied delights of delicious fruits and golden grain, of lowing herds and snowy flocks, he was suddenly called on by his country, to turn his plough-share into a sword, and go forth to meet a torrent of evils which threatened her. The fountain of those evils, whence at length flowed the great civil war, which for ever separated Britain and her children, I proceed now briefly to state.

After the reduction of Canada, the British officers who commanded on that expedition, came to Boston and New York, on a visit to their American brethren in arms, who had served with them in that war. Soon as their arrival was announced, the Americans flew to meet and welcome them. They were paraded through the streets as the saviours of the land-the doors of all were thrown open to receive them—and every day, during their stay, was spent in feasting and public dinners, which, for the sake of their beloved guests, were made as splendid as possible, though always through the aid of obliging neighbours. The rooms glittered with borrowed plate-wines of every vintage sparkled on the crowded side-boards -while the long extended tables were covered with the finest fish and flesh, succeeded by the richest des'serts. The British officers were equally charmed and astonished at such elegant hospitality, and, on their return to England, gave full scope to their feelings. They painted the colonial wealth in the colourings of romance; and spoke of the Americans as a people, who, in comparison of the British, lived like kings.

Thus, American hospitality, by a strange perversion, had nearly destroyed American Liberty! For, from that time, the British ministry began to look upon the Americans with an evil eye, and to devise

« ZurückWeiter »