The History of England - a Study in Political Evolution

n love with Mrs. Mar-tha Cus-tis. Her home was known as the White House, and here she dwelt

ut Wash-ing-ton, so calm and grave, and with his way yet to make in the

and was proud to be the wife of such a man, so

ive at Mount Ver-non, where he spent much of his tim

ws for the State, and no man was tho

ro-ther, Law-rence, of whom he was so fond. The house stood on a knoll, and near it were wild woods an

ld go out two or three times a week, with dogs and horns and trained stee

t be found on the streams close at hand. Or he would scour the woods for the game with w

ear Mount Ver-non and shoot just what game he chose. More than once he had been told to leave and not come back

is horse, dashed through bush and brake, and soon came up to the rogue who had just time to jump in his boat and push from shor

ore. Then he sprang from his horse, wrenched the gun from the thief's hand, and laid on the lash i

hey had a large force of slaves, and made great feasts for their friends. One of them used to come out in a r

-back. Some-times he and his wife went to An-na-po-lis, to a ball or feast of some sort, where Wash-ing-ton took part in the dance,

e, he would read, or spend the t

sick, but was quick to see that they did not shirk their work. He knew, too,

long it took them to get their cross-cut saw and the rest of their tools; how long to cut off the limbs from the tree they had laid low; how long to hew and saw it; what time they s

e dam had broke loose, and the mill would soon be swept off, he ran at the head of all his slaves

d thoughts, that he could not be said to live quite at his

s put up with so much care, and was of such a good kind and so true in weight that all that bore

where all the goods had to be bought tha

oughs, hoes, scythes, horse-goods, and clothes for all the house-hold. For these l

new suit of clothes, said he was six feet in height, q

ce, and rest, and joy. He was fond of his home, and felt as much pride in Nel-lie and John Parke Cus-tis as if they had been his own boy and girl. Nel-li

then all their hopes were placed on the son, who bade fair to be

th-drawn from those who bore arms he took no part in it It was called Pon-ti-ac's war, as it w

welt in them robbed and slain; and so sly and shrewd were the red-skins that

ld add much to his wealth. But the scheme did not work well. It was first tried in Bos-ton, and set all the folks there by the ears. They claimed that they had rights as well as the

the goods. This was known as the Stamp Act. The folks in A-mer-i-ca were poor. They had not the means to pay this tax. The thought

force, and all New Eng-land was in arms. At Bos-ton bells were tolle

as borne through the streets on a pol

d a strong guard from a ship-of-war. The mob broke in-to his coach-house, drew out his coach, put in it a for

ck to Bow-ling Green, where the whole thing-coach and all-was burnt

t, and to none more than to George Wash-ing-ton. But he made it known that he felt it to be his right as their king t

his home, and was loath to break the chain that bound him to it. But he did not think well of the

on set out from Mount Ver-non on horse-back to take his seat with them. With him were Pat-rick Hen-ry and Ed-mund Pen-dle

made a strong speech at the close of which he said, "All A-mer-i-ca is throw

te in which he was born, but by the name of the land wh

deeds. But what he said was of great weight

nd Wash-ing-ton went back to Mount Ver-non. But not to the gay times and good cheer he once had known. George Fair-fax-who

Troops were kept on drill, and the roll of the drum was heard in all the small towns. Men came to talk with Wa

an inch. A large force of the best men in Vir-gin-i-a met at Rich-mond, March 20, 1

it in-to words that rang through the land: "We must fight! I repeat it, Sir, w

-tine, that if there was need of it he would lead troops to war, and risk hi