[Sidenote: =The mother of Washington=] Washington's father owned more than one plantation, and had many negro slaves. He was also a partner in some iron mines, and once had been captain of a ship carrying iron ore to London. It was in London that he had fallen in love with Mary Ball, called, on account of her beauty, the "Rose of Epping Forest." She, too, was a Virginian, and she married Augustine Washington, and became the greatly revered mother of George. [Sidenote: =School in Fredericksburg=] When George was but three years old his parents moved to the plantation on the Rappahannock. Across the river, in the old town of Fredericksburg, George went to a school taught by the church sexton. Both teachers and schools were scarce in Virginia then because the people lived miles apart on their great plantations. [Illustration: THE BOYHOOD HOME OF WASHINGTON _Here on the site of the farmhouse, a slope on the river bank, stands the first monument erected to Washington, the bricks from the great chimney forming its foundation_] In Washington's day the plantations were usually located on the rivers or bays. The rivers were the best roadways in those old times. Besides, the planter was glad to have the yearly ship from London stop at his door. [Sidenote: =The yearly ship from London=] The coming of the ship brought happy days to the young people, for it often brought furniture for the house and fine clothes for the family. Sometimes, too, it brought back some long-absent son or daughter, or letters from relatives in the old English home. Then there were the stories such as only sailors can tell. When all the stores of tobacco and grain had been loaded, once more the great ship spread her wings and sailed away. Then many a Virginia boy longed to go on board and sail away, too. [Sidenote: =Mary Washington=] George's father died and left him, at the age of eleven, to the care of his mother. Mary Washington was a wise, firm mother, and always held the love and admiration of her children. [Sidenote: =The eldest son in Virginia=] According to the custom of those old Virginia days, the eldest son, Lawrence Washington, received the beautiful plantation on the Potomac, which he named Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral Vernon, an English naval officer under whom he had fought in the West Indies. [Sidenote: =George studied hard and played hard=] To George fell a smaller plantation on the Rappahannock. He could hardly hope to go to England to study, but went to a school near his birthplace. Here he studied hard, mastering mathematics, and business papers of all sorts. The book into which he copied business letters, deeds, wills, and bills of sale and exchange shows how careful he was and how he mastered everything he undertook.