Her Views of Correct Family Government--Secret of George's Correct Life--What Custis says about it--What Lawrence Washington said--Obedience commanded--How she commanded her Servants--Her One Book, next to the Bible, consulted--What Everett said of it--Quotations from it--They teach Honesty, Industry, Fidelity, Religion, etc.--Her Ancestry--Courage--Afraid of Lightning--Her Singular Dream--Weems' Explanation--Care of her Family--Mr. Sparks' Tribute--Irving's Tribute--Her Son visits her before going to War--Her Patriotism--Taking Charge of her Own Business--Her Joy over Cornwallis' Surrender--Her Son's Visit to her--The Ball, and his Staff introduced to her--Compared with Napoleon's Mother--Lafayette's Visit to her--Her Son's Visit to her before becoming President--Custis' description of the Scene--Her Death, Burial, and Monument--Jackson's Eulogy--John Adams' Words--The Mother of Such a Son, and the Son of Such a Mother 103 VII. YOUNG SURVEYOR. His Mother's Views about his Future--The Plea of Lawrence--Goes to Live at Mount Vernon--Lawrence's Eye on a Military Life for him--Lessons in "The Manual Exercise"--Lessons in "Fencing"--Reading Military Treatises--In the Family of William Fairfax--What the Latter thought of him--Meets Lord Fairfax--What Everett says of him--What Irving says--Reading Books and Fox Hunting--An Unexpected Proposition--Becomes a Surveyor--His Appearance now--Keeping a Journal--Extracts from Letter and Journal--Mode of Life described--Hardships--What Abbott and Everett say of his Hardships--Camping Out--In Indian Wigwam--His Journal describes a Scene--Other Entries--What he recorded--Sparks' Tribute to his Thoroughness as a Surveyor--Everett's Tribute--The Stevenson Family--Sports with the Seven Sons--Among his Officers, Later--Greenaway Court--Appointed Public Surveyor--In Training for the War of Seventy-six 132 VIII. MILITARY HONORS. The Proposition of Lawrence, and Discussion of it--Appointed Adjutant-general--Ill Health of Lawrence--Decides to spend the Winter in Barbadoes--George goes with him--Lawrence no Better--George has the Small-pox--Returns to Virginia in April--Lawrence returns in June and dies in Six Weeks--George one of his Executors--What Everett says of it--Enters Masonic Lodge--His Commission renewed--Duties pressing upon him--Signs of War--Encroachments by the French--The Claims of the Indians--What a Chief said--The Governor's Conference with Gist--Mission to the French proposed--George offers his Services--Interview with Governor Dinwiddie--A Copy of his Commission--His Companions--Visits his Mother--Letter to French Commander 150 IX. MISSION TO THE FRENCH.