Fairfax, were occasionally guests at Mount Vernon, as Washington's diaries show. I am inclined to believe that while it is true that Washington entertained a high regard for the Cary family and particularly the ladies, there is nothing but the lightest gossip to create an inference that there ever was even an incipient affair of the heart between either of the Misses Cary and Washington.] [Footnote 52: Lowland beauty.--Who this object of Washington's early admiration was, if she had a veritable existence, is not positively known. Irving, followed by Everett and others, accepts the tradition, or rather surmises, that this sobriquet referred to Miss Lucy Grymes of Westmoreland county, who in 1753 married Henry Lee, Esq. Their son was the gallant General Henry Lee, "Lighthorse Harry," of the Revolution. Some recent writers, affect to believe that this draft of a letter is conclusive that there was a real love affair but that Betsy Fauntleroy, of Fredericksburg, Va., was the person referred to, and have published a letter purporting to have been addressed by Washington to William Fauntleroy, Sr., Esq., in Richmond, enclosing one to Miss Betsy, who, it is made to appear, had also refused Washington's addresses. Letters and traditions of this character should be received with caution, for while vague reports and surmises of an affair of the heart may be dilated upon in a bantering way among friends of the parties where there is little or no foundation for the allegation, yet they should be subjected to scrutiny and some positive evidence adduced before they are accepted as historical facts.] DEAR SALLY This comes to Fredericksburg fair in hopes of meeting with a speedy Passage to you if your not there which hope you'l get shortly altho I am almost discouraged from writing to you as this is my fouth to you since I receiv'd any from yourself I hope you'l not make the Old Proverb good out of sight out of Mind as its one of the greatest Pleasures I can yet foresee of having in Fairfax in often hearing from you hope you'l not deny it me I Pass the time of much more agreeabler than what I imagined I should as there's a very agreeable Young Lady lives in the same house where I reside (Col^o George Fairfax's Wife Sister) that in a great Measure cheats my sorrow and dejectedness tho not so as to draw my thoughts altogether from your Parts I could wish to be with you down there with all my heart but as it is a thing almost Impractakable shall rest myself where I am with hopes of shortly having some Minutes of your transactions in your Parts which will be very welcomely receiv'd by Your DEAR SIR--It would be the greatest Satisfaction