The Life of George Washington. In Words of One SyllablePollard, Josephine
History
The Life of George Washington. In Words of One Syllable
Pollard, Josephine
Presidents -- United States -- Biography -- Juvenile literature; Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Juvenile literature
The group of boys were well scared at this sad end of their fun, and
scarce knew what to do. When they went back to the house Mrs.
Wash-ing-ton asked the boys if they had seen her fine breed of colts.
"The one I am most proud of," said she, "I am told is as large as his
sire." Some of the lads hung their heads and knew not what to say; but
George spoke up in his frank way and said that the colt was dead.
"Dead!" cried she; "and from what cause?"
Then George told her just what had been done, and how hard the beast
had fought to get free, and how at the last, with one wild fierce
plunge, he fell down and died.
A flush rose to the mo-ther's cheek, and then she said to her boy: "It
is well; but while I grieve at the loss of my fine colt, I feel a
pride and joy in my son, who speaks the truth at all times."
George was fond of his books too, and was so wise a lad, and so full
of thought, and had so keen a sense of what was just, that his
school-mates came to him when they got in-to a war of words, or of
blows, that he might say which side was right and which was wrong, and
thus put an end to the fight. This use of his mind made George look at
things in a clear light, and gave him that look of true pride which
all men of high mind, the real kings of earth, are wont to wear.
In due time George out-grew the Hob-by School, and was sent to live
with his half-bro-ther Au-gus-tine, at Bridg-es Creek, where there was
a school of a high grade. But George had no taste for Lat-in or Greek,
and liked best to do sums, and to draw maps. He wrote with great care,
page after page of what he called "Forms of Wri-ting."
These were notes of hand, bills of sale, deeds, bonds, and the like,
such as one would think a boy of 13 would not care much a-bout.
In this same book (it is kept to this day) George wrote out one
hun-dred and ten "Rules," which were to guide him in act and speech at
home and a-broad. Some few of these I will give you, that you may see
at how young an age this boy set out to train him-self, and fit
him-self for the high place he was to fill. It al-most seems as if he
must have known the high rank he was to take; but this could not be.
His soul was fixed on high things; he had; no low tastes; and he was
led by the hand of God.
Here are some of the rules that George Wash-ing-ton took as the guide
of his youth.
"In the pres-ence of o-thers sing not to your-self with a
hum-ming noise, nor drum with your fin-gers or feet.
"Sleep not when o-thers speak, sit not when o-thers stand,
speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not when
o-thers stop.
"Turn not your back to o-thers when speak-ing; jog not the
ta-ble or desk on which an-o-ther reads or writes; lean not
on a-ny one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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