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
Wash-ing-ton felt most of all as he wrote to his friends, a fear lest
he should come short of what the land hoped to find in him. The eyes
of the world were on him. He had won fame in the field, but how would
he rule the State? There was still much to be done. Great Brit-ain
held some of the posts at the West, on the plea that debts due to some
of her men had not been paid; the red-men were still a source of fear
to the homes in the Wild West; and there was no hard cash with which
the States could pay their debts.
He found that his time was no more his own. From dawn till dark men
came to him, and he saw that he must be saved from this or he could do
no work. Mrs. Wash-ing-ton joined him and soon days were fixed for the
calls of friends. The house was kept well, but there was no waste. One
who dined there wrote that there was no show. The Pres-i-dent said a
short grace as he sat down. One glass of wine was passed to each, and
no toasts were drank. He was kind to his guests and strove to put them
at their ease. He was strict in the way he kept the Lord's day. He
went to church and would have no calls on that day.
As to Mrs. Wash-ing-ton, those who knew her at the time speak of her
as free from all art. She met her guests in a well-bred way as one who
had ruled in a great house. She, too, was more fond of their home at
Mount Ver-non than of the new rank and place. To stay at home was the
first and most dear wish of her heart.
Wash-ing-ton was touched to the quick when he heard that I some one
had said that there was more pomp at his house than at St. James,
where King George held his court, and that his bows were much too
stiff and cold.
Wash-ing-ton wrote, "I grieve that my bows were not to his taste, for
they were the best I can make. I can say with truth that I feel no
pride of place, and would be more glad to be at Mount Ver-non with a
few friends at my side, than here with men from all the courts of the
world." He then goes on to tell how they treat their guests. "At two
or three o'clock each Tues-day they come and go. They go in and out of
the rooms and chat as they please. When they first come in they speak
to me, and I talk with all I can. What pomp there is in all this I do
not see!"
The red-men, who could not be kept in peace, roused the land once more
to arms. Wash-ing-ton did not wish for war, but he had to call out
troops. They went forth and laid waste In-di-an towns. Wash-ing-ton
thought it would be a good plan to meet the In-di-an chiefs and talk
with them. Three chiefs came to him, and said they would go to the
rest and try to make peace. Wash-ing-ton made a set speech and told
them it would be a good work to do, or else those tribes, "if they
thieved and killed as they had done, would be swept from the face of
the earth."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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