Twice he joked about his own death. “As I have heard,” he said after Braddock’s defeat, “since my arrival at this place, a circumstancial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first, and of assuring you, that I have not as yet composed the latter.” Many years later, in draughting a letter for his wife, he wrote,— “I am now by desire of the General to add a few words on his behalf; which he desires may be expressed in the terms following, that is to say,—that despairing of hearing what may be said of him, if he should really go off in an apoplectic, or any other fit (for he thinks all fits that issue in death are worse than a love fit, a fit of laughter, and many other kinds which he could name)—he is glad to hear _beforehand_ what will be said of him on that occasion; conceiving that nothing extra will happen between _this_ and _then_ to make a change in his character for better, or for worse. And besides, as he has entered into an engagement … not to quit _this_ world before the year 1800, it may be _relied upon_ that no breach of contract shall be laid to him on that account, unless dire necessity should bring it about, maugre all his exertions to the contrary. In that same, he shall hope they would do by him as he would do by them—excuse it. At present there seems to be no danger of his thus giving them the slip, as neither his health nor spirits, were ever in greater flow, notwithstanding, he adds, he is descending, and has almost reached the bottom of the hill; or in other words, the shades below. For your particular good wishes on this occasion he charges me to say that he feels highly obliged, and that he reciprocates them with great cordiality.” Other social qualities of the man cannot be passed over. A marked trait was his extreme fondness of afternoon tea. “Dined at Mr. Langdon’s, and drank Tea there, with a large circle of Ladies;” “in the afternoon drank Tea … with about 20 ladies, who had been assembled for the occasion;” “exercised between 5 & 7 o’clock in the morning & drank Tea with Mrs. Clinton (the Governor’s Lady) in the afternoon;” “Drank tea at the Chief Justice’s of the U. States;” “Dined with the Citizens in public; and in the afternoon, was introduced to upwards of 50 ladies who had assembled (at a Tea party) on the occasion;” “Dined and drank tea at Mr. Bingham’s in great splendor.” Such are the entries in his diary whenever the was “kettle-a-boiling-be” was within reach. Pickering’s journal shows that tea served regularly at head-quarters, and at Mount Vernon it was drunk in summer on the veranda. In writing to Knox of his visit to Boston, Washington mentioned his recollection of the chats over tea-drinking, and of how “social and gay” they were.