From Farm House to the White House Part 35

"Four pairs Calimanco do.

"Four pairs leather pumps.

Six pairs fine thread stockings.

"Four pairs worsted do.

"Half piece flowered dimity.

"Two yards fine cambric, at 10s.

"Two caps, two pairs ruffles, two tuckers, bibs, and ap.r.o.ns, if fashionable.

"Two fans, two masks, two bonnets.

"Two m. minikins, one cloth cloak.

"One stiffened coat of fashionable silk, made to packthread stays.

"Six yards ribbon.

"Two necklaces.

"One pair silver sleeve b.u.t.tons, with stone.

"One fashionable, dressed baby, 10s., and other toys, 10s.

"Six pocket handkerchiefs."

This insight into the early wedded life of Washington, a hundred and twenty years ago, upsets the notions of those people, in our day, who suppose that the sway of fashion belongs to modern times only.

Mrs. Washington was proverbially kind to her slaves, though not more so than her husband. They const.i.tuted a part of her family, for whom she had to provide both in health and sickness. This fact explains several entries in his journal concerning the quant.i.ty of provisions used. For example, one entry is, "Although we keep one hundred and one cows, we have to buy some b.u.t.ter."

Among their slaves were all kinds of artificers--carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers, tailors, wheel-wrights, and so forth. All these were indispensable on such an establishment, since a plantation must necessarily produce whatever ordinary use required. This arrangement imposed increased burdens upon the master of the plantation and the mistress of the house.

Mrs. Washington was as domestic in the house as her husband was practical on the farm. His journal shows that, unlike many of the large planters, he labored with his men on the plantation.

"Fitted a two-eyed plough instead of a duck-bill plough, and with much difficulty made my chariot wheel-horses plough. Put the pole-end horses into the plough in the morning, and put in the postilion and hind horses in the afternoon; but the ground being well swarded over, and very heavy ploughing, I repented putting them in at all, for fear it should give them a habit of stopping in the chariot."

"Spent the greater part of the day in making a new plough of my own invention."

"Bottled thirty-five dozen of cider."

"Seven o'clock a messenger came to inform me that my mill was in great danger of being destroyed by the flood. I immediately hurried off all hands, with shovels, etc., to its a.s.sistance, and got there myself just time enough to give it a reprieve for this time, by wheeling gravel into the place the water had washed."

"Surveyed some lines of my Mount Vernon tract of land."

"Employed in running some lines between me and Mr. William Triplet."

"Surveyed the water-courses of my Mount Vernon tract of land, taking advantage of the ice."

"Laid out a road from Mount Vernon to the lane of Mr. Marley's."

Irving says of Washington: "He was an early riser, often before day-break in the winter, when the nights were long. On such occasions he lit his own fire and wrote or read by candle-light. He breakfasted at seven in summer and eight in winter. Two small cups of tea and three or four cakes of Indian meal (called hoe-cakes) formed his frugal repast.

Immediately after breakfast he mounted his horse, and visited those parts of the estate where any work was going on, seeing to everything with his own eyes, and often aiding with his own hands."

Soon after he introduced his wife to his Mount Vernon estate, he began to improve and adorn the grounds. He made lawns, laid out walks and avenues, set out a great number of ornamental trees, and planted orchards of fruit-trees. He posted himself as far as possible in the science of agriculture, and made many improvements upon his plantations, by reclaiming land and increasing the productive power of the soil.

Once he conceived the idea of reclaiming the Great Dismal Swamp, and actually explored it with reference to that ultimate purpose. Through his agency, the incorporated company known as the Dismal Swamp Company was organized. "This vast mora.s.s was about thirty miles long and ten miles wide, and its interior but little known" until Washington explored it, and found a lake six miles long and three miles wide near its centre.

The large number of guests at Mount Vernon, and Washington's enjoyment in hunting, fishing, and visiting, particularly in winter time, when the cares of his plantation were less numerous, appear from his journal. In the month of January, 1770, are the following entries:

"2. Mr. Peake dined here.

"4. Went hunting with John Custis and Lund Washington. Started a deer, and then a fox, but got neither.

"5. Went to Muddy Hole and Dogue Run. Took the dogs with me, but found nothing. Warner Washington and Mr. Thurston came in the evening.

"6. The two Col. Fairfaxes dined here, and Mr. R. Alexander and the two gentlemen that came the day before.

"8. Went hunting with Mr. Alexander, J. Custis, and Lund Washington. Killed a fox after three hours' chase. Mr. Thurston came in the afternoon.

"9. Went a ducking, but got nothing, the creek and rivers being frozen. Robert Adam dined here.

"10. Went hunting on the Neck, and visited the plantation there, and killed a fox after treeing it three times and chasing it three hours.

"13. Dined at Belvoir with Mrs. Washington and Mr. and Miss Custis.

"15. Went up to Alexandria, expecting court, but there was none.

[He was county judge.]

"20. Went hunting with Jackay Custis, and killed a fox after a three hours' chase.

"23. Went hunting after breakfast, and found a fox at Muddy Hole and killed her. Mr. Temple and Mr. Robert Adam dined here.

"27. Went hunting; and after tracking a fox a good while, the dogs raised a deer and ran out of the Neck with it, and did not come home till the next day.

"28. Mr. Temple came here.

"29. Dined at Belvoir with J. P. Custis.

"30. Went hunting, and having found a deer, it ran to the head of the Neck before we could stop the dogs. Mr. Peake dined here."

In the following month, February, fox-hunting occupied nine days, and five days were given to surveying.

The laws of Virginia were very strict against interlopers on the Potomac. They were a great nuisance to the wealthy planters on its banks. Fishing and duck-hunting lured them thither. One day Mrs.

Washington remarked to her husband, "I think that strangers are at the landing."

"Are you sure they are strangers?"