From Farm House to the White House Part 7

Lawrence was strongly attached to his young brother in whom he discovered the elements of a future n.o.ble manhood. He delighted to have him at his Mount Vernon home, and insisted that he should spend all his time there when out of school. It was during a vacation that Lawrence examined his maps and copy-books, as narrated, George having brought them with him for his brother to inspect.

One of George's copy-books attracted much attention in school, because it was unlike that of any other scholar, and it was an original idea with him.

"What do you call it, George, and what do you ever expect to do with it?" inquired a school-mate.

"You can call it what you please," replied George. "I expect that it will be of great service to me when I become a man."

"That is looking a long way ahead, it seems to me," rejoined his companion. "I prefer to know what will be of service to me _now_. You can scarcely tell what will be best for you when you become a man."

"I know that what I am copying into that book will be of use to me in manhood, because men use these forms. I call it a 'Book of Forms' for the want of a better name." And George's words denoted entire confidence in his original idea of the use of forms.

"Well, the book looks well anyway," continued his school-mate holding the copy-book up to view. "As to that, I should like to see any work of yours that does not look well. But what are these forms, anyhow?"

"They are receipts, bills of exchange, notes of hand, deeds, wills, land-warrants, bonds and useful forms of that kind," answered George.

"If I have them here in this book together, they will be convenient for use ten or twenty years hence."

"Yes, I see; you can run a lawyer's office on that book," suggested his friend.

"A farmer's office, you mean. A farmer may find use for every form there is in that book; and if he does not, it will be no disadvantage to him to understand them."

"You are right, George, as you are usually. I shall know where to go for a form when I want to make my will," remarked his companion in a complimentary way.

"And I shall be glad to serve you without charge provided you remember me," responded George. "I predict that many men will live who will be glad to consult this book to help them out of difficulties."

Perhaps the forethought and sagacity of George were foreshadowed more clearly by this copy-book than by any other. Its reference to the necessities of manhood was so plain and direct as to prove that he kept preparation for that period of life constantly in view. This book has been carefully preserved, and may be seen to-day at Mount Vernon.

Another ma.n.u.script volume of his which has been preserved is a book of arithmetical problems. It was customary, when George attended school, to write the solution of problems in arithmetic in a blank-book--not the result merely, but the whole process of solution. Sometimes the rules were copied, also, into the book. It was a very good practice for a studious, persevering, conscientious boy like George; but the method was a wretched one for certain indolent pupils to whom study was penance; for this cla.s.s often relied upon these ma.n.u.script volumes to furnish problems solved, instead of resorting to hard study. They were pa.s.sed around among the idle scholars clandestinely, to help them over hard places without study. Mr. Williams forbade the deceitful practice, and punished pupils who were discovered in the cheat; nevertheless, poor scholars continued to risk punishment rather than buckle down to persistent study. There is no doubt that George's book of problems, copied in his clear, round hand, did considerable secret service in this way. But the preparation of it was an excellent discipline for George.

Neatness, application, perseverance, thoroughness, with several other qualities, were indispensable in the preparation of so fair a book.

In another copy-book George displayed a talent for sketching and drawing, which elicited Mr. Williams' commendation.

"That portrait is well executed," he said. "You have a talent in that direction, evidently; the likeness is good." It was the face of one of the scholars, drawn with his pen.

"Have you practised much in this art?" continued Mr. Williams.

"No, sir; only a little, for amus.e.m.e.nt."

"Just to see what you could do?" added Mr. Williams, inquiringly.

"Yes, that is all."

"Well, I advise you to cultivate your talent for drawing. These animals are well done, too. Practise will give you an ability in this line, which may prove of real service to you in future years."

George had drawn animals, also, in the book, and he had given wings to some birds with a flourish of his pen, showing both taste and tact in the use of the pen. George was not a boy who believed in _flourishes_, except those executed in ink. His interest in the art of penmanship drew his attention to these as ornamental and ingenious.

"A facile use of the pen will always be serviceable to you," he said to George. "No one can become too skilful in wielding it. But it requires much careful practise."

"I have discovered that," answered George. "I do not expect to excel in the art of penmanship."

"You may, with your application and perseverance," responded his teacher. "'Perseverance conquers all things,' it is said, and I believe it."

"But I have not time for everything," remarked George. "Odd moments are all the time I can devote to such things."

"And odd moments have done much for some boys," added his teacher.

"Fragments of time well improved have made some men ill.u.s.trious."

"It will take larger fragments of time than I have to make me ill.u.s.trious," suggested George, dryly.

"Perhaps not; you are not authorized to come to such a conclusion.

There are too many facts known to warrant it. Your industry and resolution are equal to it."

George accepted the compliment in silence with his usual modesty, considerably encouraged by his teacher's words to persevere in doing things well.

This copy-book, containing sketches of his companions and pen-pictures of birds and beasts, has been carefully preserved with others. It is a valuable relic, too, as showing that George was not always the sedate, serious boy he has generally been represented to be; for some of these sketches border upon the comical, and evidently were intended to bring a smile over the faces of his school-mates. Mixed with his usually grave and practical way of doing things, they show more of the cheerful, roguish boy than is accorded to George by writers in general.

Another copy-book contains many extracts, in prose and poetry, which particularly interested George at the time. He was in the habit of preserving in this way choice bits of prose and poetry for future use.

They were copied in his clear, fair handwriting, with every _i_ dotted and every _t_ crossed, and every comma and period nicely made and placed.

All these copy books, with other proofs of George's thorough scholarship and progress, can now be seen at Mount Vernon, where he lived and died.

Irving says of these: "His ma.n.u.script school-books still exist, and are models of neatness and accuracy. One of them, it is true, a ciphering book, preserved in the library at Mount Vernon, has some school-boy attempts at calligraphy; nondescript birds, executed with the flourish of a pen, or profiles of faces, probably intended for those of his school-mates; the rest are all grave and business-like. Before he was thirteen years of age he had copied into a volume forms for all kinds of mercantile and legal papers, bills of exchange, notes of hand, deeds, bonds and the like. This early self-tuition gave him throughout life a lawyer's skill in drafting doc.u.ments, and a merchant's exactness in keeping accounts; so that all the concerns of his various estates, his dealings with his domestic stewards and foreign agents, his accounts with governments, and all the financial transactions, are to this day to be seen posted up in books, in his own handwriting, monuments of his method and unvaried accuracy."

There was yet another ma.n.u.script more important, really, than those of which we have spoken. It contained one hundred and ten rules for regulating his conduct, to which he gave the t.i.tle, "RULES OF BEHAVIOR IN COMPANY AND CONVERSATION."

When Lawrence Washington examined this ma.n.u.script he remarked to his wife, "It is remarkable that a boy of his years should make such a collection of rules as this. They are creditable to a much older head than his."

"They are not original with him, are they?" responded his wife.

"I think not; they must be a collection which he has made from time to time. It would not be possible for a boy of his age to produce such a code of manners and morals out of his own brain. Hear this," and he proceeded to read some of the "Rules."

"a.s.sociate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your reputation, for it is better to be alone than in bad company."

"Good counsel, surely, and well expressed," remarked Mrs. Washington.

"It shows a degree of thoughtfulness and desire to be correct, beyond his years," added Lawrence. "The other rules are no less practical and significant." He continued to read:

"Every action in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those present.

"Speak not when others speak; sit not when others stand. Speak not when you should hold your peace. Walk not when others stop."

"That is paying attention to little things with a will," remarked Mrs.

Washington.

"And that is what impresses me," responded Lawrence. "Most boys think that such small matters are beneath their notice, when attention to these secures attention to more important things."

"Very true," replied his wife; "and it certainly shows a desire to be correct in behavior that is commendable."

"And as unusual as it is commendable," added Lawrence. "It is such a manly view of life as we seldom meet with, except in ripe manhood."