TRIBUTES OF HER COUNTRYMEN
Mary Washington was laid by reverent hands in the spot chosen by herself near "Kenmore." Tradition declares that General Washington proposed erecting a monument over her ashes, but was restrained by the assurance that the country claimed that privilege.
If this promise was made, it was never redeemed. The American nation, in its reasonable gratitude, dedicated in almost every hamlet some memorial to its great commander. For her it did nothing. No stone or tablet for years marked her resting-place.
Tradition loves to repeat the myth that Congress, which was in session at the time of her death, wore the usual badge of mourning for thirty days, and passed resolutions of respect to her memory and sympathy with the President. No such action was taken by Congress. There is no official record of the fact. Nor does Robert Maclay, who transcribed in his journal every incident of his senatorial life, make any mention whatever of Mary Washington.
We delighted to call her son "a king among men, godlike in his virtues." We knew that he served us for eight years in peril of life and fortune, unsustained by encouragement or the hope of success, leading a forlorn hope against a powerful enemy. We knew that his, more than any score of names, had given us the place we held among the nations of the earth. We knew that he himself said, "All that I am, I owe to my mother."
And yet the country seemed content with toasting his name at its banquets, and left his mother's grave to be marked only by mouldering stones and noisome weeds! The graves of her family were all preserved from decay. Her distinguished son lay, as it was fitting he should lie, in a marble sarcophagus at Mount Vernon. She had chosen for her final pillow, the spot where God had answered her prayers in the gift of wonderful serenity of soul, and in a short while God alone would have known where to find that spot. Brambles and weeds covered it, hiding, for very shame, the witness of man's ingratitude and neglect. Twice, bills were presented to the Congress of the United States, asking for an appropriation for a monument over Mary Washington's grave. By various misfortunes the bills were lost. In 1830 the women of Fredericksburg banded themselves together to rear this monument, and were zealously engaged to that end when they received the following letter from a patriotic man of wealth in New York City:—
"New York, April 11, 1831.
"To the Honorable Thomas Goodwin, Mayor of the Town of Fredericksburg, Va.
"Sir:—I have seen with the greatest interest the efforts making by the citizens of Fredericksburg to erect a monument over the remains and to rescue from oblivion the sacred spot where reposes the great American mother, Mary, the mother of Washington. I feel a great interest that the ashes of this good American mother shall remain where they are, and I wish to be allowed the honor of individually erecting the monument, which I assure you, sir, shall be, in style and execution, to please the family of Washington and the citizens of the United States.
"Be pleased, sir, to make this communication known to the Washington family and all interested, and believe me truly,
"Your most ob't s'vt,
"Silas E. Burrows."
The offer was gladly accepted. Work on the monument was at once commenced. The handsome marbles were finished, and the corner-stone laid in the presence of Andrew Jackson, then President of the United States. On this occasion President Jackson said: "Mary Washington acquired and maintained a wonderful ascendency over those around her. This true characteristic of genius attended her through life, and she conferred upon her son that power of self-command which was one of the remarkable traits of her character.
"She conducted herself through this life with virtue and prudence worthy of the mother of the greatest hero that ever adorned the annals of history. There is no fame in the world more pure than that of the mother of Washington, and no woman, since the mother of Christ, has left a better claim to the affectionate reverence of mankind."
This monument was completed but never erected. The stone-mason and the contractor died before the shaft was placed on the foundation, and, soon after, Mr. Burrows died also. The work ceased, and the unfinished structure stood as the contractor left it, until torn down for the present finished monument. The non-completion of the old monument, therefore, seems to have been providential, and no fault of the projector or contractor. During the Civil War between the North and the South, the guns of the contending armies were fired across the stones, and they became a prey to the vandalism of strangers.
In 1857 Captain George Washington Ball (grandson of the patriot, Colonel Burgess Ball, and his wife—Frances Washington) circulated an appeal throughout the country, asking for donations to complete the monument. For eleven years Captain Ball worked zealously and faithfully. He desired to erect near the monument a noble charity,—an institution of learning for young women,—but it seemed ordained that he should be not immediately successful, and in time he became discouraged. It was a heart-breaking disappointment to "this old man eloquent,"—the author of the monograph so freely quoted on these pages.
Mary Washington's Monument.
Finally the women of America reared a shaft over the desecrated spot, and by a hereditary office, held by six hundred of their number, provided a perpetual Guard of Honor over the grave of Mary, the mother of Washington. The corner-stone of this last monument was laid Oct. 20, 1893. The monument—the first ever reared by women in honor of a woman—is a classic shaft of granite. It was dedicated by President Cleveland on May 10, 1894, in the presence of a large concourse of people.
Fredericksburg made the occasion one of rejoicing and festivity. The day was a glorious one. The sun never looked down upon a brighter scene,—garlands and festoons of flowers, "ripples of ribbons in the air," officers in uniform, maidens in white, music, and song! There was a grand masonic banquet, and a ball.
The procession was headed by a number of beautiful young women habited in black with black hats and sable plumes, handsomely mounted on horseback. The Chief Justice of the United States, the Justices of the Supreme Court, and members of the Cabinet, preceded the companies of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and again, beside the grave of this modest woman, were repeated words of honor and applause, than which no words in any language could be nobler or better deserved.
These words—from the citizens of her own town, from the senator of her state, from the President of the United States—were for her: not alone as the mother of the adored Washington, but for the true woman "of clear, prompt and decided mind," the woman of courage and integrity, the "Christian woman, devout and worshipful," to whom the "greatest hero that ever adorned the annals of history" ascribed all that had made him great and good.
And very noble was the tribute of Virginia's honored son at the ceremonies attendant upon the unveiling of the monument reared in her honor by the women of America. Said Senator Daniel:
"She nursed a hero at her breast. At her knee she trained to the love and fear of God and to the kingly virtues, honor, truth and valor, the lion of the tribe that gave to America liberty and independence. This her title to renown. It is enough. Eternal dignity and heavenly grace dwell upon the brow of this blessed mother; nor burnished gold, nor sculptured stone, nor rhythmic praise could add one jot or tittle to her chaste glory. Tributes to the lofty genius, which is the rare gift of nature, and to the brilliant deeds, which are the rare fruits of fitting opportunity, fulfil a noble function; but they often excite extravagant emulations that can never be satisfied, and individualize models which few by possibility may copy. This tribute is not to them. It is to one who possessed only the homely virtues of her sex; but what is there in human life that can be more admirable or bring it in closer proximity to the divine? She was simply a private citizen. No sovereign's crown rested on her brow. She did not lead an army, like Joan of Arc, nor slay a tyrant, like Charlotte Corday. She was not versed in letters or in arts. She was not an Angel of Mercy, like Florence Nightingale, nor the consort of a hero, like the wife of Napoleon. She did not shine amidst the throngs which bow to the charms of wit, beauty, and hospitality; but in any assembly of the beautiful, the brilliant, the powerful, or the brave of her sex, no form could awaken a holier sentiment of reverence than she, and that sentiment is all the deeper because she was the unassuming wife and mother whose kingdom was her family, whose world was her home. In the shadow and in the silence from day to day and year to year she followed the guiding star of that truth which tells us that 'to do that which before us lies in daily life is the prime wisdom.' She was the good angel of the hearthstone—the special providence of tender hearts and helpless hands, content to bear her burdens in the sequestered vale of life, her thoughts unperverted by false ambitions, and all unlooking for the great reward that crowned her love and toil.
"But for the light that streamed from the deeds of him she bore, we would doubtless have never heard the name of Mary Washington, and the grass that grew upon this grave had not been disturbed by curious footsteps or reverential hands. But it does not follow that she shines only in the reflection of her offspring's fame. Her virtues were not created; they were only discovered by the marvellous career of her illustrious son. This memorial might indeed be due to her because of who she was, but it is far more due to her because of what she was. It is in her own right, and as the type of her sex, her people and her race, that she deserves this tribute stone.
"There were ten thousand Mary Washingtons among the mothers of the Revolution, and honoring her we honor the motherhood of heroic days and heroic men. It was in his character, all sufficient in every emergency, that was displayed the overtowering greatness of George Washington, and it is not doubted that this character was toned and shaped by his mother's hand. The principles which he applied to a nation were those simple and elementary truths which she first imprinted upon his mind in the discipline of home.
"Mary Washington was the 'light of the dwelling' in a plain, rural, colonial home. Her history hovers around it. There she was wife, mother, and widow.
"Home is the pure original fountain from which all patriotism must flow, and the stream can never rise above its source. As the woman is, the man is; as the man and woman are, the home is; and as the home, so the country. Show me refined, enlightened, virtuous, and industrious homes, and I will show you a good government and a great nation. The nation is the aggregate, the homes are the units; man is the builder, woman is the inspiration. Discuss constitutions, administrations, and policies as we may, the outcome must depend upon the subsoil they spring from. Make the home all right, and the rest must follow. This is woman's mission. Our race, the youngest that has framed a language, moulded a constitution, and made a name, has recognized that mission and held it sacred. Other races roam the earth for pelf and adventure, and condescend to inferior connections. Our race roams the earth only to find the spot on which to build its homes. Indeed it never quits home. It carries home with it. Wife and child, the domestic animals and plants, the household goods go where it goes, over the stormy billows, into the wilderness, and even to the verge of battle. It is a beautiful legend of the Rappahannock that when Spotswood and his companions came sailing hither the air was made vocal by the English swallows that they brought with them. The stars might change, but they would make the skies still resonant with the songs of the olden homes."
And as the ages pass may there be always some to make the skies vocal with the songs of the olden times of the Virginia she loved.
But the "olden homes," alas, are passing away. Their solid masonry long resists the tooth of Time, but the all-destroyer, Fire, levels them at last. The walls fall, the stones are removed,—let us hope for the building of other homes,—finally the drifting earth fills the foundations, and daisies that "look up to God" alone remain to keep vigil.
Pious hands preserve the old historic churches. Old Christ Church in Lancaster, where Mrs. Ball (the "Widow Johnson") stood with little Mary's sponsors in baptism, still exists; so does Yeocomico church in Westmoreland, where sweet Mary Ball prayed to the God who never forsook her; so does St. George's Church in Fredericksburg, built on the site of "Old St. George's," where, "devout and worshipful," her venerable form was never a moment too late.
The Avenue of Poplars at Nomini Hall.
Her last residence in Fredericksburg is tended by the gentle hands of a society of Virginia women. The garden she loved is kept "passing sweet with flowers." Mount Vernon is also thus kept by the women of the whole country. The ancient home of "Epping Forest" fell into ruin long, long ago. A cluster of old trees marks the spot where the mother of Washington was born. Some of the "olden homes" named in these pages are still standing,—"Gunston Hall," the residence of George Mason; "Stratford," the home of the Lees in Westmoreland; "Bushfield," the home of Jenny Washington of the dancing-class; "Mount Airy," where lived the pretty Tayloe girls. These are in good repair, and there are many others whose thresholds were often crossed by Mary Washington in her girlhood, wifehood, and widowhood.
Of "Nomini Hall," where our New Jersey tutor taught and admired the ladies, no trace remains; except the avenue of poplars which still live and sleep all winter, and in leafing-time nod and whisper to each other of those they once sheltered who are sleeping on forever!
THE WILL OF MARY WASHINGTON, AS REGISTERED IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA
"In the name of God! Amen! I, Mary Washington, of Fredericksburg in the County of Spotsylvania, being in good health, but calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, and willing to dispose of what remains of my worldly estate, do make and publish this, my last will, recommending my soul into the hands of my Creator, hoping for a remission of all my sins through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind; I dispose of my worldly estate as follows:
"Imprimis. I give to my son General George Washington, all my land in Accokeek Run, in the County of Stafford, and also my negro boy George, to him and his heirs forever. Also my best bed, bedstead, and Virginia cloth curtains (the same that stands in my best bedroom), my quilted blue and white quilt and my best dressing-glass.
"Item. I give and devise to my son, Charles Washington, my negro man Tom, to him and his assigns forever.
"Item. I give and devise to my daughter Bettie Lewis, my phaeton and my bay horse.
"Item. I give and devise to my daughter-in-law Hannah Washington, my purple cloth cloak lined with shag.
"Item. I give and devise to my grandson, Corbin Washington, my negro wench, old Bet, my riding chair, and two black horses, to him and his assigns forever.
"Item. I give and devise to my grandson, Fielding Lewis, my negro man Frederick, to him and his assigns forever, also eight silver tablespoons, half of my crockeryware, and the blue and white tea china, with book case, oval table, one bedstead, one pair sheets, one pair blankets and white cotton counterpain, two table cloths, six red leather chairs, half my peuter and one half of my kitchen furniture.
"Item. I give and devise to my grandson, Lawrence Lewis, my negro wench Lydia, to him and his assigns forever.
"Item. I give and devise to my granddaughter, Bettie Curtis, my negro woman, little Bet, and her future increase, to her and her assigns forever. Also my largest looking-glass, my walnut writing desk and drawers, a square dining-table, one bed, bedstead, bolster, one pillow, one blanket and pair sheets, white Virginia cloth counterpains and purple curtains, my red and white tea china, teaspoons, and the other half of my peuter and crockeryware, and the remainder of my iron kitchen furniture.
"Item. I give and devise to my grandson, George Washington, my next best glass, one bed, bedstead, bolster, one pillow, one pair sheets, one blanket and counterpain.
"Item. I devise all my wearing apparel to be equally divided between my granddaughters, Bettie Curtis, Fannie Ball, and Milly Washington,—but should my daughter, Bettie Lewis, fancy any one two or three articles, she is to have them before a division thereof.
"Lastly, I nominate and appoint my said son, General George Washington, executor of this, my will, and as I owe few or no debts, I direct my executor to give no security or appraise my estate, but desire the same may be allotted to my devisees, with as little trouble and delay as may be, desiring their acceptance thereof as all the token I now have to give them of my love for them.
"In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 20th day of May, 1788.
"MARY WASHINGTON.
"Witness, JOHN FERNEYHOUGH.
"Signed, sealed and published in the presence of the said Mary Washington and at her desire.
"JNO. MERCER.
"JOSEPH WALKER."
WORKS BY MRS. ALICE MORSE EARLE
STAGE-COACH AND TAVERN DAYS
With many illustrations from photographs.
8vo. Cloth. $2.50
"Not the least valuable items in her book are the pictures with which it is lavishly provided,—admirable reproductions, most of them, of old taverns, tavern signs and bills, stage coaches, and a number of copies of the paintings of Mr. Henry, who has made the stagecoach days of the United States a special study."—New York Tribune.
"Mrs. Earle is no mere compiler. Her books represent original research, combined with a happy faculty of knowing what to tell and what to omit. They are not only authentic, they are interesting, full of human nature, and touched throughout with a delightful sense of humor."—Chicago Tribune.
OLD TIME GARDENS
A Book of the Sweet o' the Year. With many illustrations from photographs.
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"Every page is laden with things interesting, attractive, and curiously and effectively instructive. Mrs. Earle's knowledge of American local traditionary lore, as we have long since learned, is matchless."—Booklovers' Bulletin, Philadelphia.
"A treatise which will be welcomed by all lovers of gardens and of literature ... for the scholarly fragrance distilled by every chapter of a volume that may be worthily enshrined among the classics of gardening literature."—George H. Ellwanger in the Book Buyer.
SUN-DIALS AND ROSES OF YESTERDAY
Garden delights which are here displayed in very truth and are moreover regarded as emblems. Profusely illustrated.
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HOME LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS
Illustrated by photographs, gathered by the author, of real things, works, and happenings of olden times.
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"The work is mainly and essentially an antiquarian account of the tools, implements, and utensils, as well as the processes of colonial domestic industry; and it is full enough to serve as a moderate encyclopædia in that kind.... This useful and attractive book, with its profuse and interesting pictures, its fair typography, and its quaint binding, imitative of an old-time sampler, should prove a favorite."—The Dial.
"Mrs. Earle has made a very careful study of the details of domestic life from the earliest days of the settlement of the country. The book is sumptuously illustrated, and every famed article, such as the spinning-wheel, the foot-stone, the brass knocker on the door, and the old-time cider-mill, is here presented to the eye and faithfully pictured in words. The volume is a fascinating one, and the vast army of admirers and students of the olden days will be grateful to the author for gathering together and putting into permanent form so much accurate information concerning the homes of our ancestors."—Education.
CHILD LIFE IN COLONIAL DAYS
With many illustrations from photographs.
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"The whole work presents a complete and graphic picture of colonial childhood, that cannot but form a valuable supplementary study for students of American history. At the same time it has much general interest, for child life of any period is interesting, but the interest is doubled when it concerns the formative influences of American ancestry."—New York Times.
"From the scant records of colonial days Mrs. Earle has been enabled to make up a volume that is full of life and variety, and that gives an insight into the beauty and tenderness of family life even under the austere conditions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The portraits of children form a gallery as rare as it is beautiful."—New York Herald.
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